Re: Overwintering strategies.
I still haven't chopped and mulched my basjoo. It doesn't look pretty, but it still is a living banana that has a new leaf roller! Sometimes I'm tempted to just leave it as is for the entire winter. Obviously it would freeze brown, but I keep reading about these folks who do this and have wonderful mats of basjoo. But after mine has become so nice and numerous, I probably will cut and mulch again. I'm a coward.
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
The obvious stategy is to move to San Diego. ;-))
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
John, are the damaged plants more exposed to the clear sky? I looks that way from the photos. If so, heat radiates from that area more easily.
Putting an overhead cover can help protect the bananas even without a heat supplement. For what it's worth, bare ground can trap heat and release it more slowly than soil with grass, leaves, etc. More power to you, in-ground bananas in zone 7! :) |
Re: Overwintering strategies.
Yes, the ones that browned, from the cold, are more open to the sky, but those are going to be bare rooted and put in the cool basement. The ones in the ground may look like they have a lot of overhead protection, but most of that is in the background. The only thing that is partially over them are some Crape Myrtles, and most everything, in background or overhead, have lost their leaves by now, anyway.
The ones in the ground will get an overhead covering; as I said they will be wrapped in newspaper, then plastic, then covered with leaves, and a tarp. They have made it like this for 3 years now. I haven't decided yet; I may or may not add the Christmas lights. And Harv - You said, "More power to you, in-ground bananas in zone 7!" It's really no big deal. After all it's only basjoos we're talking about. Lots of people, here, do it, some even in zone 5. At our local botanical garden, they had a mat of basjoos that they had protected for years. Then they decided that they wanted it in a different location. They planted in the new location, and just abandoned the old mat - no protection - no covering - no mulch - no anyting, and it still comes back reliably. |
Re: Overwintering strategies.
You should try freeze purf. I used it on my basjoos and bordelens and they still look great on Nov 25th in St Louis MO. We have had about 3 nights below freezing this fall. In your area you really dont need to dig up you basjoo's and bring them in. You can overwinter them in the ground as long as they are well established, in well drained soil and you cover them with leaves or mulch. I am going to cover mine with bags of leaves this year. You can just cut them back to the ground or you can keep a few feet for truck if you want. Jeremy
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
My favorite banana pix, which I have lost track of, was a from as fellow in St. Louis who had all of his bananas laid out on his lawn, after removing them from winter storage in his basement, and ready to plant. He had about 30 pseudostems, most 8-10' long. I knew that was dedication, and I knew I wouldn't have wanted to lug them in and out of a basement. Let's face it, they are heavy. I moved about half a dozen such monsters one rainy February day (long, long story about a pissy neighbor). That is work.
Harvey, yes, I know somegthing about winter storing of bananas, BECAUSE I read this forum, and occassionally (despite my best efforts) I learn something. ;-)) I also know that storing them in-ground in San Diego is one of the easiest methods. No digging, No lugging. Fruit stays on the tree, to ripen. Yes, moving here is a big project, but you only do it once and you are done. There is not need to do it every year, as other strategies require. |
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Thanks, Jeremy. I have the freeze pruf, and will be spraying the in-ground plants, before covering. I have been covering the basjoos, and wintering them in the ground for several years now, and never lost any. I will cut the leaves off when they dry, and then wrap them. The only things I cut off are the dry leaves, and I save just about all of the p-stem, not just a couple of feet. So far, we have had one night of light frost - no freezes.
I am not digging anything up to take inside. The cold-sensitive bananas, and other tropical plants, are inside, in their pots, and growing. The in-ground basjoos will be wrapped, and covered, where they are. The only other things going inside are the basjoos which are in pots. I will shake them out of their pots, and store them dry and dormant, in a cool basement. |
Re: Overwintering strategies.
Sounds great. I do the same thing but I have been cutting my p-stems back to a couple feet tall to make it easier (I have 6 bananas that will stay in the ground for the winter). I also have a cavendish banana that I dug up a week ago and brought in, it got some black spots on the leaves at 30 degrees with the freeze pruf (I understand the cavendish is really only hardy to about 37 as opposed to 32 for musa basjoo).
I also have a lot of tropical plants that I dig up and bring into my greenhouse and basement over the winter. I just built the greenhouse in September (its 6ft x 8ft and 7ft tall). I wanted a bigger one but my wife wouldnt go for that. I have it full with palms, cacti and some other tropicals) I also have 5 floressant grow lights in my basement. People think I am crazy that I bring all my tropicals in every year (I have been doing this for 3 years now). But its all worth it, right? My greenhouse is great, it have a heater hooked up to a thermistat that I keep at 58 degrees. When the sun is out it will warm up 30 degrees warmer than the outside temp. I also have a solor powered roof vent opener (it will open above 70 degrees and close when the temp drops when the sun goes down. Jeremy |
Re: Overwintering strategies.
Harvey, thanks. That is a nice collection, but not the pix I was looking for - these were significantly bigger, and much thicker. But it gets the idea across.
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
What I wouldn't do for your extra 10 degrees extra in Jan/ Feb John!:ha: What are we? Maybe 20 miles apart if that!
I think my larger corms will do much better this year though and will be using your method. |
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Of course, the alternative is "BananasSanDiego.org", LOL!! Could be fun!! Jeremy: It's Def all worth it, Right!! Besides, it's only twice in a whole year!! John: At the start of your first post, you said you stored the cold-sensitive bananas in a warm cellar under artificial (shop) lights and watered them once a week like regular houseplants. Sweet! Just how warm is that cellar? I'm curious cause I'm considering keeping a lot of mine just as house plants through the winter. And if you've had that much luck, I think it's time to give it a try! |
Re: Overwintering strategies.
In zone 7a, at what point would you cover you bananas. I covered mine about a month ago when night temps dropped and killing frosts hit. Was that to early? I have 4 others potted and under lights for the winter. Is there a ratio for trunk size to pot size? These are about 1 1/2' and in 4" potts
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
Eric, The point is, you move with the bananas, ONCE. Problem solved permanently.
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Re: Overwintering strategies.
Yes, you can keep bananas as house plants. I always divide pups and bring some into my basement and put them under floressant grow lights. I have a large humidifer in my basement and keep the humidity about 60% in my basement. I have timers on my lights so they stay on for 14 hours a day. Make sure not to over water bananas that are grown as house plants. Once a week is enough. Another thing that helps is mixing my own potting mix. I start with basic potting mix and add some fine pine bark mulch, perelite, sand, kelp meal (bananas love kelp meal) and a little bit of fertilizer (low in nitrogen for the winter). I use epesonia plant tone. Make sure you mix it into the soil or your house will smell like cow ****. - Jeremy :waving:
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