Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

Hi

I was wondering if Gros Michel can be grown outdoors in a warm temperate or cool subtropical climate. I see people mentioning that they are not cold tolerant but can't find any concrete evidence of people having them outside. I am about 30 degrees south in the border between suptopics and warm temperate. Cavendish grows fine but throws out one or two stunted leaves after winter passes (pausing growth throughout winter). Not sure how Michel would go.

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated :2738:

Thank you!

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

According to the cold hardy list, the Gros Michel banana plant is hardy to zone 11 (40 to 45 degrees F/4.4 - 7.2 C). I don't know where your location is, but to my knowledge the Gros Michel banana plant has not been widely grown in the continental U.S. and has only recently become available.

There may be other posters here with more knowledge of its cold tolerance if they have grown it throughout the winter, but I can only recommend that if it gets anywhere near the low 40's you need to protect it to keep it alive.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

If you don't get frosts in the Winter I would think it would be relatively simular to the Cavendish, unless you have really wet winters. :^)

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

I have one (supposed to be that is) outside in a pot and I let it get to 41-42 degrees at night before I started to put it in the garage, it seems fine. I will let it get much bigger and let it pup out before I test it fully though.

I still don't know if it is the real deal though sometimes things get mixed up, it just happens.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

That's good to know, because it doesn't get colder than those here in the dead of winter, and usually only for a couple of hours. If Gros Michel is comparable to a Cavendish, then I think we'll be OK

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

My understanding is that Gros Michel is less cold hardy than Cavendish. But that is only from what I've read, not personal experience.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

Ask me in the Spring and I'll let you know how mine does. It's in the ground outside. I think I'm at about 27 degrees N. I'll double check that but I'm in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, about 1/2 or so from the Gulf.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

What state are you in? Do you know what growing zone? I rarely get frosts here, but it would be difficult for me to grow it because we have cold, wet winters. If you get frosts every winter where you live, I don't think it would be feasible to grow it in the ground. If you want to grow it in a pot, go for a shorter form of Gros Michel like 'Cocos.'

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

I'm in NSW, Australia.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

I'm pretty sure it is not legal for you to grow Gros Michel in Australia, but I could be misunderstanding the regulations. I'm not sure if in NSW you are restricted to the varieties listed for QLD, but I think you are, plus you can grow Giant Cavendish (e.g., Williams) types.

Here's a bit from the Subtropical Banana Growers' Handbook put out by the Queensland Government:

"In Queensland, the Plant Protection Act 1989 limits the growing of
bananas in home gardens. Note that Cavendish bananas are not
permitted. Residential plantings are limited to a maximum of 10 plants
with a maximum of 30 stems but you must have an inspector’s approval.
The varieties you are permitted to grow in a residential block are also
restricted. Permitted varieties are listed in the table below.

In New South Wales, there are no restrictions on numbers of plants that
can be grown in home gardens and Giant Cavendish types are approved
with a permit.

Table 2. Permitted varieties for residential growing in Queensland

Location & Permitted plants:
Far northern, northern buffer, northern & southern buffer quarantine areas:

Plants listed in schedule 3 of the regulations:
Blue Java, Bluggoe, Ducasse, Goldfinger (FHIA–01), FHIA–02, Goly Goly Pot Pot, Kluai Namwa Khom (Dwarf Ducasse), Pisang Ceylan (Mysore type), SH–3436, Simoi, Tu–8, War War, Yangambi Km5

Special and southern pest quarantine areas:
Blue Java, Bluggoe, Ducasse, Goldfinger (FHIA–01), Kluai Namwa Khom (Dwarf Ducasse), Ladyfinger, Pisang Ceylan (Mysore type)."

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

venturebananas, I am outside the buffer areas.

To everyone else, many thanks for the helpful advice on the cold hardiness of this type.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

I know I am bumping a really old thread but I thought I had something to contribute. I planted a Gros Michel this past July. I live in zone 10A in southwest Florida and we have had a few occasions when the temperature diped below 40 degrees for a few hours. The lowest thus far has been 37-38 F with a wind-chill of 34 (if that matters).

I am by no means an expert however I am finding that the Gros Michel seems to be more cold tolerant than the double mahoi I planted last spring. I tried giving it protection with a make shift plastic tent and Christmas lights, but I think setting up the tent did more damage than the cold. (too windy to put up a tent) The next time around I decided to leave it unprotected and it faired better than the double mahoi. The GM has certainly has slowed down considerably during the cooler weather but in that time it has sent up another pup so its growing. In comparison to all my bananas I would say its growth is the slowest during this cooler period.

I don’t know why my double mahoi seems to be so intolerant compared to the others, but I am questioning the rating of 8.5 on the cold hardy list.

I’ll keep monitoring it as time goes on. Thanks.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

My Gros Michel is planted outside without protection. Our low this winter has been in the upper 20's and it has been a very wet winter. The gros michel has been killed back almost to the ground but it is still alive and is sending out pups. I'll have to wait and see if the main pstem comes back. It was just planted this past summer so it is not established

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

Hard to believe they have restrictions on the TYPES you can grow - talk about govt intrusion into ones personal business.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

We live in a 'nanny state'.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

You also live is a place that is being proactive about trying to keep out and reduce the spread of the diseases that are decimating some bananas in Yug's home state.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

August 2013 any updates on gros michel in California

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

I'm not in California, I'm in SW Alabama. Left my GM in the ground over this past winter. Lost the Pstem, but have an abundance of pups.

Yesterday I harvested my first ever bananas. From my mystery plant. During the late fall of 2012 I noticed a bulge at the top of the tree and suspecter a bloom. I procted the bloom by wrapping it in an old blanket and during late February the bloom emerged and now in late August I harvested about 50 bananas. Left it on the tree until it dropped over then cut the bunch. It is now on my kitchen island while it ripens. There were several that had ripened before I cut it.

Re: Gros Michel Cold Tolerance?
 

Welcome back Terry!