Vickie H.

Has anyone overwintered it outside. I am zone 6 and it says it is hardy, but to what zone is it hardy?

Jananas Bananas

Here's what the Wiki says:

Musa balbisiana 'Black Thai' - Bananas Wiki

~JaNan

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Jananas Bananas

Vickie H.

Thank you. Unless I get pups I will not try my only one.

palmtree

I hear they might be the new Musa Basjoo! I've never tried them myself though, but they are suppose to be hardy to a zone 7 (which means that you can probably get them to come back in a zone 6 also with a bit of added protection). Personally, I wouldnt risk them outdoors in anything less than a zone 8 and mine will be going inside this winter with all the other bananas (even my basjoos are going inside since I dont think they are worth the risk since they are easy to just bring in).

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Location: New York City, zone 7b

Magilla Gorilla

I have several and they have produced pups. It did get down to 35 last winter and my mat was not affected.

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Andrew

Vickie H.

My musa basjoos have over wintered here in zone# 6 at minus 13 F. But I mulch them in a large tomato cage with 2 ft cyprus mulch.

Magilla Gorilla

Wow, that's a love for tropical! I lost a Thai papaya and a Hawaiian guava last winter. I am done with the cold!

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Andrew

RobG7aChattTN

I lost a small one last winter. It never took off and stayed around 1' tall all summer and did not re-emerge this spring. BUT, I also had two small basjoo that I planted out late and they didn't make it either. I have a better, more vigorous Thai Black in the ground now and I'll leave it out next winter. I overwintered balbisiana, which should be similar (although it didn't come back nearly as strong as where it was and might not even be where it was this time last year) and overwintered ornata 'Red Jewel' (which is growing and pupping like crazy!) I think a little size goes a long way toward overwintering.

sandy0225

I'm testing one this year. I planted it a foot deeper below grade. I'm also testing a sikkimensis, and a bordelon all planted that way. The basjoos I planted that way one is three summers old and the rest (13)are two summers old. They do good planted that way. No mulch.

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Sandy Burrell



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RobG7aChattTN

I've seen where fruiting bananas were planted in a trench and then later backfilled. This was to keep the corm deep and had nothing to do with cold survival, but it shows that it isn't detrimental and should also help with cold hardiness. I've also thought about doing this with my Colocasia 'Burgundy Stem' which tends to get a large above ground corm as it grows. The tiny runners (if under mulch) will re-sprout in the spring but the corms of the larger plants will rot. I've heard (and experienced with smaller plants) that if you dig them up in mid-summer and re-plant deeper they survive the winter. I've lost all my old, big 'Burgundy Stem' but if they seem to get large this year I'll try to dig and re-plant them deeper. It would probably be advisable to make sure that when they are planted below grade that they are not kept in a wet, boggy situation and that even while deeper that they are in high enough ground to stay well drained in winter.

oakshadows

Might be cool for you but here in central
florida that is very chilly. When we lived in Key West the freezing temp was 70 degrees. Hope ours do good outside. Thanks for the input.

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