Log in

View Full Version : What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter????


natej740
10-09-2009, 06:40 PM
I have 2 Musa Basjoo's and I want to know what are the best ways to protect them???? Freezing temps are just around the corner and i need to get ready. Pictures would be great too if you took pics of previous winters....

The guy i got it off of said to pile up bags of leaves around it and on top of it. I wanted to know of other ways and maybe more attractive ways so it wont look like trashbags piled up in my yard.....Thanks Nate

saltydad
10-09-2009, 07:30 PM
I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24722&size=1

lava lounge
10-09-2009, 07:49 PM
The bag of leaves/grass works well, put three around the base and then one on top then cover all with a tarp and fold edges under bags. this works well and you can even fill the void around your banana plant with leaves or straw if you like. I think this year I am going to try the bags but then flip over a garbage can that is vented bottom and top and place that over my plants then tarp the whole thing and see what that does. Im hoping somewhat of a green house effect where as it will be a little warmer inside the can than outside temp but yet breath and not hold to much moisture. And the leaves in the bags will protect the ground around the base of the musa as usual. I like using black bags because they draw some sun in the winter here and it has to help somewhat,, I think this should work just fine either way. good luck.

natej740
10-09-2009, 08:18 PM
My biggest one is around 5 1/2 to 6 feet p. stem with 5 pups. The tallest pup is around 10 inches. Would it be ok to separate one of the pups now before winter or should i just cross my fingers and hope they survive the winter and come back in the spring?????

lava lounge
10-09-2009, 11:42 PM
if its pretty new which it sounds like it is I was told to leave it be as in my case. I have many pups this year but all less than a year old and I thought about the same but was told to let them really estabilish themselves and they should come back if protected correctly.

saltydad
10-10-2009, 03:56 PM
I agree.

PAbananas
10-10-2009, 04:17 PM
I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24722&size=1

Hi salty: Do you let the plants sap to stop running or just cover it ? I am covering mine with mulch and tarps but dont no if it is a little to early. Dan

sandy0225
10-11-2009, 04:24 PM
cover them after they get a few good hard frosts if you're not trying to save any of the pseudostem. I haven't had any luck saving the pseudostem in my zone 5 no matter how hard I tried. I even used leaves around the bottom and a triangle of straw bales around the stem with no luck!
I cover mine with bags and bags of leaves. I leave a little space around the trunk if it's kind of a single trunked type specimen, and a little space around the group if it has several pups that are 3 feet tall or taller. Then the space is filled with loosely fluffed dry leaves, and then more bags over the top. You can use one of those tarps that's brown on one side and green on the other and put it brown side up over the whole thing and it looks much better! and keeps it dry too.

saltydad
10-11-2009, 06:08 PM
Dan, I also wait until the first hard frost before I cut the p-stem and start protecting. I do it a little earlier for the palms.

momoese
10-11-2009, 06:16 PM
What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter????

Plant it in the tropics with armed security guards. ;)

BILL MA
10-13-2009, 11:02 AM
Keep them dry Nate, as you already know. Has anyone ever sprayed fungicide on the stems before wrapping, might help keep the rot down. Copper is obviously poisonous but we don't eat basjoo fruit anyways. Just a thought!

Bill

bananadude
10-19-2009, 02:19 PM
I have always just cut them down to about 16 inches....removed the mulch from around the base and then mounded dirt up around the base on a slope, so water will run away from the base during freeze thaws!

I then replace the mulch(cypress), putting down a good layer 10-12 inches thick and about a foot out...I then cover the stem with a heavy duty rose cone, (I sprayed mine black-inside and out...to help absorb heat)....and then I cover it with black bisqueen, the black bisqueen seems to keep it around 8-10 degrees warmer under there then the actual air temp outside, (you can actually dig in the dirt in the middle of winter under there, the ground just does not freeze hard) this has always worked for me!

Good Luck!

Brian

jwmahloch
11-12-2009, 02:57 PM
What exactly is a "rose cone" and where do I buy one?

BILL MA
11-12-2009, 05:22 PM
A rose cone is a cheap styrofoam thing that looks like a small tapered trash can. I'm sure you could find it at Lowes or HD, I never looked for one before though.

Bill

bananadude
11-12-2009, 06:19 PM
Lowes or Home Depot...make sure you get the heavy duty kind!

natej740
11-12-2009, 06:50 PM
A rose cone is a cheap styrofoam thing that looks like a small tapered trash can. I'm sure you could find it at Lowes or HD, I never looked for one before though.

Bill

How are your bananas?? Did you cut them down yet??? I just cut mine down today. I'm still unsure how I'm gonna protect mine. I like the rose cone idea I'm gonna go to lowes tomorrow and see if I can find some.....

Thanks for all the input everybody.

BILL MA
11-12-2009, 08:52 PM
Hey Nate,
The Nanas got finished off awhile ago now. The trunks are still fine, not cold enough for me to worry to much yet. I probably should have tried the freezepruf on them that I bought after they survived temps of 25-27. Next year I have a secret plan for frost. I dug up all of my none hardy nanas this week and hauled the load of them to my basement. I chopped off a ridiculous amount of pups that I re potted and put into my Dexter style greenhouse in my basement. For everyone who doesn't watch the show it's a plastic bubble en closer 13 * 14 or so completely full. I need to post some picture so people can have a laugh. I'm sure your protection will be just fine, I need to figure out what I'm doing still as well.

Bill

BILL MA
11-12-2009, 08:55 PM
By the way the biggest nana I dug up and hauled to the basement (orinoco) had a circumference of 30 inches at the base. 9 foot clear trunk, it was a heavy sucker!

Bill

sandy0225
11-25-2009, 07:12 AM
I had one ladyfinger I had to chop nearly in half to bring it in. It's about 200 pounds before I did that. I've found that a hand truck is your best friend when you're bringing in big bananas by yourself and you're 5'3 and 150 lbs. Also for my 7 foot alocasia, that sucker is growing a trunk and it gets heavier every year. I almost had to wait for hubby to get home this year on that one!

austinl01
11-25-2009, 12:59 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=7947 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7946&ppuser=206)

jwmahloch
11-25-2009, 02:28 PM
I used the same method last year but I used plastic instead of bubble wrap and it worked very well. In April my musa basjoo started growing from the top of the truck that was 2 feet tall. It got bigger faster the other one that I cur back to the ground.

jwmahloch
11-30-2009, 09:45 PM
I just cut down all my bananas for the winter the day after thanksgiving. I used a slightly different method to protect my bananas this year.

Step 1: I cut back the p-stems to about a foot high.
Step 2: spray p-stems with fungicide.
Step 3: wrap p-stems with quilt batting (use safety pins to keep in place)
Step 4: Use large styrofoam Rose Kones and stuff with dry leaves, then place on over the p-stems. put some mulch or dit around the rose kone.
Step 5: Placed large plastic bages of leaves around the rose cones (I used 4 bags per plant)
Step 6: Cover with more leaves
Step 7: cover with plastic. I used landscape staples and bricks to secure the plastic to the ground.

This seemed easier than building a cage around each plant.

Jeremy
St Louis MO
:waving:

jwmahloch
11-30-2009, 09:47 PM
Ans now my 2 year old son likes to climb on top of the mountain of leaves on top of my banana plants. I dont think he can hurt anything.

PAbananas
12-02-2009, 06:35 PM
OK got everything covered. Now In my area the last date of frost is May 15. Anyone no when is a good time to uncover or where on the site I might find the info.. Thanks

jwmahloch
12-02-2009, 10:25 PM
5/15 seems very late for a last frost date if you are in zone 6/7. In st Louis the avg last frost is 4/15 but I always uncover my bananas a couple weeks before that. you might try freeze pruf, it will add about 3 to 4 degrees of cold tolerance to most bananas, that way you can uncover earlier in the spring. I plan on doing the same. I used freeze pruf this fall and my bananas lasted until 11/27.

PAbananas
12-02-2009, 10:45 PM
Jeremy: Yea May 15 is the last day. I usually plant my garden on the first. If you dont mind what is pulf and were might I find it? Thanks

Abnshrek
12-03-2009, 03:21 AM
My method is simular to austins except no bubble wrap mine are filled with straw and heat-tapes wrap p-stems that are 3-5 ft tall. The plastic I wrap the out side has a breather vent where rain can't get in.

jeffreyp
12-03-2009, 07:00 AM
A tomato cage stuffed with hay, and use one of these wrapped around the pseudo-stem.

Wrap-On Pipe Heating Cable (http://www.heatersplus.com/wrapon_pipe.htm)

john_ny
12-03-2009, 08:31 AM
PAbananas - You asked about pulf. If you mean freezepruf, check FreezePruf - Improves Freeze Tolerance Up to 9.4 Degrees (http://www.liquidfence.com/FreezePruf.html)

PAbananas
12-03-2009, 03:57 PM
PAbananas - You asked about pulf. If you mean freezepruf, check FreezePruf - Improves Freeze Tolerance Up to 9.4 Degrees (http://www.liquidfence.com/FreezePruf.html)

Thanks John: I quess thats the stuff. I am going to try it this spring. NY and PA have closly the same weather. If you dont mind, when do you uncover your plants or plant new ones? Thanks

john_ny
12-03-2009, 04:51 PM
This last spring, I uncovered on April 17th. By that time, they had started growing, but were kind of yellow from lack of light. They greened up in a day or two. By the way, the ones I have in the ground are still green - maybe 1 or 2 light frosts, but no freeze yet, and it's Dec. 3!

jwmahloch
12-03-2009, 05:14 PM
Thats awsome. My bananas lasted until 11/27 in St Louis (I used freeze pruf). On the night of thanksgiving it got down to 28 and my bananas didnt look so good so I just cut them down. I probably could have left the basjoos a little longer. But I needed something to do last weekend so I cut them down and cover them up. My experience with the freeze pruf is that it adds about 3 degrees of cold tolerance with no damage, at 28 degrees I had some damage even with the freeze pruf. I am waiting to see how it works on my windmill palms.

PAbananas
12-03-2009, 07:15 PM
I live inbetween both of you and yet my weather is worse. The cloest major city is Pittsburgh. If the ones I covered dont make I'll try again.

PAbananas
12-03-2009, 07:51 PM
I had one ladyfinger I had to chop nearly in half to bring it in. It's about 200 pounds before I did that. I've found that a hand truck is your best friend when you're bringing in big bananas by yourself and you're 5'3 and 150 lbs. Also for my 7 foot alocasia, that sucker is growing a trunk and it gets heavier every year. I almost had to wait for hubby to get home this year on that one!

Sandy: How do you store the plants of that size? Thanks

Lagniappe
12-03-2009, 08:42 PM
Abnshrek and Austin, I urge you to try just chopping them down. I think you'll enjoy them a lot more this way (without all that work), and I'll gladly replace any that you lose.
All of that work isn't necessary in zone 8 in my opinion.

jwmahloch
12-03-2009, 09:07 PM
Move to Hawaii where its warm all year. :0517:

Abnshrek
12-03-2009, 10:25 PM
Abnshrek and Austin, I urge you to try just chopping them down. I think you'll enjoy them a lot more this way (without all that work), and I'll gladly replace any that you lose.
All of that work isn't necessary in zone 8 in my opinion.

Well I know your right down the road but I do have some I'm taking down to the ground. I just want to see if it's worth it myself. See what the pro's & possible cons are here in the neighborhood.

ewitte
12-04-2009, 06:29 AM
Pained me so much listening to all my leaves snapping last night but it had to be done to keep as much height as possible for next year. The will most likley all die anyway. Basically wrapped the stem with its own leaves in place and then wrapped up with a trash bag. Its been a long time since its been cold this long, along the lines of a decade. Its possible 6-12 hours below freezing down to about 29.

Dean W.
05-02-2010, 07:41 AM
I know I'm a little late or early on this thread. But I think winter protection is always worth thinking about for zone pushers. :bananas_b

Bump!

natej740
05-02-2010, 09:50 PM
Thanks for the bump...

I successfully saved my p-stem from one of my basjoos with just 2 and a half bags of cypress mulch piled up on top of it after i cut it down to about 16". Then i stuck the pot it came in on top of the pile to help keep it dry. I saved one and lost one so i guess im only at 50% on saving the p-stems but its pups made it so i guess that counts...

I think im going to try to overwinter my Thai Black outside if i can save a pup off of it...

saltydad
05-02-2010, 11:30 PM
BTW guys, what is black bisqueen?

Jova
05-09-2010, 11:51 PM
Leaf enclosure worked great for me this past winter... I'm in 6a southern Indiana, and I chopped all leaves off of my basjoo clump and covered the 5' pstems in a leaf enclosure, and in early march, they were shooting up through the protection... here's a pic I snapped:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n290/6oclock/0_11Large.jpg

nucci60
06-06-2010, 03:45 PM
I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24722&size=1 The plastic garbage bag over the palm will not promote rot, Where the moisture can't escape?:waving:

guerich
06-06-2010, 04:40 PM
Don't give up hope. Having some of my basjoos come up, I thought I had lost the others. My others which were 8ft away, and protected the same way now have started to emerge a month later. Both in similar exposure conditions.:bed::bed:

natej740
10-02-2010, 12:54 PM
Thought i would bring this thread back its about that time of year again...I picked up a styrofoam thing made to protect flowers for the winter.

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37176><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37176&size=1 border=0></a>

Im not real sure what would be the best way to use it though. I will probably put about a foot of mulch down then put this down then put more mulch around it.

saltydad
10-02-2010, 04:49 PM
Where did you find that container, Nate? And Nucci, my apologies for not answering your good question sooner. Just noticed your question. I put several holes of around 1" in the upper sides of the bag to avoid exactly that problem.

natej740
10-02-2010, 05:29 PM
Where did you find that container, Nate? And Nucci, my apologies for not answering your good question sooner. Just noticed your question. I put several holes of around 1" in the upper sides of the bag to avoid exactly that problem.

I got it at Menards they are kinda like a Lowe's or HD. It was around 6$. This was the largest and thickest they had but they had 4 other ones that were smaller and thinner.

JuniPerez
10-21-2010, 08:10 AM
Has anyone ever tried building an artificial bush to cover the pstems with? I'm thinking that for those who don't want an eyesore in their yard could have a protective cone that fits over the stems, insulated and dry on the inside, but the outside is artificial evergreen so that it looks like an evergreen bush --- can even have a few xmas lights for the holidays.

bananadude
10-21-2010, 10:58 AM
I have always just cut them down to about 16 inches....removed the mulch from around the base and then mounded dirt up around the base on a slope, so water will run away from the base during freeze thaws!

I then replace the mulch(cypress), putting down a good layer 10-12 inches thick and about a foot out...I then cover the stem with a heavy duty rose cone, (I sprayed mine black-inside and out...to help absorb heat)....and then I cover it with black bisqueen, the black bisqueen seems to keep it around 8-10 degrees warmer under there then the actual air temp outside, (you can actually dig in the dirt in the middle of winter under there, the ground just does not freeze hard) this has always worked for me!

Good Luck!

Brian



Black bisqueen is a heavy duty black plastic sheeting!....its so much better looking then those gaudy green or blue tarps!

sunfish
10-21-2010, 11:23 AM
BTW guys, what is black bisqueen?

Visqueen Plastic Black/White - Plant It Earth (http://www.plantitearth.com/grow-lights/visqueen-plastic-blackwhite.aspx)

natej740
10-21-2010, 06:45 PM
Leaf enclosure worked great for me this past winter... I'm in 6a southern Indiana, and I chopped all leaves off of my basjoo clump and covered the 5' pstems in a leaf enclosure, and in early march, they were shooting up through the protection... here's a pic I snapped:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n290/6oclock/0_11Large.jpg

Do you have a pic of the whole enclosure? I think this is the way im gonna do mine this year.

bananarama2
10-21-2010, 08:45 PM
I've used old nursery pots stacked on top of each other, in progressively smaller sizes upwards, with the center cut out of the bottoms, leaving about an inch of material near the outside wall of the pot. I then use sheet metal screws to secure the pots together, creating a large cone. I then fill with either straw or bark mulch, and place an uncut pot over the cone as a cap. There's enough ventilation to keep air circulating and the "cap pot" keeps any serious moisture out. It works for me here on the west coast where rain is my main concern. Here is a picture of the end product:url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37677&ppuser=5590]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37677&size=1[/url]

jimhardy
10-30-2010, 09:58 AM
I just cut them down and keep them dry for a few(days,weeks,whatever ma nature allows for),then cover with about a foot of mulch and a plastic sheet.
They came back this spring after the horrific winter we had,got as cold as -12(F).:coldbanana: