first freeze first timer

jake the snake · 11-07-2012, 01:43 PM

Hey guys.

Ive got four basjoos and one mekong all grown from small babies this year. I really enjoyed them and I can't wait to see how big they get next year.

We're in 7a and just had our first freeze last night. I did nothing to them. Today their leaves are drooped and dark green.
The lady at the local nursery told me to cut them down and cover with mulch. Is this my best option?

I also have two huge potted red bananas, I know their not winter hardy, but I also heard you can cut them down, store them in the garage and they'll come back next year. Is that true?

Thanks guys

H2O · 11-07-2012, 02:35 PM

good informations here : Time to put the bananas to sleep for the Winter

I put them back indoor, my garage is too cold.

blownz281 · 11-07-2012, 04:41 PM

Put the reds inside and the other two will be fine outside. Cut all the leaves off once they are burnt except the newest leaf. You can cut them down/mulch over them or,leave them standing and mulch them real good. If your a 7a that gets alot of wet/freezing weather then also wrap them.

Olafhenny · 11-07-2012, 06:11 PM

Hi Jake,

the lady is right, that is what I do with my Basjoos (I live in HZ 6 and do not have any reds).
Mine are still up, but we expect our first frost in a couple of days. You just slice them back as
much as you have to provide covers for frost protection. in spring you may have to cut back more,
to remove frost damage, but that will all be quickly replaced, because the corm and roots have
been kept undisturbed.

I have also some Ornatas, but they are already in pots inside and I will keep them in pots from
now on. They did poorly during the summer in the ground and I did not notice that, because
they were hidden behind a wall of huge Cannas (Australia, up to 9 feet high) and a couple of
Castor Beans Purple New Zealand

I am beginning to feel, that bananas grow better and pup more, when contained and when the
soil is not overly rich.

jake the snake · 11-08-2012, 08:30 AM

Thanks guys.

Based on what I've read and your comments I think I will wrap the basjoos up in burlap and mulch the bases. Still not sure what to do with the leaves,, cut em all off??

The reds look pretty much ruined. They are in big pots,, should I just cut them down at the base then put them in the garage?

JuniPerez · 11-08-2012, 09:14 AM

I like to keep my ground dry, so I lay down a bit of plastic... cold & wet isn't good. My basjoo's have survived without the plastic, but I've lost beautiful sikkimensis to rot because they stayed wet in the cold. I don't know if the Mekong would be the same case since it's my first year trying them. But I like to play on the safe side - especially since the Mekong has impressed me so far and don't want to lose them.

Olafhenny · 11-08-2012, 11:21 AM

Just cut the leaves off and use them as part of the mulch. They come off anyway, when yo cut
the P-stem back. I usually incorporate some plastic or other moisture protection as one of
the layers of the mulch. I do not know, what you mean by "wrap the stem in burlap"? Burlap would
IMOEO keep the PS soggy (not good!). You should have some protection over the top of the
P-stem, that is why you have to cut it back. Whatever you do, as long as the corm survives, your
banana will. Preserving as much of the PS as you can will just make the spring recovery speedier
and easier.

Good luck,
Olaf
PS: I have heard of burlap working in areas, where there are only very brief bursts of mild frost,
but there is the burlap the only thing used and exposure to the air will allow it to dry intermittently.
But I would not use it even then.

jake the snake · 11-13-2012, 11:55 AM

thanks guys for your thoughts.

I am planning on doing all my winterizing this week. You bring up a good point about the burlap stem wrap keeping it too wet. This is a concern. I like the idea of putting plastic on the ground... would it be helpful to wrap the stem up in plastic as well, followed by some burlap?

JuniPerez · 11-13-2012, 01:45 PM

Given a choice, I'd use the burlap first, THEN plastic... If you get nice weather, I'd take the plastic off to let it air out now and then, then rewrap. We've had weird warm intervals in my zone 6, and I'd suspect your zone 7 would be even warmer.

jake the snake · 11-13-2012, 03:16 PM

That makes sense. Clear or black plastic? I would think clear but I'm a rookie.

I am planning on using bags of mulched leaves collected with my mower around the bases as well.

Olafhenny · 11-13-2012, 05:37 PM

Hi Jake,

the plastic is there to keep the moisture out, but it should not be in direct contact with the
p-stem. Make sure, that there is some insulation between the plastic and the p-stem as well
as some more cover above the plastic. Multi layering is always a good idea against cold, with
bananas just as much as with clothing. In either case a combination of cold and wet is dangerous.
That is, where the plastic layer comes in. I have this year fashioned “boxes” of Styrofoam
packing material, which are open on the bottom, for some of my plants, to let the relative warmth
from the ground rise up and surround the p-stems. All of that will of course be covered with a pile
of leaves and netting. The Styrofoam will of course make the plastic unnecessary and permit
some air around the p-stem, which I believe to be beneficial. – I’ll know more in spring.

I still don’t see much use for burlap, unless you live in HZ 9 or better. The colour of the plastic
is immaterial, since you should cover it with more insulating material anyway.

Good luck,
Olaf

jake the snake · 11-13-2012, 09:52 PM

Thanks.
I would just think the burlap would be for warmth/insulation, much like the burlap-like trunk of my cold hardy windmill palms. I'm thinking 3 or 4 wraps around with the burlap, then a time or two with plastic, then use some masking tape around it to hold it together. Add a couple big bags of mulched leaves around the base and hopefully they'll be good to go.

Olafhenny, I like your styrofoam idea. About how tall are they?

Olafhenny · 11-13-2012, 10:53 PM

Hi Jake,

You are still not stating, which hardiness zone yo live in. That makes any recommendation
anybody can give you just guess work.

I cut my p-stems down to about 20 to 24 inches. I have learned during my fist winter (see here:
My Banana Experience (or lack of it)), that trying a p-stem, which sticks up too far is useless
in HZ 6. Just putting some kind of insulated sleeve around the top does not work here.

Mulching heavily around the base will most likely preserve your corm and if you have sound corm,
you have a viable banana plant.

Best,
Olaf

Abnshrek · 11-13-2012, 11:39 PM

Well I can say after getting 28F last nite my caligold leaves are burnt but that's it.. I'm going to use heat-tape and a 60 gal hot water heater blanket and wrap several p-stems with it. :^)

hasty22 · 11-14-2012, 12:53 AM

|Hello I live in zone 5b . This is how I protected my Musa Basjoo this year. I think it would work on most banana trees if you use the heat tape.Sorry I have not figured out the pictures yet. What I do is cut off all leaves and cut trunk or trunks if there is pups( I had 2 major trunks) down to main solid trunks. I then wrap in burlap, wrap in heat tape leaving thermostat outside of wrapped area. I then wrapped all trunks in pink insulation and finally covered with weather protected cover. will work on pictures

jake the snake · 11-14-2012, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olafhenny

Hi Jake,

You are still not stating, which hardiness zone yo live in. That makes any recommendation
anybody can give you just guess work.

I mentioned in my op I'm in 7a.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

I'll try and post some pictures of my winterization with a spring follow up on the results.

hasty22 · 11-15-2012, 12:09 AM

Hello just trying to post pictures. This is how I covered my Musa Basjoo in zone 5b. I know you are in 7a but if you wanted to keep less hardy bananas outdoors this might work.

hasty22 · 11-15-2012, 12:10 AM

Yay my pictures worked thanks to photobucket.

11-07-2012, 01:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
jake the snake Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10 BananaBucks : 6,128 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	first freeze first timer Hey guys. Ive got four basjoos and one mekong all grown from small babies this year. I really enjoyed them and I can't wait to see how big they get next year. We're in 7a and just had our first freeze last night. I did nothing to them. Today their leaves are drooped and dark green. The lady at the local nursery told me to cut them down and cover with mulch. Is this my best option? I also have two huge potted red bananas, I know their not winter hardy, but I also heard you can cut them down, store them in the garage and they'll come back next year. Is that true? Thanks guys

11-07-2012, 02:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
H2O •.¸ ¸¸.•¨¨ •.¸¸¸.• Location: France Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Jc Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 255 BananaBucks : 73,142 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 101 Times Was Thanked 307 Times in 148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 415 Times	Re: first freeze first timer good informations here : Time to put the bananas to sleep for the Winter I put them back indoor, my garage is too cold. __________________ Last edited by H2O : 11-07-2012 at 02:42 PM.

11-07-2012, 04:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
blownz281 Location: Coastal NC Find me on the map! Zone: 8b coastal Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,373 BananaBucks : 437,092 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 440 Times Was Thanked 756 Times in 534 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Put the reds inside and the other two will be fine outside. Cut all the leaves off once they are burnt except the newest leaf. You can cut them down/mulch over them or,leave them standing and mulch them real good. If your a 7a that gets alot of wet/freezing weather then also wrap them.

11-07-2012, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 275,318 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Hi Jake, the lady is right, that is what I do with my Basjoos (I live in HZ 6 and do not have any reds). Mine are still up, but we expect our first frost in a couple of days. You just slice them back as much as you have to provide covers for frost protection. in spring you may have to cut back more, to remove frost damage, but that will all be quickly replaced, because the corm and roots have been kept undisturbed. I have also some Ornatas, but they are already in pots inside and I will keep them in pots from now on. They did poorly during the summer in the ground and I did not notice that, because they were hidden behind a wall of huge Cannas (Australia, up to 9 feet high) and a couple of Castor Beans Purple New Zealand I am beginning to feel, that bananas grow better and pup more, when contained and when the soil is not overly rich. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

11-08-2012, 08:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
jake the snake Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10 BananaBucks : 6,128 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Thanks guys. Based on what I've read and your comments I think I will wrap the basjoos up in burlap and mulch the bases. Still not sure what to do with the leaves,, cut em all off?? The reds look pretty much ruined. They are in big pots,, should I just cut them down at the base then put them in the garage?

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11-08-2012, 09:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
JuniPerez Puerto Rican Gone Bananas JuniPerez's Photo Gallery Location: Rochester, NY Find me on the map! Zone: 6b Name: Juni Perez Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 313 BananaBucks : 92,847 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 153 Times Was Thanked 202 Times in 117 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 13 Times	Re: first freeze first timer I like to keep my ground dry, so I lay down a bit of plastic... cold & wet isn't good. My basjoo's have survived without the plastic, but I've lost beautiful sikkimensis to rot because they stayed wet in the cold. I don't know if the Mekong would be the same case since it's my first year trying them. But I like to play on the safe side - especially since the Mekong has impressed me so far and don't want to lose them.

11-08-2012, 11:21 AM	#7 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 275,318 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Just cut the leaves off and use them as part of the mulch. They come off anyway, when yo cut the P-stem back. I usually incorporate some plastic or other moisture protection as one of the layers of the mulch. I do not know, what you mean by "wrap the stem in burlap"? Burlap would IMOEO keep the PS soggy (not good!). You should have some protection over the top of the P-stem, that is why you have to cut it back. Whatever you do, as long as the corm survives, your banana will. Preserving as much of the PS as you can will just make the spring recovery speedier and easier. Good luck, Olaf PS: I have heard of burlap working in areas, where there are only very brief bursts of mild frost, but there is the burlap the only thing used and exposure to the air will allow it to dry intermittently. But I would not use it even then. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

11-13-2012, 11:55 AM	#8 (permalink)
jake the snake Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10 BananaBucks : 6,128 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer thanks guys for your thoughts. I am planning on doing all my winterizing this week. You bring up a good point about the burlap stem wrap keeping it too wet. This is a concern. I like the idea of putting plastic on the ground... would it be helpful to wrap the stem up in plastic as well, followed by some burlap?

11-13-2012, 01:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
JuniPerez Puerto Rican Gone Bananas JuniPerez's Photo Gallery Location: Rochester, NY Find me on the map! Zone: 6b Name: Juni Perez Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 313 BananaBucks : 92,847 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 153 Times Was Thanked 202 Times in 117 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 13 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Given a choice, I'd use the burlap first, THEN plastic... If you get nice weather, I'd take the plastic off to let it air out now and then, then rewrap. We've had weird warm intervals in my zone 6, and I'd suspect your zone 7 would be even warmer.

11-13-2012, 03:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
jake the snake Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10 BananaBucks : 6,128 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer That makes sense. Clear or black plastic? I would think clear but I'm a rookie. I am planning on using bags of mulched leaves collected with my mower around the bases as well.

11-13-2012, 05:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 275,318 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Hi Jake, the plastic is there to keep the moisture out, but it should not be in direct contact with the p-stem. Make sure, that there is some insulation between the plastic and the p-stem as well as some more cover above the plastic. Multi layering is always a good idea against cold, with bananas just as much as with clothing. In either case a combination of cold and wet is dangerous. That is, where the plastic layer comes in. I have this year fashioned “boxes” of Styrofoam packing material, which are open on the bottom, for some of my plants, to let the relative warmth from the ground rise up and surround the p-stems. All of that will of course be covered with a pile of leaves and netting. The Styrofoam will of course make the plastic unnecessary and permit some air around the p-stem, which I believe to be beneficial. – I’ll know more in spring. I still don’t see much use for burlap, unless you live in HZ 9 or better. The colour of the plastic is immaterial, since you should cover it with more insulating material anyway. Good luck, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

11-13-2012, 09:52 PM	#12 (permalink)
jake the snake Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 10 BananaBucks : 6,128 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Thanks. I would just think the burlap would be for warmth/insulation, much like the burlap-like trunk of my cold hardy windmill palms. I'm thinking 3 or 4 wraps around with the burlap, then a time or two with plastic, then use some masking tape around it to hold it together. Add a couple big bags of mulched leaves around the base and hopefully they'll be good to go. Olafhenny, I like your styrofoam idea. About how tall are they?

11-13-2012, 10:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 275,318 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Hi Jake, You are still not stating, which hardiness zone yo live in. That makes any recommendation anybody can give you just guess work. I cut my p-stems down to about 20 to 24 inches. I have learned during my fist winter (see here: My Banana Experience (or lack of it)), that trying a p-stem, which sticks up too far is useless in HZ 6. Just putting some kind of insulated sleeve around the top does not work here. Mulching heavily around the base will most likely preserve your corm and if you have sound corm, you have a viable banana plant. Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

11-13-2012, 11:39 PM	#14 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,493 BananaBucks : 282,821 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,443 Times in 5,238 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Well I can say after getting 28F last nite my caligold leaves are burnt but that's it.. I'm going to use heat-tape and a 60 gal hot water heater blanket and wrap several p-stems with it. :^) __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

11-14-2012, 12:53 AM	#15 (permalink)
hasty22 Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 24 BananaBucks : 8,265 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 10 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer \|Hello I live in zone 5b . This is how I protected my Musa Basjoo this year. I think it would work on most banana trees if you use the heat tape.Sorry I have not figured out the pictures yet. What I do is cut off all leaves and cut trunk or trunks if there is pups( I had 2 major trunks) down to main solid trunks. I then wrap in burlap, wrap in heat tape leaving thermostat outside of wrapped area. I then wrapped all trunks in pink insulation and finally covered with weather protected cover. will work on pictures

11-15-2012, 12:09 AM	#17 (permalink)
hasty22 Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 24 BananaBucks : 8,265 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 10 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Hello just trying to post pictures. This is how I covered my Musa Basjoo in zone 5b. I know you are in 7a but if you wanted to keep less hardy bananas outdoors this might work.

11-15-2012, 12:10 AM	#18 (permalink)
hasty22 Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 24 BananaBucks : 8,265 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 10 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first freeze first timer Yay my pictures worked thanks to photobucket.

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