Bananas.org - Repotting in Winter??

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Repotting in Winter??

Hey everyone,
I recently brought in my banana plants for the winter. My biggest plants are in a basement that stays around 60-65 degrees F--I'm hoping they'll go to sleep for the winter. But my smaller ones, my DC and Goldfinger, are in a bright southern facing room that gets in the upper 70's during the day--hopefully they'll keep growing. The problem is, they're dying to get out of those little 1 and 2 gallon pots. They've also shed some lower leaves (2 or 3), but I think this is normal for bringing plants in from high to lower light right? I would like to repot them into 5 gallons to hold them over until I can get them into some big pots next year, but would it be better just to wait until spring? My biggest concern is root rot, although both have totally filled their pots with roots. Thanks!

Re: Repotting in Winter??

I have found that they really do better without the large volume of soil over winter. While they do stay alive and grow, I don't think they are putting out significant root growth.

If they are really really root-bound, maybe, but only up one pot size. Going from 1-2gal up to 5gal seems a bit much.

Re: Repotting in Winter??

I found some 18 gal pots @ tractor suppy for $2.99 those work real good. :^)

Re: Repotting in Winter??

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy17 (Post 208372)

They've also shed some lower leaves (2 or 3), but I think this is normal for bringing plants in from high to lower light right?

Yes, it is.

I wouldn't particularly recommend repotting at this time. It's not a real 'active' growing time for bananas, so I'd leave them alone unless they're so root-bound they're starting to grow funny. Take it easy on watering and fertilizer and you should be able to make it through the winter no problem. Then, in the spring you can plant them in the ground or in larger pots.