Bananas.org - View Single Post - Sikkimensis; Dig up or protect in wet z8?

bigdog · 08-21-2006, 09:15 PM

Erlend, I have a friend that overwintered 3 out of 6, first-year musa sikkimensis, outdoors last winter. He lives in Niagara, CA, zone 6b (right below the lake). I imagine if he can do it, so can you.

That being said, I'm in the same boat. I'm in a zone 7a in Knoxville, TN, and have a musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' doing very well in the ground right now. I'm just going to pile a few extra inches of mulch and take my chances. They are getting more common now, so finding another one will not be too difficult next Spring if I lose it. On the other hand, I have a nice musa cheesmani coming along very well in the ground, and haven't decided whether or not to leave it in the ground or dig it up. I'd probably have to start some more from seeds if I lost it, and would have to wait another year to plant it out. Musa itinerans is on its own this winter, as are several others.

I would suggest leaving it in the ground, covering with a few inches of mulch, some plastic, and a little more mulch to cover the plastic. Or...one of my absolute favorite methods...get a lawn bag full of dry leaves, cut the pseudostem down to about a foot, cut a whole in the top of the bag and slide it over the pseudostem so that the bottom of the bag is up. Make sure there aren't any holes in the bag for water to get in. Fasten the bag to the ground with some earth staples or something equivalent, and if desired, cover the bag with something more aethetically pleasing. That method has worked like a charm for me in the past with musella lasiocarpa. You'll want to uncover when it starts to warm up in the Spring though, even if you have to cover it back up again for a late frost.

08-21-2006, 09:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,004 BananaBucks : 968,683 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 218 Times Was Thanked 1,790 Times in 504 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: Sikkimensis; Dig up or protect in wet z8? Erlend, I have a friend that overwintered 3 out of 6, first-year musa sikkimensis, outdoors last winter. He lives in Niagara, CA, zone 6b (right below the lake). I imagine if he can do it, so can you. That being said, I'm in the same boat. I'm in a zone 7a in Knoxville, TN, and have a musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' doing very well in the ground right now. I'm just going to pile a few extra inches of mulch and take my chances. They are getting more common now, so finding another one will not be too difficult next Spring if I lose it. On the other hand, I have a nice musa cheesmani coming along very well in the ground, and haven't decided whether or not to leave it in the ground or dig it up. I'd probably have to start some more from seeds if I lost it, and would have to wait another year to plant it out. Musa itinerans is on its own this winter, as are several others. I would suggest leaving it in the ground, covering with a few inches of mulch, some plastic, and a little more mulch to cover the plastic. Or...one of my absolute favorite methods...get a lawn bag full of dry leaves, cut the pseudostem down to about a foot, cut a whole in the top of the bag and slide it over the pseudostem so that the bottom of the bag is up. Make sure there aren't any holes in the bag for water to get in. Fasten the bag to the ground with some earth staples or something equivalent, and if desired, cover the bag with something more aethetically pleasing. That method has worked like a charm for me in the past with musella lasiocarpa. You'll want to uncover when it starts to warm up in the Spring though, even if you have to cover it back up again for a late frost.