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Olafhenny · 09-11-2013, 10:40 AM

Hi Dave,

there are various ways of bringing your bananas through the winter in frigid regions:
• You can leave them in the pot and keep them growing inside for the winter, either by a bright window,
or under growing lights.
• You can uproot them and store them lying on there side in basement or garage.
• Or you can, like I do, leave them outside and protect them by mulching heavily with leaves or such.
• Some people in a more farm like setting stash hay or straw bales around them.

I have now devised, what I believe to be a much better and in the long run easier solution: double
walled Styrofoam “hoods” filled with fibreglass stuffing, which can be taken off early in spring and stuck back
over quickly and easily, when frost threatens again. The polystyrene hoods cost me for three, one to cover
a whole pad and two for single stems well under $60.-for materials. The fibreglass stuffing costs another
$22.- or so per roll, but is only enough for two covers. I had enough for the third one still laying around.

You can find out about the details here: Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring.

In previous years I just waited until frost nicked the leaves, sliced them off and the pseudo-stem to a
manageable size built a 18” to two feet fence around the pad and filled that up with leaves. That has the
disadvantage, that it is more or less an “all or nothing” thing to uncover it in spring. You have to wait longer
to be sure and lose valuable growing time.

I am sure you have more questions, so fire away!

Best,
Olaf

09-11-2013, 10:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Must Separate Pups? Hi Dave, there are various ways of bringing your bananas through the winter in frigid regions: • You can leave them in the pot and keep them growing inside for the winter, either by a bright window, or under growing lights. • You can uproot them and store them lying on there side in basement or garage. • Or you can, like I do, leave them outside and protect them by mulching heavily with leaves or such. • Some people in a more farm like setting stash hay or straw bales around them. I have now devised, what I believe to be a much better and in the long run easier solution: double walled Styrofoam “hoods” filled with fibreglass stuffing, which can be taken off early in spring and stuck back over quickly and easily, when frost threatens again. The polystyrene hoods cost me for three, one to cover a whole pad and two for single stems well under $60.-for materials. The fibreglass stuffing costs another $22.- or so per roll, but is only enough for two covers. I had enough for the third one still laying around. You can find out about the details here: Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring. In previous years I just waited until frost nicked the leaves, sliced them off and the pseudo-stem to a manageable size built a 18” to two feet fence around the pad and filled that up with leaves. That has the disadvantage, that it is more or less an “all or nothing” thing to uncover it in spring. You have to wait longer to be sure and lose valuable growing time. I am sure you have more questions, so fire away! Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.