Re(2): Bananas and Gingers
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re(2): Bananas and Gingers
- From: B*@monterey.edu (Barry Garcia)
- Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 21:47:15 -0800
- References:
opga@wenet.net writes:
> If you want a banana which will
>recover in a year from 16F try MUSA basjoo. It blooms and produces a
>large
>crop of inedible but exciting fruit. The leaves are gorgeous---it is
>utterly
>wind intolerant but hardy.
Well, the lowest i've ever seen the temperatures drop down to here is not
any lower than about 22 degrees farenheit and that is only in very rare
cold snaps. Usually, we have temps drop down to freezing, and sometimes
not even that. I had a Mandevilla in the ground (M. boliviensis), and it
lasted for about 5 years without any protection. I took it out because it
grew so slowly and it needed to be moved (but, it died because i forgot
it, unfortunately).
The Rajapuri variety is one of the cold hardiest of the fruiting varieties
I hear, and it's also resistant to winds.
>
>
>The edible bananas, MUSA x paradisiaca can be grown in a warm green house
>and will fruit in a 100 gallon tub. Try to find a small fruited variety
>like ice cream or lady fingers. Don't try the portable trick. They're
>really not portable. Good luck. If you get a crop of pink lady fingers
>please invite me down.
On the south side of our house we have a smallish area that is surrounded
on three sides by the fence, and the house. It is the warmest spot on our
property (mom used to place a jar full of tea on the small concrete
pathway that runs through there to make sun tea).
There is a laerge enough area to grow things in that i'm sure the banana
(Which only grows to six feet high) and ginger would do well in. I just
need to clear out the old Algerian ivy vines that have crept in (good
news, when the house next door was sold, the guy selling it cut out the
ivy completely). I will have to ammend the area to richen up the soil
(it's sand mostly) however.
