bigdog

I'll try to explain my method, which I simply call the "bag-o-leaves" method. In the fall, I round up piles of leaves from the neighborhood (everybody conveniently leaves them on the side of the road for me) and bag them up. I use the large, durable contractor bags because they are 6 mil. I fill the bag up with leaves, and then tie the bag shut. Then, at the top of the bag where I just tied it shut, I make a hole big enough for the pseudostem to fit through. You don't need to cram the bag so full of leaves that you can't fit the pseudostem in! I then work my arm into the bag of leaves, creating a tunnel for the psdueostem to fit through, making sure to have leaves on all side of the tunnel. Then, very carefully, slip the bag over the pseudostem. This leaves the bottom of the bag facing up, making it impossible for any water to enter.

OK, now that you have the idea...I'll take it up a notch, lol. This method only preserves about 1-2 feet of pseudostem. If you want more saved, make a hole in the bottom of the bag also, so you can fit the pseudostem all the way through the bag, like a sleeve. Then put another bag-o-leaves on top of that! It works really well for me. Saves the trouble of creating an elaborate cage like some folks do. If you are worried about aesthetics, wrap a nice blanket around it.