View Full Version : Can Dwarf Brazilian and Mona Lisa take a night of frost?
I live in Dallas and tonight they predict around 32 and I was hoping I could keep my bananas in the ground a few weeks more.
I know my Dwarf Namwah can take a night of frost if wrapped in frost cloth but can my Mona Lisa and Dwarf Brazilian do that too?
I cover the P-stem in multiple layers of frost cloth. Last year I managed to get 2 Nam Wah and an Orinico to survive outdoors all winter this way.
Advice is highly welcome so I know whether to dig up and drag in my two Mona Lisa and Brazilian tonight. But really hope I wouldn't have to but these two I have no experience from growing before. Both are big enough 6 feet of p-stem to produce fruit next year. I also want to minimize the time in the garage to minimize risk of rot while in there. Soo hard to decide...
Also, for my Dwarf Namwah that are 8 feet, can I cut off the top when I bring them into the garage? Otherwise it won't fit under the ceiling. Btw, I have found out the hard way over two years that they cant be stored horizontally on the floor since that will cause them to rot. So I need to store them vertically.
Abnshrek
11-12-2012, 09:41 AM
Hopefully you'll only get frost and it will burn the leaves. I don't know about the mona lisa making it. I would say it depends on established it is, and how much cloth you have on it, yah know. To me it sounds like your shovel is going to be busy myself. :^)
I think you provided some good lessons learned there to other folks. :^)
Well, last year I dug it up and put it into a pot. Planted it again this spring and now it is 6 feet so it has done well, especially considering the sol that is not too good there.
But question is if it is more related to Nam Wah rather than Dwarf Cavendish which in my experience has lousy cold hardiness.
momoese
11-12-2012, 09:55 AM
Frost will burn the leaves.
Snookie
11-12-2012, 11:35 AM
Great Question...
I'm just going to get my nanna plants to huddel/cuddle up and hopefully keep warm.
http://upload.spankdu.com/images/9azu80sqh53a3swsnv6.jpg
Seriously I'm confused about the cutting, digging up thing myself so.
Keeping my fingers crossed and bringing in the repotted pups from my plants and letting mother nature do her thang:}
venturabananas
11-12-2012, 01:31 PM
If you keep the frost off the leaves with frost cloth, the Dwarf Brazilian will be fine. When I get temps in the mid to low 30's at night, it is not quite as tough as D. Namwah, but it's close. If it's just a short dip into the 30's and back up to warm temps, and you can keep frost off the Mona Lisa, I think it'll do fine. Mine does. But it is definitely more like a Cavendish (no surprise, given its genetics) -- it doesn't do well with sustained cool temps. Good luck. Like Mitchel, says, frost on the leaves of any of the varieties, including the cool-hardy ones, will burn them.
It now sounds like it can go below 32 for a few hours. Might have to dig up my Mona Lisa and Brazilian...
Ok, I just dug up my Mona Lisa in the dark. Will try the Brazilian as well.
What about the rest though? I wont have time to dig them all up tonight so
even if it goes below 30 for a few hours and I have wrapped the p-stem cant I dig them up anyway or is there risk that the p-stem has been damaged from the top?
I dont care about the leaves as long as I can dig them up and store them this coming weekend and my primary concern is to make them survive until then.
Every banana worth the name is now wrapped in frost cloth to protect the p=stem.
In some cases the plant is too high and I am thinking about cutting off a foot at the top so it can fit i the garage, is that doomed failed to fail?
Advice please?
Thanks
Peter
venturabananas
11-12-2012, 08:39 PM
I've never had to dig out plants to overwinter them, so I can't say much, other than I know that Harvey had something like 20+ frosts at his house last winter and most of his bananas survived, completely unprotected.
Ok, final result:
Covered my D Brazilian completely including leaves so hopefully I get a few more weeks before I have to dig it up.
Dug up my Mona Lisa and a Dwarf NamWah (or as I call them ice-cream).
The rest I covered and hopefully I can dig up quite a few Nam Wah if they aren't too hard hit from the frost this coming weekend.
A few I have to leave in the ground through the whole winter since they just are too big to dig up, but I will cover them really good once I cut off the last leaves. Last year I kept one D Orinoco and 2 D Nam Wah alive outside but this year they predict a much harsher winter here in North Texas so we will see.
Hopefully I can cut them off a little at the top before I bring them into the garage since some of them are borderline to reach the ceiling in the garage.
Also have a few small "insurances", at least one potted pup each of the varieties I have. The Saba is one of those where I can no longer dig it up so I have to hope for the same result as last year when it survived outdoors.
Oh well, lets see how it goes but I would really like to know from someone who digs them up if you have cut off the top and still managed to keep them alive over winter. I am a little concerned that this will cause them to rot hence my question.
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2020, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.