Bananas.org - View Single Post - S. OH Banana Garden Before Winter + Red Abyssinian Question

sandy0225 · 09-24-2009, 10:36 AM

I didn't trim mine last year, I just dug it up, stuck it on a hand truck and bounced it into the basement. I plunked it bare rooted on a plastic pallet, and watered it with a hose from time to time. I guess I didn't water it as much as it seemed to want over the winter,because it shriveled up a lot, but I put it out this spring and it's about 10 feet tall now. A dramatic recovery for sure!
What you do depends on how desperate you are. If you can't get it inside any other way, chop it dramatically. It's better for the plant to chop it than to leave it outside, for sure!
As long as you don't literally dig out the center part of the pseudostem with a knife, it'll telescope new growth out from the center, kind of like an antenna you pull out on a cd player. It will just not look as good for a while. And if you do destroy the inside stem in the center, it'll induce the plant to make pups.
But you gotta do what you gotta do to bring them in, when you live up North!

09-24-2009, 10:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,682 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,802 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: S. OH Banana Garden Before Winter + Red Abyssinian Question I didn't trim mine last year, I just dug it up, stuck it on a hand truck and bounced it into the basement. I plunked it bare rooted on a plastic pallet, and watered it with a hose from time to time. I guess I didn't water it as much as it seemed to want over the winter,because it shriveled up a lot, but I put it out this spring and it's about 10 feet tall now. A dramatic recovery for sure! What you do depends on how desperate you are. If you can't get it inside any other way, chop it dramatically. It's better for the plant to chop it than to leave it outside, for sure! As long as you don't literally dig out the center part of the pseudostem with a knife, it'll telescope new growth out from the center, kind of like an antenna you pull out on a cd player. It will just not look as good for a while. And if you do destroy the inside stem in the center, it'll induce the plant to make pups. But you gotta do what you gotta do to bring them in, when you live up North! __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!