HI Emily,

I haven't mulched my basjoo yet. I thought about doing it this past weekend but wanted to wait for the weather to cool down a bit more. This winter I plan to use a wire cage, fill that with shredded leaves then cover the top of the cage with a tarp to keep out excess moisture. Last year I didn't use the tarp but winter was mild and you can't always rely on that being the case.

Sue

I haven't mulched yet either. Maybe I'll try a cage, but originally I was going to just cut the trunk back and mound mulch over it. It's in a bed that has fencing around it to begin with.

There still is an unfurled leaf that didn't succumb to this week's chill nights, though the rest of the foliage finally did yesterday. But I'm just going to cut it all back.

Sue, do you leave a bit of trunk or take it back to the soil level?

Last year I left about a foot or two of trunk but covered everything completely with leaves. All the initial new growth came from the cut back "stumps". I was surprised by this because I thought the previous year growth would just turn to mush.

Here's the last picture I took of the basjoo grove on October 23rd. Frost took it out within a week after that. I can't complain about a garden that looks this good this late. The reseeded purple Amaranthus didn't hurt.

{{gwi:1097464}}

Sue

Well, Sue, that is certainly a stunning bed! I love it. The dark-leaved Dahlia with the Amaranthus is really a nice contrast with the green of the Musa Basjoo! Also, the grass textures frame those big leaves nicely. You've given me some ideas for next year! Thanks for posting the picture. Is that a Canna I see on the left?

I am fascinated that the new growth emerged from the "stumped trunk." I, too, assumed that it would be mush, and the new growth would emerge from the ground. How deep did you pile on the mulch on top of the trunks?

Emily

Emily, yes that is a canna in a pot next to the garage door. Cannas are another bold architectural plant that I couldn't garden without. Last year I was wildly successful overwintering the tubers and ended up with lots of extra plants. If you received a gift from me last spring chances are it was a canna.

As far as the new banana growth emerging from the previous year trunks, I think it was unusual due to the warmer than normal winter we had last year. My patio garden is very protected and is probably a zone 7 in a normal winter. The banana actually started growing out of the mulch sometime in April. At first I thought the mulch was just settling then I realized the plant was getting taller...lol. If we had had a late frost I would have been screwed because by mid May it was too tall to successfully protect. The mulch was maybe 2 feet deep-just enough to cover the stems. This winter I intend to be more cautious because my garden will be open through Garden Conservancy open days next September and I want to make sure that banana comes back.

Sue

Sue,
That is really cool about your garden being part of the "open days" program! I would love to come see it. Central CT isn't too far from me.

I wondered about that late frost thing, too. Our Spring weather is so darn variable and unpredictable...just another challenge, I guess. This will be a learning year for me with the banana. My zone is a tad warmer than 6a too, due to the urban setting.
One more question....I have a Canna Tropicana, for the first time this year, and just loved it. I've dug the tuber up--any tips on your "wildly successful" method of overwintering?

Thanks,
Emily

Emily, all I do with the cannas is dig them up, shake off as much soil as I can and let them dry on a screen in the garage for a couple of weeks. Then I put them in those plastic bags you get from the grocery store, tie the top loosely, toss the bags in a cool, dark spot in the basement and forget about them til late April. Break them up in the spring. You'll probably be able to get a few plants out of that one tuber. If you get pressed for time, just toss the potted ones, pot and all right into the basement. Last year I ran out of steam and left two large pots of cannas in my unheated, detached garage. I figured they'd be toast but winter was mild and around April or May they started sprouting.

Sue

...my basjoo is now sprouting new leaves! I had long ago cut back the others that were killed by frost, leaving the "trunks" standing. With this mild weather, there are about 3-4 leaves, emerging from the tops of those trunks, getting ready to unfurl.

Sue, thanks for your canna tuber instructions. I would love to have more than one Tropicana in bloom next year.

Emily

Mine is too. But with the NOAA forecast saying that temps will be 29F on Sunday and Monday night, I can't stand watching the new foliage bite the dust. So I'm cutting it all down tomorrow. Wah.