BTerrier

I have a musa basjoo that I need to prep for winter, but have some questions.

How cold can it get before I need to prep for winter? What temps can it tolerate prior to mulching etc?

If I were to put some temporary fencing around it and dump leaves inside the fencing, would this be adeqaute?

I have some pups emerging.....do these need to be divided or can I leave them? at what size can I divide?

I am in CT

cincinnana

You may heavily mulch now if you wish ....the weather does not need to be cold or frosty.

Doing it now does not impair the plant in any way just gets you ahead of the game.
Leave the pups be this year and separate at 3 feet tall for next year.
If you separate they will not recover before winter sets in and you will lose them.

Your choice with building a pen for your plants....it will hold your mulch/leaves in place.

I generously apply a thicknesss of 8-10+- mulch directly on top of and around the pstem .

Keep in mind your leaves will settle 75% so pack it tall.

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BTerrier

Thanks. Should I be cutting the plants down before mulching?

If so, how low should I get them? Pups too?

morebananas

Leaves die at heavy frost/pseudostems freeze starting around 25F.

Probably


Divide plants around 3' tall and up for best results


Zone 6-7 Options
Option 1) don't do anything and the main stems will die but it will probably come back with what looks like pups around old corm

Option 2) cut back pseudostem 'angled 45 degrees' around 6"-1' tall and cover with a big pile of mulch. It will come back from main stems

Option 3) cut back 2-4' and enclose with 2' tall chicken wire. Fill with mulch or dry leaves in bottom then fill in top with dry hay. Then cover. I used a 'duck cover fountain cover 68"' on amazon. Some people say they will grow just as big without doing this but I don't know. This is what I do though.

Eric1221

What did you end up doing? It can get below 30 degrees and you will see die back but the stalks are pretty resilient. I would say November is a good time to chop them back and cover with mulch, leaves, straw, dirt up to a foot or so. The temporary fencing idea sounds good too since it will let you just throw a bunch of stuff on top and then you can leave it - but really you don't need to do that. The plants seem very strong and with light protection have come back for me in zone 7 - we had our coldest winter last year when it was like 0-5 degrees for an extended period of time and all of my plants survived - even the ones I barely protected. They are strong plants and if you give them some protection and a mostly full sun location they will probably return and spread quickly.

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I am very fascinated and excited about growing Pawpaws (Asimina triloba). I also am equally fascinated and excited to be growing: Pawpaw cultivars, Echinacea purpurea 'magnus', Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed, Musa basjoo Cold Hardy Banana, Lycium barbarum 'Sweet Lifeberry', Passiflora incarnata 'hardy native maypop'.

Future projects: Indigenous/native host plants for butterflies such as: Zizia aurea Golden Alexanders, Eutrochium maculatum Joe Pye Weed, Asclepias incarnata Rose Milkweed.