I'm sort of new to this whole process after buying a dwarf Cavendish last year. I got a small plant (4") that grew to shoulder height before winter hit. I have to admit I was a little confused by the eBay picture that showed a 4' plant, so I was kind of expecting one of those to come in the mail and not the tiny little plants I got. We got a mild hurricane in October and frost in November and the leaves were shredded and turned brown. I cut them off after they turned brown and left them at the base of the plant. Around that time, I raked up all my maple leaves and piled them around the banana plants and put some spoiled hay around to about three feet, you can see here:
So, they've been like that since late November, left out in the wet winter we've been having with no real attention given to them. I went and poked my finger into the tops since we're almost out of the cold danger and it was all mushy. My questions are:
When should I remove the hay? After the final frost date? How much should I cut back the pseudostem?
Is there any hope for the original pseudostem? Or do I just hope that the corm sends up a new one?
Also, I have been searching for a while on this forum and online for a good description of a "maidenhead sucker" and I don't get much. I believe I understand the difference between a "sword" and a "water" sucker, but this one confuses me.
Thanks in advance!