When I bought mine from Craigslist,both came in a freezer bag,one had a black and this one has a red cable like yours it might be that brand,it just say wrap on ,on the tag.

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With temps at or above 58* today I went inside my palm hut and discovered one of my basjoos about 10ft tall fallen over.
Its base had must have froze,just above ground level,right where my tape heat ended,rest of trunk is real firm,so I checked the other standing basjoo, same there it to is soft,but it is still standing straight,I cut a couple leaves off it to take some of the weight off the trunk,I feel it too will fall in time.
Good news is my queen palm is still in excellent condition and nice and green.
Another bad news is the straw bales are starting to rot,hopefully they will last another 2 months.
Another cold front with snow is to be here Monday,with temps down in the single digits again.
And tomorrow were flirting with temps close to 65*!
Come on Spring!
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Bananas rotted right below the heat tape,which is about 6 inches from tape to ground,I didn't think it would be necessary to go to the ground,the ground is not frozen.
I watered once back in November,when it was still warm.might not been a good idea!
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Queen Palm looking great
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Remaining banana still putting on new leaf,but base is real soft,and think it will continue to rot before spring like the other basjoo has already done,in which I went ahead and cut off at the base.
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Damn!
So what's the trick? Placing the heat tape around the plastic pot near the base?

That Queen looks perfect!

Great idea using all those bales, but they do get slippery quickly and fall over from the warmth within, not to mention wind.
We used to tie our piled bales into one mass, then prop 2x4s on an angle held with heavy rocks, otherwise the whole outside row fell over every year before spring.

Hope the naners recover.
Barb

Thanks,I'm pretty sure they will,because still firm from rotted mushy spot to the ground,which is a couple inches or more,so from the ground up 2 or 3 inches,still firm mushy spot was about 4 inches to the heat tape,and this basjoo was closer to the palm than the one that is still standing,go figure!These straw bales go up to about 5ft tall or more.
There is 2 cats that live inside,keeping the mice population down,but at the same time wear and tear n the straw bales,they even rooted a couple spots in a couple bales.
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This trunk about 4" in diameter,is the smallest one and it is still doing great.
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Sorry to hear about your basjoos, that really is a shame after all of your hard work.

I think what your doing with the queen is really cool by the way, come on spring is right.

Bill

Don,
thanks for the update!
That queen project is awesome. I just might have to try that in 2011.
I also like the pipe heat cable on the Musa. If it works for you, I'll try next winter.
My Musa and Musella are mulched after quickly dying to the ground months ago. The exception are the Musa basjoo stems in the "palm hut." They look bad and I thought them dead, but I peeked in today and there is still some green so maybe I'll keep at least some of the stems.
As for the straw, yes, it goes bad. Most years I get lazy and leave it be. Today I pulled the hay I was using as a deep mulch off my palms so that trunks could dry. I'll replace it with fresh hasy Sunday.
As for weather, yes, isn't it great to live where we do? 😀
I'm 60 oF now and will get to 70 oF tomorrow.
As with you, a bit of snow next week, but forecast lows here are only about 14 oF or so which shouldn't be a problem. Palms should all be as hardened off as they are going to be, right?
--Erik

Thanks bill,at least 2 months or more before spring,I think were half way there!

Erik,from the mushy spot up,the trunk on the basjoo was just as firm as can be,,must have been a draft in there,don't know where!
I'll know next time to bring the cable all the way down and maybe even on the ground.
Yep I don't think they could be any more harden off by know,it's suppose to drop down to 8* for the lowest next week,we've been there several times already,so I hope the last standing 2 basjoos will hold on for a little longer.If my queen makes,know telling what I might try next year!
Good luck in your palm hut,spring is in the air,we calling for 68* tomorrow,made 61* today!