View Full Version : Orinoco Banana rated for zone 7
Ueberwinden
01-13-2009, 03:17 PM
I have several Orinoco and Dwarf Orinoco bananas and have been bringing them in each year because every site I have ever seen rates them for no colder climate than a zone 7. Does anyone in this group grow them in a zone 6B outdoors? If so how well do they do? What kind of protection do you use? I would like to be able to winter them outside but really don't want to use one as a test subject to find out if someone is just being conservative on the rating.
Michael
Hello Ueberwinden. Haven't tried it yet but will be doing so next fall with at least one plant. I'm technichally in zone 6a ,although it hasn't gotten below about 5 F for years now. I plan on doing it the same as a basjoo, basically insulating the P- stem and covering with a tarp. We'll see how it goes. Good luck.let us all know if you decide to give it a try as well.:goteam:
damaclese
01-13-2009, 03:33 PM
I have several Orinoco and Dwarf Orinoco bananas and have been bringing them in each year because every site I have ever seen rates them for no colder climate than a zone 7. Does anyone in this group grow them in a zone 6B outdoors? If so how well do they do? What kind of protection do you use? I would like to be able to winter them outside but really don't want to use one as a test subject to find out if someone is just being conservative on the rating.
Michael
You can keep any thing out doors as long as its got the right kind of protection. however I wouldn't want to risk it. Have your trided Boojoo? its hardy to zones 4 and 5 from what I hear. I haven't grown it as its a bit hot here in the Mohave Desert for them.
Ueberwinden
01-13-2009, 09:47 PM
I have Musa Basjoo already in the ground. I have yet to leave anything else in the ground over the winter. I sunk a dwarf Brazilian, a dwarf Orinoco, and a Orinoco this last growing season, which I lifted in late September.
Michael
damaclese
01-13-2009, 09:51 PM
well the Brazilian will defiantly not survive so its good you lifted well you can always try one next year check out the post on winterizing there are people here on the org that have some really sweet setups for getting them to survive the winters
Bananaman88
01-14-2009, 07:33 AM
When I lived in St. Louis, we had 'Orinoco' where I worked. Each year it, after it was hit by a good hard frost, it was cut back to about 2' tall and then we heaped a bunch of mulch on it. It came back each year around May. Back then, we thought it was M. basjoo because it never flowered for us in St. Louis. It was only when I moved to the Houston area and it flowered for me that Gabe was able to ID it as 'Orinoco' for me.
A couple of caveats here: the plant in St. Louis was growing at the botanical garden there, which is within the city and it was also growing within the protection of walls inside the Chinese Garden there, so it had itself a nice little microclimate. Please take these things into consideration if you ever decide to test one yourself. I'd definitely have a back up pup!
bigdog
01-14-2009, 11:09 PM
Even it if did come back for you in zone 6, it never would come close to attaining the height of Musa basjoo in a season. It comes back much later here in zone 7a, with no protection, and never gets very tall (well, I do neglect it VERY badly). I can tell you that I have had them die in Nashville in a zone 7a (1F) winter (Jan. 2003) with no protection, and come through fine after a zone 7b winter (6F) with minimal protection (a little extra mulch).
mskitty38583
01-15-2009, 12:04 AM
i cut my oronico down to 4 ft and put a big trashcan over it.....that was after a bad frost hit it. then i covered the edges of the trashcan with mulch....and now i wait un-patiently for spring. btw.....i did my sabas this way too. my d. oronicos ( 2) were cut to the ground and one p-stem was left standing( trimmed of leaves. they have 6 inches of mulch on them. we are suppossed to hit -2 by the early am so hopefully all will pull through.
Ueberwinden
01-22-2009, 12:37 PM
I guess I will try it this year and see what happens. I will spoil it with a nice layer of humus under it and a thick layer of mulch over it as we head into Winter 09. Wish me luck.
Michael
Chironex
01-22-2009, 01:02 PM
You may also want to consider fresh steer or horse manure. These produce heat due to bacteria, so it gives an added measure of protection under the mulch. Yes, they will have an odor, but it will really help your plants. The odor goes away as it breaks down.
Ueberwinden
01-23-2009, 04:00 PM
Thank you for the advice Turfway Race track is just up the expressway, plenty of horse manure there!!!!
Michael
xyzzy
01-27-2009, 06:35 AM
I have overwintered them in an unheated greenhouse and they were very tough - kept leaves all winter, but havent tried them outdoors yet.
tikifarmer
01-27-2009, 02:33 PM
I tried overwintering an orinoco in the ground last year in PA z6b . 4 foot wire cage filled with straw and covered with a tarp . It didn't survive and like others have said if it did survive it probably wouldn't get very tall let alone flower .
Here's what I do with mine ...
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/mechaneer/P1010012-1.jpg
With pretty good results (fence to the right is 6' for scale)...
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/mechaneer/P1010006-4.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/mechaneer/P1010007-2.jpg
mskitty38583
01-27-2009, 02:47 PM
do you really think that the crom should be sitting ontop of a cold bare concrete floor? its not good for batteries im sure its not good for the crom. jmo. and that is a huge oronico. thats what mine looked like before i wack about 6 foot off it for winter. and yes i cried when i wacked it.
tikifarmer
01-27-2009, 02:59 PM
do you really think that the crom should be sitting ontop of a cold bare concrete floor? its not good for batteries im sure its not good for the crom. jmo. and that is a huge oronico. thats what mine looked like before i wack about 6 foot off it for winter. and yes i cried when i wacked it.
I don't know if it would be any better or not but , they didn't seem to mind ( last year anyway ) . It's not terribly cold where they are stored probably 50-55F , so maybe that helps .
Ueberwinden
01-30-2009, 08:21 PM
I have several different bananas in the garage on a bare concrete floor. I believe they are a Brazilian, and a Orinoco. I will let you know how it goes.
Michael
Jack Daw
02-08-2009, 02:11 PM
Michael (Ueberwinden),
I can't help, but I feel strong German roots there...
You asked, whether you could leave the Orinocos out? I believe, that even those estimates for zone 7 are pretty extremely rare in the field of Musa. I had a discussion with dr Parmar from India and above other interesting things he mentioned, that cultivars are almost all at least 90% water. And no matter the cultivar or plantain, the water freezes below 0°C.
Feel free to try, but I have a feeling, that you will be really disapponted with the results. BTW, if you look at it, they can bare the low temperatures for shorter periods of time, but a winter in 6b is something they can't possibly survive.
Or at least I think.
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