Oblofusc

OK, what does the hive have to say about this?

I live in Tallahassee, Fla. and after the first leaf-burning frost in October (unseasonably early) I chopped all my naners down to about 6 foot stalks. Thereafter I unfailingly covered them well every time it froze, in hopes they'd start out strong next spring. In between freezes, which included some pretty warm days, they continued to pump new leaf tubes up from the centers of the stalks. These green tubular emergences would get maybe a foot or two long, then, when the next freeze came, they'd either get frozen off or broken/bent from being covered, and which I then cut off.

This sequence happened several times over.

Then, just recently, during maybe the final one or two freezes, they seemed to not be putting out new leaf-tubes anymore. Some just stopped altogether, and some that had previously pushed out maybe a foot or so of new leaf tube just kind of stopped. Yet I do see new pups poking up through the mulch on those same mats.

What's happened to the big stalks? Did they poop out from being chilly too long, or from having new growth destroyed/cut off several times? Are they dead?!?!?

Thanks in advance for any comments & insights.

enigma99a

Did you try cutting back the P-Stems inch by inch until you hit solid green?

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Average January Low: 40°F, Average August High: 95°F
Typical Low Each Winter: 28-30°F, Typical High Each Summer: 108-110°F, Annual Precipitation: 22 inches

Oblofusc

I took your advice, enigma, and as I cut, there was ROT! I guess it was too chilly too long. There was no one freeze that did them in, as I was unfailingly diligent in covering the stalks with towels every time it froze or even came near freezing. They almost made it, but that one last cold spell seemed to seal the fate of several types.

I chopped most everything down at least a couple of feet to get to what looked good/non-rotting, and one even went all the way to the ground.

I will not really know who is with us and who is not until it really warms up.

Next year, I think I'll just chop everything to maybe 2 feet of stalk after the first freeze. Lots easier cover when hard freezes come.

enigma99a

I had the same problem this year...

My DCs were green until Feb, but we didn't get any freezing nights, just rain. And now the rot set in (probably all that cold rain). And now it's spread all the way down like a virus (which is what Rot does) REALLY SUCKS. So lesson learned, don't let rot spread.

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Average January Low: 40°F, Average August High: 95°F
Typical Low Each Winter: 28-30°F, Typical High Each Summer: 108-110°F, Annual Precipitation: 22 inches

Simply Bananas

I have noticed the same around coastal SC. Seem like the orinocos are having a hard time of it. I doubt your entire plant is dead. Last year a cut orinoco p-stem did not put out its first leaf until July.

As they say on here, 'never give up on bananas until there is a hole in the ground'!

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xyzzy

Here in the UK we grow different types of bananas - more hardy types, but even they have suffered this year. I have noticed that some of my M Itinerans, instead of re-starting their main pseudostems (which have not rotted though) have put out lots of pups round the base. I guess they are going to start from scratch again and abandon their old pseudostems?

E Ventricosum Maurellii is back growing again rapidly, despite being soaking wet and waterlogged all winter - new leaves shooting up now.

M. Sikkimensis is growing again rapidly and helen's hybrid.

A few violet flowering bananas have made it.

However, it was a very cold winter and I even lost some tiny M. Basjoos! Only tiny ones though.

M Velutina all got wiped out. Frost got outdoor ones and all brought indoors, immediately flowered and died.

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Bananaman88

[quote=xyzzy

M Velutina all got wiped out. Frost got outdoor ones and all brought indoors, immediately flowered and died.[/QUOTE]

If you still have the M. velutinas (now dasycarpa) in their pots don't throw them out just yet. I once overwintered some zebrinas inside in pots and thought they died only to find them regrowing in my compost pile where I had tossed them some months later. I'd keep them until spring, give them a good watering and then wait a few weeks to see if anything sprouts off the old corm.