wolfyhound

While I'll be able to take in my smaller potted bananas, I have the really BIG namwah/fakeBlueJava in a giant pot and it won't fit into my house. I am trying to figure out the best thing to do...

I can take it to work where I would be able to roll it outside on good days and it would stay indoors at night and during cool days. But to get it there, I might have to dump it out of the pot, haul everything there, then repot it. Would that be okay? And will the AC be too much for it?

Or I could wrap it up with xmas lights or no xmas lights, but here it's often 80+ degrees during the day and I'm afraid the banana will get overheated, and I leave very early for work, so is that going to be dangerous?

Should I cut it down and cover it? Will the pot freeze? Should I cut it down and put it in the house? Will it start growing again inside?

Last year I just covered and uncovered the bananas 'as needed' until I had that unexpected freeze that got all of them. But those were maybe waist high. The namwah is like... 10 ft.

Any advice? A lot of the lower leaves are going yellow so I'm worried it's already unhappy with chilly nights, even though the OTHER(smaller) bananas aren't looking yellow at all.

The days still get up to mid-80s, but nights are starting to get chilly.(for Florida)

Abnshrek

Man put a heat-tape on it and wrap it with 6 or 8 mil plastic and it should be good to hook.. Move the pot to a semi protected area 1st if @ all possible, and have fun on a ladder.. :^)

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caliboy1994

In your zone you'd probably be able to get away with planting it in the ground with minimal protection. Not at this time of year though.

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Abnshrek

If you have it in a pot can you lay it on its side? Then just cover it with 3oz frost cloth, and tilt it back up when the weather clears. :^)

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wolfyhound

So the best might be to just leave it here at home, lay it over and cover it when there might be frost?

I don't mind doing the work to wrap/unwrap, but if I leave the plastic/wrap/blankets on and the temps get up to high 70s/80s, the plants steam inside. Some nights it freezes, and I leave for work when the temp is still very low, then it gets hot during the day again.

Life on a peninsula. Such fun.

For the smaller bananas(dwarf red, grand nain, mahoi) that are in the ground(water shoots?) should I just wait for cold then cut them down and pile some mulch over the stumps? Should I separate the shoots? Cover and uncover them with blankets as needed? Last year I almost kept them fine, but one weird freeze got them after all.

Abnshrek

I saw frost cloth @ Lowe's (6' x 50' for $10 I think). More than plenty in that roll.. :^)

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wolfyhound

Frost cloth is better than blankets? Then a trip to Lowes it is. I actually figured blankets would be better because they're thicker.

I even thought about building a plastic covered frame around it, that I could open and close.

Abnshrek

Now a blanket w/ plastic over the blanket would work.. Or your blanket is going to get wet by the dew then freeze w/ the frost.. My fiance liked to use a blanket on her windshield until it froze to the windshield.. :^)

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wolfyhound

That makes sense. I have used blankets over my windshield too, lol. Easier to peel the blanket off than to melt a layer of ice off.