Ensete Maurelii

Ensete Maurelii

Summary

A fantastic tender banana plant. amazing red colours, enormous leaves. needs to be stored dry and cool for the winter else it is prone to rotting.

2010

Here is my first Maurelii in August

I didn't have anywhere to over winter it (I didn't know at the time that you could dry store them) so my dad had it for the winter at his house

2011

January. It was growing nicely until I noticed it was infested with red spider mite. Dad didn't want it in the house so it went in the garage, unfortunately during a cold snap which was the beginning of the end for this one.

It limped on slowly dying back until by April I was just left with a dead stump

I bought 2 new ones from B&Q and planted them out, here in July

By the end of august they had grown well:

Here is one at the end of September being dug up for winter

2012

they wintered in my office at work

Unfortunately one of them passed away after being planted out, seen here slowly dying back

the other was OK, here it is planted out in July

And here at the end of October

2013

June

I didn't take many pictures of it this year for some reason but here it is in August

2014

 Seen here in the spring, its the one in the middle of the picture

It grew to a great height by the end of Autumn, around 10ft

We dug it up in November

The corm was turned upside down to drain the water out before dry storing in the loft

2015

Really slow to start growing this year, planted out early June and looking very small

November 8th

Dug up and draining ready for storage

2016

March 16th

 Out of the loft ready to go on the heat mat (new this year) to kick start root growth

 7th April

 Growing leaves nicely (I also bought 20 Manurelii plug plants that are on the heat mat too)

 8th May - one of the big ones hasn't grown roots yet so that is still indoors. the others have now been planted out

November 5th dug up and Dumped in the very messy shed for a few days upside down or at an angle to dry out 

before being put in the greenhouse with all the other bananas, kept at +5c minimum temperature