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legumepole
11-01-2009, 10:34 AM
Howdy,

I would like some advice on protecting in ground banana plants form "cold" winter weather. I am in Zone 9.

I have two plants in the ground with ~6ft of psudostem, that will likely flower next summer if I can protect them. I have never fruited bananas before, but have sucessfully grown many other marginal tropical plants here.

I would like to hear advice and experiences related to protecting plants in the ground.

Pictures of your methods would be great.

Thanks,

Jeff

saltydad
11-01-2009, 05:41 PM
Since I'm in a 7a zone, I'm not sure my experience would help, but I cut my basjoo to a few feet high and mulch heavily with straw (all other types I dig and bring inside). I'm sure someone from your area will chime in. Good luck.

sbl
11-01-2009, 09:18 PM
I live on the border of zone 8/9 --we had 23 for a low last winter and I have 4 bananas that bloomed--I just picked my first bunch. I got the thru the winter by wrapping the stem with landscape cloth. However, the banana I have is Orinoco and it is pretty cold tolerant--so survival is very dependent on the variety.

jeffreyp
11-02-2009, 12:54 AM
I would think simply wrapping the stems in burlap fabric should be sufficient in zone 9 or a combination of burlap and bubble wrap. You could protect the pups by piling on the mulch so they are mostly covered/surrounded by it.

http://www.tropic.ca/images/misc/Banana%20snowman.jpg

Fleece - 8m x 2m roll : Online Garden Centre - The Plant Directory - , for Plants, Wildlife Care, Tools and other garden related items (http://the-plant-directory.co.uk/fleece-8m-x-2m-roll-pi-372.html)

enigma99a
11-02-2009, 04:15 AM
I would think simply wrapping the stems in burlap fabric should be sufficient in zone 9 or a combination of burlap and bubble wrap. You could protect the pups by piling on the mulch so they are mostly covered/surrounded by it.

http://www.tropic.ca/images/misc/Banana%20snowman.jpg

Fleece - 8m x 2m roll : Online Garden Centre - The Plant Directory - , for Plants, Wildlife Care, Tools and other garden related items (http://the-plant-directory.co.uk/fleece-8m-x-2m-roll-pi-372.html)

Yeah in Zone 9B (woodland) do not do any cutting, burlap should be fine. just wrap it well. Also keep the roots dry as you can as they can rot

coast crab
11-02-2009, 08:36 AM
The gardening editor for our loacl paper suggests stacking trash bags of rotting leaves around the trunks of bananas and semi-hardy citrus. I've never found the need to do this, but I can see how it would help. We may lose leaves in a frost or freeze, but the p-stems come through just fine.

Russell

sbl
11-03-2009, 09:52 AM
Here in Pensacola, without protection I usually have to cut the p-stem back about a 1/3 to 1/2 to get them to come out in the spring, and they rarely bloom.

One of the benefits of the lanscape cloth over burlap is it does not get wet and it is more durable--also pretty cheap.

I was also surprised by how much protection a tree canopy can provide. One of 2 unprotected stems I had was under a tree canopy--I had moved it there the yr before--it survived and bloomed first. The other was fully exposed to the cold and even though I cut it back by at least a 1/3 the next spring--it died to the ground.

coast crab
11-03-2009, 10:19 AM
Here in Pensacola, without protection I usually have to cut the p-stem back about a 1/3 to 1/2 to get them to come out in the spring, and they rarely bloom.

One of the benefits of the lanscape cloth over burlap is it does not get wet and it is more durable--also pretty cheap.

I was also surprised by how much protection a tree canopy can provide. One of 2 unprotected stems I had was under a tree canopy--I had moved it there the yr before--it survived and bloomed first. The other was fully exposed to the cold and even though I cut it back by at least a 1/3 the next spring--it died to the ground.

That's surprising since I'm only an hour west of slb. I guess the evergreen live oak canopy and urban heat bubble make all the difference. I've never had to take any of these measures - I just cut off ratty looking winter-burned leaves and wait for spring. Exposure must be the key.

sbl
11-03-2009, 10:27 AM
That's surprising since I'm only an hour west of slb. I guess the evergreen live oak canopy and urban heat bubble make all the difference. I've never had to take any of these measures - I just cut off ratty looking winter-burned leaves and wait for spring. Exposure must be the key.

You are even further north about 20 miles, but I am on the edge of the city, pretty exposed to strong NE winds across the bay. The tree canopy effect surprised me--I think it has a pretty big effect. The one that died is right on the edge of my lot next to a lot that is totally treeless--fully exposed to NW winds. That is where this bunch of bananas has been for the past 20 yrs.

Las Palmas Norte
11-05-2009, 04:25 AM
Jeff,
From your original post, it would seem like you want fruit.
Cutting the tops down could potentially stop or certainly reduce fruit production since the reproductive/flowering parts could be above the cut point.
Pseudostem protection is key to fruiting bananas.

Cheers, Barrie.

mckoinld
11-05-2009, 04:15 PM
When do you stop watering and feeding bananas and wrap them? when the lows get to 40's, 30's ?

enigma99a
11-05-2009, 05:02 PM
When do you stop watering and feeding bananas and wrap them? when the lows get to 40's, 30's ?

My opinion is this. When the day temps no longer even reach upper 50s, stop watering/feeding them since they are not growing anyway. But keep them slightly moist. When the threat of frost comes, then wrap them good and stop watering. Actually for me, it's not the cold that gets them but the cool rain. Rots them. If I could keep them dry, they would do fine.

mckoinld
11-06-2009, 03:17 PM
Thanks that helps a lot. Gives me some idea of when to stop watering. Dont want them to rot.

Steve L
11-06-2009, 04:57 PM
Lonie,

The only water mine get are from rain showers starting this month and through the middle of March. I start fertilizing in April when new growth starts to show up.

Steve

mckoinld
11-06-2009, 05:57 PM
Thanks Steve. I have been planning to call you and come see what you have. I have a project that you might be interested in. Will give you a call later today.

sbl
11-08-2009, 08:53 PM
I just happened to think of something that should be useful in wrapping and protecting bananas--used window screen. I have about 100 ft of it from re-screening our porch this summer. I can use it to wrap stems and fill the screen with pinestraw--should work well--it won't hold water, won't degrade in the sun.

jwmahloch
11-17-2009, 02:06 PM
On thing I learned last winter: cover in ground bananas with plastic to keep the mulch or leaves dry. I had two that I covered and three that I did not. the two that I covered the mulch with plastic came back and the uncovered ones rotted in the ground and did not come back. Its also helps to have banana plants in a raised bed in well drained soil. we have a lot of clay in St Louis and I removed a lot of it from my planting beds. Now I have a big pile of clay dirt behind my shed that looks like crap. - Jeremy

saltydad
11-17-2009, 05:24 PM
Jeremy- with all that clay you should have a pond water garden. Heavy clay soil is great for potting water plants. I use about an inch or so of pea gravel on top to keep everything neat and the soil from getting in the water.

jwmahloch
11-17-2009, 05:31 PM
I wish I could have a water garden but I cant because I have a 2 year old son that would get in it. Maybe in a few years I can. I also want to build a water fall out of rocks.

conejov
12-09-2010, 11:48 AM
Question, How many times should I wrap the bananas? Will wrapping it once over work or wrapping it around at least 3-4 times be better. Im in Houston zone 9.

TommyMacLuckie
12-10-2010, 11:45 AM
Conejov, you north of Houston or south? The northern portion of Houston itself and north of Houston is 8B. Pearland is 8B. But there is a 9A area south of Houston and in the SE part of Houston. I doubt it's much of a difference though when it gets into the mid 20s eh?

Cut yer fronds off and put sheets over 'em! Mulch at the bottom. Or do nothing. Unless it's rated for 10B or higher they usually come back without having to do anything to 'em.

lkstapleton
12-18-2010, 05:11 PM
I agree with the Roseville poster that here in California, it's usually the fact that we get cold, wet rain in this part of California, and that is really devastating. I pull mine in under the eaves, close to the house. It's a little warmer there, and a lot drier. Usually in March, they start coming out.

A fellow I know in Fremont, CA gets bananas in March most years. He planted Sweatheart, Blue Java and Goldfinger. He has a huge mat of them in the back yard, in the dirt, and gets dozens of bunches. I am so jealous, because mine are still small.

Lisa

jrodzen
12-27-2010, 12:55 PM
I am in Loomis, just east (and a little colder) than Rocklin/Roseville. I have one large banana in the ground with about 6' of trunk that I got from a local strawberry stand this summer. Which, of course, had no idea what cultivar it was...
There is a local nursery owner that has several large bananas growing on her property in Lincoln in mainly a clay soil that overwinter fine. But, she's not sure what variety they are either, other than green and large :)
In the spring, I plan to plant out some blue javas, orinocos, basjoos, and kandarian plants that I currently have in my greenhouse.
Anyway, I am new to bananas, and just tagging along to see what other locals are doing.

legumepole
12-29-2010, 10:32 AM
Thank you all for the feed back.
This has been really educational.

The aproach I took for protecting my bananas this winter seems to have pros and cons. Overall its working fine to protect the stems and some of the leaves. But many of the plants are bent over a bit. Imagine giant white candycanes wraped in row cover.

I am now thinking about my stratigy for next winter. If I have plants next fall that are close to bloom height, I think I will use 3 long pieces of PVC to create a very tall and very narow banana shaped greenhouse around the plant.

Jeff