View Full Version : It's Winter. It's NOT winter. Is to. Is not.
Darkman
11-14-2010, 10:44 PM
Living in Pensacola Florida is a crap shoot on when it is winter. We can have Summer like temps and then plunge into Winter temps only to rebound back to Summer for several more weeks. My Question is what effects will this have on my winterizing off my bananas. I plan to wrap the bananas (leaves on) loosely with plastic. The plant will then be surrounded with a wire cage that will also be wrapped in plastic. The interior space will be filled with Pine straw and leaves. The top will be sealable but I will also be able to open it to vent. Plants are in all day sun. And will be watered well before wrapping.
What are your thoughts and at what temperature should I do this wrapping?
mango_kush
11-15-2010, 09:41 AM
my third "cold front" down here and from what i can sense the norm is about three months of cool weather and a week or two in the 50's
Last year was not typical.
rwood1754
03-26-2013, 04:06 PM
Living in Pensacola Florida is a crap shoot on when it is winter. We can have Summer like temps and then plunge into Winter temps only to rebound back to Summer for several more weeks. My Question is what effects will this have on my winterizing off my bananas. I plan to wrap the bananas (leaves on) loosely with plastic. The plant will then be surrounded with a wire cage that will also be wrapped in plastic. The interior space will be filled with Pine straw and leaves. The top will be sealable but I will also be able to open it to vent. Plants are in all day sun. And will be watered well before wrapping.
What are your thoughts and at what temperature should I do this wrapping?
My ice creams survived 17 degrees in my back yard with just netting & some sheets here in Phoenix. Our last frost was 3 weeks ago. Same type of winter here...first a week or two of 70's then a frost. Really hard on the plants. I had a bunch of dry tree leaves around the base of the one by a west facing wall. It survived the best. It is over 6 feet tall almost now as put out new leaves in the last two weeks. It is supposed to be 92 degrees here today ,,march 26th.
DisneyButterfly1
09-26-2013, 09:27 AM
I am interested in getting info on winter protection tips for young pups & newly planted pups up to 4-5 ft newly planted starts here in Pensacola FL zone 8. I have been told plastic is not my best option since it warms up between the cold snaps. Thinking chicken wire cages, heavy mulching with pine bark inside cage & pine straw on top of that. Maybe frost cloth's to throw over on super cold periods. Suggestions, cautions, such extremely welcome. I do not want to overdo and kill them with love :)
kubali
09-26-2013, 09:35 AM
I am interested in getting info on winter protection tips for young pups & newly planted pups up to 4-5 ft newly planted starts here in Pensacola FL zone 8. I have been told plastic is not my best option since it warms up between the cold snaps. Thinking chicken wire cages, heavy mulching with pine bark inside cage & pine straw on top of that. Maybe frost cloth's to throw over on super cold periods. Suggestions, cautions, such extremely welcome. I do not want to overdo and kill them with love :)
I have a starfruit tree that hates the cold,so I put some Christmas lights around the tree then put a tarp around it and it loves it all winter long never gets to hot,and the tree loves it.........
DisneyButterfly1
09-26-2013, 09:47 AM
I have a starfruit tree that hates the cold,so I put some Christmas lights around the tree then put a tarp around it and it loves it all winter long never gets to hot,and the tree loves it.........
Had not thought about the Christmas lights. Thanks!! That is a great idea!!
:08:
kubali
09-26-2013, 10:36 AM
Had not thought about the Christmas lights. Thanks!! That is a great idea!!
:08:
you are more than welcome,glad I could help ya.....
Abnshrek
09-26-2013, 10:52 AM
Had not thought about the Christmas lights. Thanks!! That is a great idea!!:08:
When putting them on Banana's its going to involve ground contact so beware of ants.. I prefer a Heat-tapes, its sealed and I can spray for ants w/ no problems.. :^)
DisneyButterfly1
09-26-2013, 11:01 AM
When putting them on Banana's its going to involve ground contact so beware of ants.. I prefer a Heat-tapes, its sealed and I can spray for ants w/ no problems.. :^)
Never heard of heat tapes ?? What is that and where did you get them?
Abnshrek
09-26-2013, 11:15 AM
Never heard of heat tapes ?? What is that and where did you get them?
Home Depot has them in the keep your pipe from freezing dept. Frost King 30' for the best price I've found.. They sell them online as well. No, I don't own their Stock, but I like my 10% discount.. :^)
jbyrd88888
09-26-2013, 05:21 PM
Home Depot .....I don't own their Stock, but I like my 10% discount.. :^)
Employee discount or 10% better-than-competitor grantee?
I love my HD Credit card! Just got another increase wootwoot! I wish Lowes would give me a card :( Both Stores are SIDE-BY-SIDE in H.P. N.C. soooo easy to compare stuff here
Abnshrek
09-26-2013, 05:29 PM
Employee discount or 10% better-than-competitor grantee?
I love my HD Credit card! Just got another increase wootwoot! I wish Lowes would give me a card :( Both Stores are SIDE-BY-SIDE in H.P. N.C. soooo easy to compare stuff here
Military Discount.. :^)
Darkman
09-26-2013, 06:31 PM
Had not thought about the Christmas lights. Thanks!! That is a great idea!!
:08:
It is getting hard to find the non LED lights now. In our climate a heavy mulch will probably suffice. Making a Cage out of concrete cloth two foot in diameter, wrapping that with plastic and then filling it with DRY leaves or straw will work for 90% of our Winters.
I'll show you the cages and the construction technique when you come to the Banana and Fruit Lovers Gathering in October.
hanabananaman
09-26-2013, 07:25 PM
Last winter in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa during a cold spell in December I was able to keep the leaves alive when it only got down to 28F for a few hours. I had a few hundred gallons of water in a bunch of containers, Christmas lights, and small catalytic propane heaters. Later on in January when it got down to 25F the battle was lost, leaves all died but stems survived with blankets and lights. You CANNOT let the lights touch the stem, the heat will cause damage. I wrapped the stem with various blankets and cloth first and then hung the lights on the petioles I left on the top and wrapped them around and round. At one point there was a 10 degree difference from one side of my yard to the other. I could feel on my skin how much warmer one side was. The reason I went to all that trouble is there will be some winters when I can hopefully keep the leaves alive and get bananas sooner. I usually have very short cold spells with no rain or wind so it may be a little easier to manage than some climates cold spells. I am wondering if you need to be careful about keeping something wrapped completely through the whole winter if there is a chance of 80F days coming days after freezes like I deal with. Will the heat buildup cause a problem?? I am still learning and this winter will be another education I am sure. I wish I had started this hobby one year sooner, our 2011/2012 winter was much milder than this last one.
Good luck
Darkman
09-27-2013, 07:05 AM
Hi Hanabananaman,
You have the same type Winter we have for sure. I did not have to do any protection the last two years and have ample fruit this year. The key to getting fruit is saving the right size P-stem. In my area 6 - 8 feet seems to be about right. I will lose my leaves to a frost irregardless of the temperature most years so I want to have a P-stem that will wake up in the spring, push leaves for several months and then bloom early June.
Of course the varieties you are growing will play into that equation as some take longer to mature from raceme to edible or harvestable bunches. I have started looking into one season growers where a smaller P-stem can grow and fruit in a single season.
DisneyButterfly1
09-27-2013, 07:11 AM
Last winter in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa during a cold spell in December I was able to keep the leaves alive when it only got down to 28F for a few hours. I had a few hundred gallons of water in a bunch of containers, Christmas lights, and small catalytic propane heaters. Later on in January when it got down to 25F the battle was lost, leaves all died but stems survived with blankets and lights. You CANNOT let the lights touch the stem, the heat will cause damage. I wrapped the stem with various blankets and cloth first and then hung the lights on the petioles I left on the top and wrapped them around and round. At one point there was a 10 degree difference from one side of my yard to the other. I could feel on my skin how much warmer one side was. The reason I went to all that trouble is there will be some winters when I can hopefully keep the leaves alive and get bananas sooner. I usually have very short cold spells with no rain or wind so it may be a little easier to manage than some climates cold spells. I am wondering if you need to be careful about keeping something wrapped completely through the whole winter if there is a chance of 80F days coming days after freezes like I deal with. Will the heat buildup cause a problem?? I am still learning and this winter will be another education I am sure. I wish I had started this hobby one year sooner, our 2011/2012 winter was much milder than this last one.
Good luck
Yes, I have been warned by the local extension office about enclosing plants too permanent. The time periods that we get a warm up could get pretty hot inside the enclosure. Wouldn't want to cook them :) They suggested watching also as some products could hold moisture too much & when temps drop really low damage could occur. Guess I need to watch materials I use & set up so I can open the top, etc. Super glad to have you folks on here that are ahead of me on testing some of this. Everyone has been so great in Sharing their knowledge!!
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