Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Style

[tikifarmer]

Here are a few pics from my backyard pool area here in south central PA ...

Hope you enjoyed ...

 

[Butterfly]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Enjoyed! Beautiful!

 

[woodyp]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Boy have I got work waiting for you in Texas..........................

 

[ivyleager]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Very nice!

Any bug issues with that many plants???

 

[Samantha_in_AL]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Wow, that is absolutely gorgeous! What type of palms do you have and how do you get them to survive the winters? I have spent alot of money on tropical plants, banana trees and palms this summer and now I'm worried about them not making it through the winter. I had planned on bringing them inside, but they grew so much larger than I expected them to in just one season. If yours survive in PA, maybe mine will be okay here in northeast Alabama.

Thanks for sharing your photos!

 

[linen]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

WOW I didn't know that was possible that far north. Very nice

 

[chessie6]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Wow - so beautiful! I didn't know you could grow these plants there. Enjoy !!

 

[HarryH3]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

How do you keep them alive through the winter? Here in Central Texas our banana tree and hibiscus didn't survive the winters and our Sago and Palmetto Palms barely recovered each spring. We don't anywhere near as cold here as it does in PA!

 

[tikifarmer]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Thanks to all for the nice compliments ...

Ivyleager --- We get some japanese beetles in July but , they haven't been too bad the last couple years ...

Samantha in AL --- Japanese windmill palms , pindo palm , mexican fan palm , sabal minors and needle palms . These all need protection in PA . I would think a lot of these would grow unprotected in your area depending on your low temps for the winter .
For bananas musa basjoo , orinocos , blood bananas , red abbyssinian , pink velutina , thai black and a few others . The basjoo are left in the ground . The others are dug up and stored inside , some in pots and some bare root .

Harry H3 --- Lots of protection ...
Seriously the hibiscus gets no protection . They are hardy here . The only banana that I leave out is musa basjoo . Borderline hardy here ...

 

[Shane1]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Thats pretty awesome! Looks more like Hawaii! Did I read you last post correctly.....you dig most of this up every year?

 

[tikifarmer]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Shane1 --- Just some of the bananas and all of the cannas and elephant ears .
Lantana responded well to digging and repotting last year so I am going to try that again as well .
It's really not that hard and it's great exercise !!!

 

[chiefwej]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

The Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), also known as the European Fan Palm Tree is quite cold resistant. If the temp gets below 10 they may have to be protected, but in most climates they do well.

 

[tikifarmer]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

chiefwej --- I have a pretty large med fan palm in a pot that I have been thinking about planting but , it will need to be protected . We got down to -2F last winter ...

 

[chiefwej]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

I've got a few in my yard, but our all-time record low is 6 degrees. It is rare for it to get in to the teens.

 

[mikeginder]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Nursery told me to cut banana trees off at base and cover heavy with mulch.. i am in cent pa too....

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Looks very nice! Lots of work though

HarryH3; there are some cold-hardy hibiscus; they're commonly called "rose of sharon," at least around here.

 

[nick1427d]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

FYI if anyone is looking for hardy banana (musa basjoo) cheap, check out http://northerntropics.mybisi.com/ . Company was extremly nice to work with. Bought numerous banana, went to wrong address by Post office, they replaced the plants free of charge. Plants were very healthy and had great growth.

 

[Stilly]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

@ Tikifarmer, I am also in S. Central PA (Lancaster area) and am looking for a local pool builder. Can you recommend who built your pool? You can PM me if you wish.
thank you!

 

[Lr9788]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Thanks to all for the nice compliments ...

Ivyleager --- We get some japanese beetles in July but , they haven't been too bad the last couple years ...

Samantha in AL --- Japanese windmill palms , pindo palm , mexican fan palm , sabal minors and needle palms . These all need protection in PA . I would think a lot of these would grow unprotected in your area depending on your low temps for the winter .
For bananas musa basjoo , orinocos , blood bananas , red abbyssinian , pink velutina , thai black and a few others . The basjoo are left in the ground . The others are dug up and stored inside , some in pots and some bare root .

Harry H3 --- Lots of protection ...
Seriously the hibiscus gets no protection . They are hardy here . The only banana that I leave out is musa basjoo . Borderline hardy here ...

Stupid question but What do you do for winterization? I know you dig them up and bring the into a garage or something similar but do you need to water them at all? Just wrap the root ball?

Your yard is beautiful

 

[tikifarmer]

Re: Putting More Tropicality into Your Locality Zone 6b Styl

Lr9788
Some of the bananas I pot and keep in the house in a sunny room (some water once a week). Trying to get away from keeping them in the house . It can get a little messy . Any leaves that are produced indoors over the winter die off immediately upon taking them back outside due to "sunburn" anyway . Unless you have the time and inclination to " harden them off " .
Musa Orinocos and Ensete Maurelli are dug and stored barerooted in the cool/dark basement (no water) . They keep very well this way . See attached pic ...
Blood bananas are potted and stored in the basement ( a little water every 2 weeks).
Musa Itinerans I potted and kept in the garage with good success .
There are no hard and fast rules . Whatever works . Some varieties take storage better than others . Some take bareroot storage others don't . A little trial and error ...
I have had pretty good success with musa basjoo overwintering in the ground .They die back but still grow to 10' or more ...