Capitum

Just wondering, when folks on the group give USDA zones for different bananas, is that for having the pstem survive the winter (without any additional help) or is that just the corm?

Trying to decide how risky it might be to put some of my plants in the ground

Thanks!

asacomm

I do doubt there is a consensus on the definition of "cold-hardiness", and
it seems to me that they are just talking about this subjet according to their
own understanding and experiences.

My private understanding is that pstem survives on the ground with any kinds
of　protections in the temperature range in the vicinity of 38~27F.

It doesn't make any sense if only corm survives as no harvest can be
expeted if pstem dies.

RandyGHO

You make a good point with your post. I have noticed some posters say they have a particular variety survive where they live without winter protection but latter found out it was just the corm. Of course they did not mean to deceive, it was just how they define "survive."

My definition for "survive" is the varieties p-stem lives most winters without winter protection then fruits.

When asking about a varieties's cold hardness it is best is define "survive" when you ask the question is the best way to go.

__________________
Thinking outside the peel always.

Abnshrek

Its definately the Corm since that's where the growth starts. The thing you don't know is do the people have their corm buried 12" in the ground then super mulched or what not to get it pull through where they live. I'd say a shallow planted cold hardy corm has less chance of survival. I like my heat-tapes as a equalizer come winter. :^)

__________________


I'm a Nannerhead :^)

LilRaverBoi

I agree with others....when I read the words 'cold hardy' as referring to bananas, I read it as referring to corm survival in the listed zone. If you look in the bananas.org wiki pages, they list 'survival zone,' 'fruiting zone' and 'cold hardiness' as separate statistics for each species (although not all of them have said information entered). Fruiting zone would obviously be the zones in which the plant could not only survive, but produce fruit. Survival zone would be where the corm does not die from cold. Not exactly sure what 'cold hardiness' refers to in the wiki, but that is a valid question to ask.

Look at the wiki for dwarf cavendish as an example of how the wiki lists these things.
Musa Dwarf Cavendish - Bananas Wiki

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

sunfish

I think if they survive they would fruit ? No ?

LilRaverBoi

Not necessarily. Basjoo will 'survive' in Missouri, but the p-stems all die back and although they will bloom occasionally from ground-up growth in one growing season, you will not be able to ripen fruit on them in that zone.

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

sunfish

So no one below zone 8 is going to get fruit ?

sunfish

Hardiness (plants) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

RandyGHO

It will always be confusing especially to the new banana grower. Under the survive definition then fruiting is not considered as a function of a banana plant.

__________________
Thinking outside the peel always.

RobG7aChattTN

Here in zone 7 "hardy" is always just the corm and the only way to get fruit (almost always) is by digging your banana and storing them inside for the winter. Technically you can get fruit on velutina to ripen in one season, but for basically every other banana the period from bloom to fruit is 18 months, yet any prolonged freezing will kill larger pseudostems past the growth point and effectively kill them to the corm. No species of banana can take much freezing on exposed parts as they are mostly water which expands when it freezes and cracks the cell walls so that when it warms up the water melts and so does anything above the mulch line or anything that is exposed. It does seem like basjoo will preserve some above ground pseudostems in mild winters being basically "mulched" by the outer layers of the pseudostems toward the base where they they are really thick.

sandy0225

I would consider "hardy" when it comes to bananas to mean that the plant will survive and come back. Now whether it will bloom or not, that is not the meaning of hardy when it comes to bananas as far as I'm concerned, because the only way to get fruit around here, and a lot of the country is to bring them inside for the winter.
I do have a large mat of basjoo out the window I'm looking at that is 8' tall and I would definitely consider it to be hardy, even though it doesn't bloom.
The problem is that most "hardy" plants don't take such a long time to bloom. Around here, even bringing banana plants indoors for winter, it takes four years to bloom. Where your typical "hardy plants such as hardy hibiscus complete a bloom cycle each year.

__________________
Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

Alexander

I grow Musa basjoo here in what I would call a zone 7 climate. It can get -17 C here as a minimum. But normally we have much milder winters here, mostely just above zero as a minimum. So in good years M. basjoo can flower here when well protected with a thick mulch in winter, but never produces fruits because you need crosspolination with another M. basjoo kloon. Even under glas under hot humid frostfree conditions ripe fruits are not produced either, uneless you get good crosspolination.

Alexander

Alexander

P.S.

The longer and warmer your growingseason the easier you will get flowers as the plant will grow faster. So a zone 7 climate with sort cool summers versus a zone 7 climate with long hot humid summers will give differend results. In the hotter summerclimate you will get faster a good big Musa basjoo even if winters are cold with frost and snow.

Alexander