View Full Version : Too tall to cover, could a windbreak help a little
hanabananaman
10-12-2012, 10:21 PM
This is my first winter with bananas, I will probably have 10-15 nights of threatening cold. My Ice Cream is 10ft with a little nice weather yet to go so it is too tall to cover. I have some very large pieces of greenhouse plastic and was thinking about making a 9ft windbreak around it with some 4x4's for support. I have water barrels and many strings of big Christmas lights for heat, and fans to circulate air. It doesnt usually get much below 30F for a few hours and some winters we dont freeze, but that hasnt happened in a long time. Our cold nights are usually windless. Digging them up is not an option (7 bulging discs). I struggle enough just getting them in the first time when they are small. Does anyone think I have a chance against 28 degrees for a couple of hours.
Thanks for the help
Larry
Abnshrek
10-12-2012, 10:39 PM
I think you could get a 20'x20' tarp over it w/ a blanket tacked on the inside over it.. That way if it frosts it won't burn your leaves if the lights throw off enough heat. PLus you can remove it when you don't need it. :^)
crazy banana
10-13-2012, 12:26 AM
I have bought some Agribon 19 cloth and hope to cover/ wrap my banana plants if we get frosty nights this winter. Mine are the same size than yours. The Agribon 19 will protect them max. 4 to 6 degrees but will also let the light go through about 85%.
Sounds like a good place for some of the "swimming pool solar blanket" material. (glorified bubble-wrap).
The stuff is relatively inexpensive & the bubbles keep foliage from direct contact with the exterior layer, so no leaf burn, as you'd get with a plain single layer of covering.
A small "milkhouse heater" with a thermostat set down low (35° - 45°F) keeps the heating bill as low as possible.
Quite a few of us on the forum here use the stuff for greenhouse covering material, it's got UV protection so lasts for years.
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