Larry815

I know that its getting later in the growing season already....but I am gonna try once again to try and winter over my Basjoo's
The first year I threw some mulch on them...thinking that was enough...and well it didnt work...and had to buy new plants....
the 2ed year....I didnt think they grew enough ...about a foot to foot and a half...so I dug them up and wintered them in the house....
the 3ed year....they grew only to about 3.5 -4 ft tall...but I was happy....and chopped them down....built a chicken wire cage around them and filled it with mulch...and wrapped it in plastic....well
this past spring I got NOTHING!!! they were dead???????????????
So This being my 4th year im gonna try again... any ideas? I do live south of chicago,,, in Joliet, Il that is still zone 5.
I did read on another site.... take a old garbage can (plastic) and fill it half with mulch and flip it over and stake it down???? i might try that???/
any other ideas? I know that people get there Basjoos to live in this part of the country?
What am I doing wrong?????????????????

chong

Welcome Larry!

I don't know if you're bragging or complaining. Here in Seattle, I haven't even started. We still get the high 40s at night, high 50s to low 60s during the day. But I agree that it's never too early to make preparations.

It's really pretty iffy in your zone for any banana to be "left out in the cold". I don't know what the freeze depth if in your area, but if you can put the same thickness of cover over your plant plus a couple of 40 watt bulbs inside the cover to provide some heat, that would be a way to do it. A better way, is to do what most of the people here have done. That is to cut the leaves off, dig the plant out, and place in a basement, garage (not subject to freezing) until the spring to replant it. Do a search for the threads that discuss this topic.

Keeping as much of the pseudostem will make the plant grow faster during the growing season. So if you have the room, just cut out the leaves.

Some people in the Seattle area with M Basjoo do just that, though they do not dig out the plants. They just wrap the pstem with 2 layers of bubble wrap. The difference between Seattle your area is 3 full zones. The lowest zone here is zone 8. So I don't think that you can do this where you are, regardless of what the Seller says what the hardiness zone is for that plant.

Kylie2x

Welp it is a 100* here today and I sure would send it your way if I could...LOL
WELCOME!!! I know you will find a way to Winter your Banana's here.. This is an awesome place ton's of info and experience.. I look forward to seeing ya around!!
Kylie