Forum home› Plants

Ensete ventricosum

Wayne Curtis-dixonWayne Curtis-dixon Posts: 23
in Plants
Hi all. I've kind of fallen in love with ensete ventricosum (big red banana plant) and have decided I have to have one after seeing monty and his on GW a few weeks back. I'm not an expert gardener (actually I'm a mere novice) but I've got myself a small fern tree and as my garden is pretty much sheltered from strong winds I was thinking along the lines of an almost tropical garden (in one area at least). Have any of you got these? And what can you tell me about them in terms of care, suitability, feeding, overwintering etc. Your help will be appreciated image Oh, one more thing. EBay... Is it a wise idea to buy without seeing?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,790

    Wayne image  I think you'll find this site interesting http://www.exoticgarden.com/ image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Wayne Curtis-dixonWayne Curtis-dixon Posts: 23
    Thanks for the feedback about eBay. I think I'm just worried about established root balls not being treated with the right care and attention by some over zealous delivery guy!



    His were incredible, and what got me thinking was that it wasn't that long ago they came out after being overwintered so now might be the time to buy and establish.



    And thanks dovefromabove, I'm just about to have a nosey image
  • Wayne Curtis-dixonWayne Curtis-dixon Posts: 23
    Wow! I haven't read through a lot but I might be in a position to actually sustain some of these tropical plants! Have to go and visit!
  • LynLyn Posts: 21,879

    Most of the plants are from plant centres/ nurserys, etc., they have a reputation to uphold, more so than a local GC. If you don't like anything it's shown to the whole world so you will get a decent plant or your money will be refunded, they daren't risk bad feedback and if it goes on Facebook, that's really bad.

    I bought three trees and five hedging bushes, one of the small hedging plants died after awhile, they just replaced the whole pack.

    Make sure you read what you are going to get, not what's shown in the picture, like, they may show a three ft tree in the photo, and offer a 9cm pot!.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Wayne Curtis-dixonWayne Curtis-dixon Posts: 23
    I've found one on eBay. It seems too good to be true. It's apparently 50 / 70cm tall and is ??16.99 delivered. Yet there are others that are also of a decent size that run into ??100's of pounds... It makes me nervous.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,667

    Wyevale garden centre near me has reduced all bananas f rom 15 quid to 5

    I bought one last year reduced like this. I overwintered it in the greenhouse, potted it on in the spring. It is now huge.image

    You will need somewhere frost free to overwinter it. 

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,046

    thanks fidgetbones , methinks a trip to Wyvale tomorrow ( later to-day ) might be on the cards.

    Devon.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,667

    They had two or three sorts I think. Mine is maurelii

    HAs anyone had any success growing from seed?

Sign In or Register to comment.