Ohio Grown Winter Hardy Basjoo Banana Plant - Musa - 4" Pot

Update: 8/30/2013:--------------------------------Plant has been dead for some time now.Update: 7/03/2013:--------------------------------This plant is just about completely dead now.Update: 1/13/2013:--------------------------------I managed to save the first plant, but I noticed a few days later after I've gotten the plant I noticed it was infested with spider mites. I used an insecticide on the plant, but it appears they already did damage to the plant. They were not discovered at first because they were all down inside the base of the plant. I suggest the seller (9GreenBox) to use insecticide on them ASAP.The insecticide I used is  Safer Brand 5118 Insect Killing Soap - 16-Ounce Concentrate . It seemed to work on the first use, you should do it twice just to be sure none survived. If you're not sure if you have any you can look for small dots on your plant, move the leaf some and see if they move. If you're still not sure you can use a insecticide anyway.Also keep in mind this plant does NOT produce bananas. The image for the product is misleading. Any fruit it does produce is completely inedible, I'm not sure if the fruit will harm animals. I plan on picking them off and throwing them away just to be sure because I have three dogs.I've since then transplanted both of the trees into a  Smart Pots 3-Gallon Smart Pot Soft-Sided Container, Tan  since my last review. I used soil from my garden, yes it was not a "great" thing to do. But with the smart pot it seems to be doing good with it. Because the soil can get muddy when I water the tree it seems to do good with watering once a week. The only problem I have is with the first tree which was infested with spider mites.Keep in mind both trees came almost dead. But after a week or two of care it seems to come back and starts producing more leaves.For those of you that change your mind about keeping this plant you can grow it to the first flowering stage and get about $50 for it locally. If you let it flower fully then you can get about $110 for it.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Below is line is the old review-------------------------------------------------------------------------The I got the plant today, the leaves seem like their dying from the shipment. I'm giving it some emergency care to see if I can save it, two of the leaves were completely dead. I have it under a special light which acts like the sun. It's also in controlled heating at 80F.I suggest you expedite the shipping if you buy this, might be dead if you wait a week.Also, it seems like a second tree is starting to come up in the pot. I don't want to do any transplanting from the original pot until it's more healthy.I also have some organic fertilizer coming which I'm going to use on it.I'll update this review if I'm able to save it.

I really love but have had for two years and no bananas, grow very fast and had to separate now I have five so they might be small when you receive but grow fast ,Make sure you mulch in winter .

Hirts sent me a nice baby banana tree, in a four inch pot. When I got it, it did look small, with an outer leaf that looked brownish, and half dead. There was a leaf growing out of the middle, tho. Within a few days of receiving the tree, I transplanted it into a larger growers pot, using very free draining soil. (Use palm soil, which is like cactus soil, or mix together potting soil, vermiculite, perlite, and turface if you have it too). This creates a very loose soil, for fast root development. Also, fertilize your banana tree quite a bit, but don't burnt the tree. Use a balanced fertilizer, 10-10-10. Keep it in the sun, and keep it warm. I would take the plant outside when the days would go up into the 60s, and take it inside at night, when the springtime tempertures dropped into the 30s and 40s. During this first month, the banana tree grew like crazy. The leaf that looked brownish, just dropped away. These plants grow VERY fact at first, in order to develop its "trunk". New leaves come out of the center of the plant, unroll, and stretch out, each one bigger, and thicker, than the previous one. Now its about 5 weeks after ordering, and I'd say it doubled in size easy. The 6 inch pot I have it in, is basically too small for the banana palm tree. I've been busy, fixing the banana tree a permanent home in my yard, while it's enjoying its childhood in the 6" pot.The location of your banana tree is important. It should get as much sun as possible, tho be protected from harsh winter north winds. These trees need mulched for winter, and the internet has a lot of websites, and Utoob videos, to show how this is done. I dug up the soil, in a 3 foot radius, adding a lot of organic mulch to the soil, along with a bag of manure. These banana palms require a LOT of food, and a LOT of water, in order to make these huge growth spurts. Only now, in late May, can I even hope to plant this tree in the ground. (I live in region 5.) You need to wait til the nights warm up, and all danger of frost is past, to plant these. If its down in the 40s at night, it wont kill the tree, but it just wont grow. I'm going to plant it this Sunday, in the well prepared soil, that receives full sun. I'll fertilize it again, and make sure it never wants for water. Then, sit back and wait for my instant palm tree! I hear if you can push the tree to create 18 leaves (?) in one year, it'll bloom for you. That's what I want to see. So, don't worry about those outer leaves turning brown, and wilting. Its how these plants grow. As the outer leaves die, know this: larger, thicker, taller leaves are rolling out of the middle to replace it.