Today’s video is about winter preparation & overwintering care for Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ red Abyssinian banana plants. These are one of my favourite tropical style foliage plants for UK jungle & exotic gardens, amazing impact for summer bedding displays, huge colourful leaves and very fast growing too! I discuss when to bring the tender Ensete plants inside for winter now we’re in mid-November, go through a step by step process of how to overwinter them and the winter storage options like dry storing and growing these bananas as houseplants. I mention how the size of the plant affects the best method to use and the best places to keep them over winter along with my secret weapon for drying them out, a dehumidifier…
Links to the dehumidifiers I’d buy if I needed a new one this year (affiliate links which help support my channel at no cost to you!):
Small, efficient and budget friendly dehumidifier for small rooms and spaces: https://amzn.to/3hU53n6
Larger dehumidifier (great for taking more water out quickly and for winter laundry too!): https://amzn.to/3EEnl4N
The best dehumidifier for colder rooms and greenhouses, pricy to run but desiccant dehumidifiers operate in lower temperatures and provide some heat as well, my choice for rapid drying out of these plants (and washing!) for short bursts: https://amzn.to/3UI3OpK
Yorkshire Kris’ guide to dry storing Ensete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9U0iEaupc
Link to my epic overwintering video here, loads of info all about Ensete and other big leaved tropical style plants: https://youtu.be/XaPH6Yw0BEs
How to reuse autumn leaves & compost as a mulch for your garden borders using the rainforest method: https://youtu.be/T1W_k3j-vrs
0:00 Intro
1:06 When to bring Ensete banana plants in for winter in the UK
2:33 Can Ensete banana plants survive UK winters outside? Hardy?
3:29 Can you grow Ensete banana plants as giant houseplants over winter?
4:42 Preparing Ensete banana plants for winter storage – chopping off the leaves
7:20 Digging up & lifting tender Ensete banana plants for winter
9:10 Chopping Ensete roots & removing soil to reduce the risk of rot
10:19 Draining Ensete plants upside down before winter storage
11:04 Potting up Ensete ventricosum for winter dry storing
12:48 Overwintering methods for Ensete – dry storing red bananas
14:04 Winter care for small / young Ensete banana plants
15:31 How I overwinter Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ garden plants
18:40 Can you dry store Ensete in a greenhouse, garage or shed over winter?
20:17 Winter care for potted Ensete tropical style banana plants
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Thanks,
George
20 Comments
Does the Ensete produce as many puppy's as the Musa Basjoo does?
Great advice, George. I've never had good results when dry-storing but will keep trying! 😆
Great video George, lots of great tips! I kept mine in pots, as I didn't get around to planting them in summer so they are still very small. I will be bringing them in soon and keeping them as a house plant like I did last year. The downside is having to deal with pests and root rot. I'll have to do the same with some of my edible banana plants too that I will be bringing in too.
Brilliant Video George thanks 😊 👍
Hi George
I’ve got two small hiniba in pots ,about 4in and 6in diameter, as you can imagine I really don’t want to lose them, hard enough to find them. Is it best to re pot and cut off leaves?
Only storage is shed , greenhouse or indoors whats the max temp if indoors
Thanks Kev
Ps Any plans for more chuckle brother videos. Brilliant
Great tips as usual, hopefully I will have my Ensete delivered in spring and I will definitely following these instructions. Now George get you plenty of rest ,there's a lot of sleepless nights ahead and no energy for gardening 🤣
Thanks George! Great presentation as usual!
Dug up mine a couple of weeks ago and are now completely dry stored (no soil, roots and perfectly clean) in the adjoined garage. I'm still a little worried about the temps in the garage but it never freezes and I may wrap them on very cold nights. Last year I stored them in a dark cupboard at around 8-10c. Can't do the same this year, so I will see how they go?
Been waiting for this George! Thank you! I’m dry storing my Ensete. It’s been a joy to have in my garden this year. I can’t wait for next year! I will be buying more next year to add to the garden. Look forward to seeing how our Ensete fairs and how it grows next year. You’ve been a great guide and inspiration through the year. Brilliant, thanks!
I fear mine may die a death in the shed (did not do the dry compost thing)
If it dies it dies, just an excuse to spend more money on the garden 🙂
That baby must be due soon !
I’m glad living in zone 9A in Florida where we get only a hand full of nights in low 30s to upper 20s for a couple hours at night early morning all I do is wrap them in frost bags and mulch a foot deep around the base and they do well. Beat of luck with your winterizing activities
Hello Mr George! Do you think a Clerodendron bungei is more suitable for a Mediterranean or tropical garden as I have the choice for these 2 options? At the moment, the shoots harvested in September are in a large outdoor pot on the southwest side. We'll see in the spring! Thank you very much and greetings from Brussels!
Hi george . Good advise for nanna fans. Wots going on with the weather here in kent? Ive not protected anything yet! Im ready and waiting. I must say that all my tree ferns have never looked better. They look better now than in that hot summer we all had. Hope this mild climate keeps on, but you know wot its like- never take things for granted. All best steve. Ps i keep cutting back me green nanna , but it keeps growing!👍
Got the idea! As you said, you treat them like a kind of bulb/onion during winter. A true resurrection or re-birth at spring
and summer! A lot of work, but they don't miss to thank you with their beauty at summer!
All the best for the Mum and coming baby. Take care George.🧡
Thanks so much George for this really helpful and informative video. I have been holding off and holding off but this weekend is the time to put my garden to bed! Feel incredibly lucky that we've managed to get to mid November and it still looks fab. Hope all ok with bump, best start getting a lot of sleep in preparation 😂😂😂
"That's not a knife. This is a knife" 🤣.
"There's bushman and there's Mick Dundee"
Great video as always mate. Your knife comment made me think of Crocodile Dundee….
As you know I'm a Brutal Dry Store guy…gotta try to keep my ensete hiniba alive this winter indoors
Great video George. Always good to have a recap on what to do with these magnificent plants
is your fire pit finished yet
My musa basjoos are still chucking out leaves down here in South UK. When would you decide to wrap them? At the mo the min night temps is 4.c over the next 10 days
I'm in Bournemouth and it's still very mild so I think I'll hold off as long as possible. We had one night that was 2 degrees and I was so worried but both of mine are still growing and looking healthy. So we will see…