jwmahloch

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.

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Jeremy

jwmahloch

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

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Jeremy

jwmahloch

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.

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Jeremy

PAbananas

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

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.

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Jeremy

PAbananas

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

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.

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Woo Hoo I'm going Banana's LOL :^)

jeffreyp

A tomato cage stuffed with hay, and use one of these wrapped around the pseudo-stem.

Wrap-On Pipe Heating Cable

john_ny

PAbananas - You asked about pulf. If you mean freezepruf, check FreezePruf - Improves Freeze Tolerance Up to 9.4 Degrees

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John

PAbananas

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

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!

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John

jwmahloch

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.

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Jeremy

PAbananas

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

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

Lagniappe

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

Move to Hawaii where its warm all year.

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Jeremy

Abnshrek

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.

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Woo Hoo I'm going Banana's LOL :^)

ewitte

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.

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.

Bump!

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natej740

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...