Looks like the lack of competition and added ferts. are doing the trick.

I'm hoping they continue to grow well?

I hate posting things like this, But the globalization of diseases is destroying much.

http://qz.com/164029/tropical-...

'Our reliance on monoculture to feed surging global populations is catching up with us. International agricultural organizations are already scrambling to find new scourge-resistant substitutes for things like rice and potatoes. In fact, so dire are other global agricultural problems that Tropical Race 4’s onslaught doesn’t even get bananas near the top of priority list. “Getting support to develop new resistant bananas is really tough—there are already so many demands on the international agricultural community,” says Ploetz. “There’s a lot of hunger in the world and bananas just have to get in line behind all those other big problems.”'

Thanks for the article Glen. The problems caused by this type of mono-culture has never really gotten me worked up. Growers are always searching for the easiest, tastiest crop that can be shipped long distances. Potatoes controlled by the fast food french fries size requirements and such. Surely there are varieties out there that, while not as profitable due to lesser performance in any category, will feed the world. I know I'm oversimplifying this but how many times does an industry have to be punched in the gut before they start changing?

Wow thanks for that article Glen. I bookmarked that page. I remember seeing someone on another forum posting something similar.

M. Nam wah.

M.Ae'ae

Wow those are beautiful!

Those are beauties for sure! Is it Nam Wah that can spontaneously become variegated or just certain clones of it?

I have one Mekong Giant in ground and one about to get planted out. Hopefully they make it through the winter.

Lovely Banana plants!

Evan how vigorous is Mekong Giant? I've been wanting to plant one because I read it can grow in shade.

This is my first year with it Cameron. Brian Williams states it's cold hardy to z6, like M. basjoo, so I'm giving it a shot.

Wow, Drew the Nam Wah and AeAe are wonderful. No wonder we haven't been hearing much from you, you've been really busy feeding and watering those fabulous big nanners! How tall are the latest generation of AeAe now?

Cameron, unless the shade you're talking about is the shade of a building, I wouldn't try growing any banana in the shade. IF the shade is made by a tree, that tree is going to have roots out there competing with your banana plant, and the more you water and feed it, the more the tree is going to send roots out there to eat and drink all the goodies you're trying to give the banana plant. Go for smaller types, and put 'em in the sun with lots of space!

(Writing this from a house surrounded by 4 huge oak trees that have roots under every inch of my garden . . . )

Evan I hope they pull through for you this Winter

Elaine I have 3 cedar trees about 10 ft from my house so I guess that's still too close to plant any type of banana? I have one flowerbed that gets morning to early afternoon sun that's farther away from the cedars but its a small flowerbed by the porch. My shade garden looks so empty and I was wanting to plant something that grew large leaves to add a tropical look.

Bananas aren't the only plants with nice tropical looking foliage.

Gingers compete well with tree roots for me, and they have nice big, tropical looking leaves. They'll also bloom fine with not so much sun. I recall from earlier in this thread, you already have some Butterfly gingers? There are lots with beautiful textured foliage, too. This is Zingiber collinsii - I nicknamed it my 'corduroy ginger'.

I also grow a lot of Heliconias in the shade, and they are great, spread themselves, keep their foliage through winter for me, and bloom from May through December. They come in several different sizes, so you can get something that will fit in the space you have. I have little orange ones that are only 20in. tall, Lobster Claws that get 8ft. tall, and these are my favorite, about 3ft. tall with red/cream blooms. Heliconia 'Lady Di'


This is Brazilian Red Cloak, blooms almost year 'round for me, and has big 18in. leaves when not blooming. YOu can see it's between an oak tree and a big palm here in mostly shade. Great plant, easy to grow.

Those are really beauts Elaine. That wide wail cord is super. I'll have my first ginger blooms pretty soon thanks to Sandi.

I really like the heliconias and the corduroy ginger. I think next year I'll plant my butterfly gingers in my shade garden. I used to have a shell ginger but it didn't survive the Winter. At least the butterfly ginger is hardier than the shell ginger.

Yes, and a bag of mulch dumped on top of the plants when you expect cold weather will see most gingers through short periods of very cold weather.

The heliconias are pretty hardy, too but might also need mulch if it's really going to freeze. Mine have kept foliage through 3 winters now, but did die back to the ground one winter a few years ago. They're usually available at Lowe's or HD in the summer so keep your eye out when they have a sale!

I think even if I dumped mulched on top of heliconias, its probably still too cold for them here. I'd have to overwinter them indoors and that's something I couldn't do because I have tons of other plants to overwinter and have very limited space. Those would definitely make a statement but I could still use my butterfly gingers. I have some cast iron plants that add a tropical look but they grow so slowly