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tropicplantlover
11-20-2015, 10:41 AM
Hello out there: I am preparing my banana grove for the winter season here, painstakingly........I hate to cut them back, but it seems that is my only alternative. I have tried keeping them with just the stalks and no leaves and insultating them, but they always ended up mushy from that, so I now cut them back to about 16" or so, heavily mulch them and put socks on their severed tops then put bags of leaves tied in each corner with a tarp or plant cover over them. We get some temps in winter at 0o or below sometimes as in the past here. Some of lived, some have not, but the corms are always producing a new crop of trees for me and they grow to be around 20' tall.
Any suggestions out there to help me make this less labor intensive???
thanks!

Snarkie
11-21-2015, 10:08 AM
Hi there-

Welcome to the Banana Express. :nanerwaveytrain:

Thanks for the input. :bananas_b

a.hulva@coxinet.net
11-21-2015, 06:15 PM
Hello out there: I am preparing my banana grove for the winter season here, painstakingly........I hate to cut them back, but it seems that is my only alternative. I have tried keeping them with just the stalks and no leaves and insultating them, but they always ended up mushy from that, so I now cut them back to about 16" or so, heavily mulch them and put socks on their severed tops then put bags of leaves tied in each corner with a tarp or plant cover over them. We get some temps in winter at 0o or below sometimes as in the past here. Some of lived, some have not, but the corms are always producing a new crop of trees for me and they grow to be around 20' tall.
Any suggestions out there to help me make this less labor intensive???
thanks!
Where are you located?:goteam:

tropicplantlover
11-22-2015, 11:02 AM
I live near Blacksburg, Va.

Snarkie
11-22-2015, 11:12 AM
That's pretty far south for VA. How deep are you planting the corms? I should think in your location, 6" would be adequate.

tropicplantlover
11-24-2015, 09:19 AM
Hi snarkie: I keep them in the ground all year round. It is way too much hassle to shovel them out and since all of them have been in the ground for many years, the roots are very deep now and the corm in large. I find it easier, to just cut them back and wrap them up for winter, but that in itself is a heavy task. Oh to live in a tropical climate...........then I would not have to go thru this emotional stress every year...........tears fall when I have to take them out. Just 45 min north in Roanoke, a man left them standing and they got to be around 30' or more, then one year they got a harsh winter and they were all gone, he was heartbroken...........Roanoke is 10o warmer than the NRV(Blacksburg area of Va.) and it is in a bowl surrounded by the higher mountains...........

Mark Dragt
11-24-2015, 10:49 AM
OK, let me get this straight. You cut your plants back to 16" every winter. The next growing season your plants grow to nearly 20 feet tall. You live in zone 6a. I should be asking you for your secrets. That's pretty good growth. Which banana are you growing?
Now to answer your question. How to avoid all the effort to keep your plants alive? Move you and your plants to a zone 10 or higher. Or grow much smaller plants in big pots and wheel them in with your hand truck.
I am no expert. A 20 foot tall banana plant in 6a is a big deal. You are doing a great job and your plants are rewarding you.
:woohoonaner:

Snarkie
11-24-2015, 11:27 AM
Hi snarkie: I keep them in the ground all year round. It is way too much hassle to shovel them out and since all of them have been in the ground for many years, the roots are very deep now and the corm in large. I find it easier, to just cut them back and wrap them up for winter, but that in itself is a heavy task. Oh to live in a tropical climate...........then I would not have to go thru this emotional stress every year...........tears fall when I have to take them out. Just 45 min north in Roanoke, a man left them standing and they got to be around 30' or more, then one year they got a harsh winter and they were all gone, he was heartbroken...........Roanoke is 10o warmer than the NRV(Blacksburg area of Va.) and it is in a bowl surrounded by the higher mountains...........Yeah, that's what I meant; how deep did you initially plant them? I put mine in around 6". I did not realize the New River Valley was that much colder than Roanoke; I would have figure it would be the opposite. Interesting to know!

tropicplantlover
11-25-2015, 09:32 AM
Yeap, and thanks for the encouragement..........last year they looked like one of the grove areas was not going to make it and sure enough the sweeties started popping out of the ground and grew to be 16' on that one, they were positioned so the north winds got them, but survived. I heavily mulch them with grounded maple leaves biodynamic gardening and then in the spring they get a healthy dose of harmony organics (Seven Springs Farm, here in Floyd, Va) fertilizer and also fish fertizler. I also keep alot of shells in the gardens with them and keep a sandy soil. I always dance around my grove and hug my trees, sounds silly but whatever works.

Mark Dragt
11-25-2015, 10:48 AM
Do you know which varity of banana you are growing. 20 feet in one season is a good growing banana. It makes me wonder how it would do in my zone 8. Your winters have to be more harsh than mine.

Snarkie
11-25-2015, 11:40 AM
Yeap, and thanks for the encouragement..........last year they looked like one of the grove areas was not going to make it and sure enough the sweeties started popping out of the ground and grew to be 16' on that one, they were positioned so the north winds got them, but survived. I heavily mulch them with grounded maple leaves biodynamic gardening and then in the spring they get a healthy dose of harmony organics (Seven Springs Farm, here in Floyd, Va) fertilizer and also fish fertizler. I also keep alot of shells in the gardens with them and keep a sandy soil. I always dance around my grove and hug my trees, sounds silly but whatever works.You're not too far from the Redwood Preserve. Hit 8 South out of Floyd and you'll drive right past it, LOL. That's a nice area; several covered bridges nearby.

Sounds like you've got all your bases covered. Hope they come back alive and kicking next spring.

a.hulva@coxinet.net
11-25-2015, 01:10 PM
Do you know which varity of banana you are growing. 20 feet in one season is a good growing banana. It makes me wonder how it would do in my zone 8. Your winters have to be more harsh than mine.
Thirty feet is the same as a three story building.:drum:

cincinnana
11-25-2015, 06:52 PM
Welcome to the Jungle....:woohoonaner:

Check out this link especially for your plants.

And look at Cincinnana's links above the weather banner.
This information will help you


http://www.bananas.org/235281-post4.html

tropicplantlover
11-29-2015, 01:39 PM
Thanks so much for the useful information and the wonderful pics of your beautiful tropical paradise! :waving: