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View Full Version : Storing bananas in a Cold space for the winter


edd82
09-25-2009, 03:28 AM
Sorry admin I know you moved me to the European section but I think this question deserves a wider audience since not just people in Europe have to deal with the cold!

So I ask again, has anyone tried storing their bananas in the loft (roof space) during the winter? I've read that many of you guys n gals in the US dig up your nanas, remove the mud from the roots and store them under the house for the winter. Apparently they go into a type of stasis and will come to life again in the spring. Has anyone any idea what temps they need for this method to be successful and whether I could do this in the UK?

Thanks and sorry for repeating myself but I really think this is an important question as many of us need to know different ways of getting our precious bananas through the winter so please don't move me again admin :bananarow:

Jack Daw
09-25-2009, 05:49 AM
Sorry admin I know you moved me to the European section but I think this question deserves a wider audience since not just people in Europe have to deal with the cold!

So I ask again, has anyone tried storing their bananas in the loft (roof space) during the winter? I've read that many of you guys n gals in the US dig up your nanas, remove the mud from the roots and store them under the house for the winter. Apparently they go into a type of stasis and will come to life again in the spring. Has anyone any idea what temps they need for this method to be successful and whether I could do this in the UK?

Thanks and sorry for repeating myself but I really think this is an important question as many of us need to know different ways of getting our precious bananas through the winter so please don't move me again admin :bananarow:
Basement is more practical, since temps there are more-or-less the same year-round, however when you heat up your house in winter, you could easily bring the under-roof part to more than 15°C very fast. And that could pose a problem.

edd82
09-25-2009, 06:23 AM
Thanks and yes that's a very good point. I guess it all depends how much insulation there is above the rafters. I'm guessing that I should be ok as I don't think the temps go above 10C up there but I will def keep an eye on it.

Unfortunately I don't have a basement so I really need to find some alternative as some of my banana plants are reaching 6/7 ft and i'd very much love to get them through the winter.

Thanks for your help.

sandy0225
09-25-2009, 06:40 AM
you could cut them back, they will grow back rapidly from the cut off points. I have some pictures in my gallery I think of some I cut back and they do grow back really well. As a matter of fact the pictures I just posted in a thread about my ice cream banana being ready to bloom--that is a plant I cut back last fall to 5 feet tall from about 13', and it did just fine. The only problem is if your plants are just ready to bloom, then you might be cutting off the bloom if it's in the stalk. I dissected up the stalk that I cut off mine last year to make sure I didn't get a bloom and it wasn't in there. My hubby was laughing and saying it was CSI Miami-Muncie...beer was involved in this incident, so it was funnier at the time....lol...

edd82
09-25-2009, 07:55 AM
Thanks Sandy I will try that with a couple of my Ensette Maurelli's and bring them inside.