Banana Trees

A friend gave me 3 small banana trees that would die and come back during our couple frosts. Any ideas on how to "wrap" these for winter?

It's a bit late to wrap them but check out this site: www.tropic.ca - there is a section about wrapping your banana. Some people use bubble-wrap which works fine, burlap, hay and leaves. I use a wire cage that is wrapped in burlap, fill the cage with leaves and wrap the whole thing with black plastic. It seems to do fine and my Musa basjoo goes up 15' atleast if not more each year.

Growin, they are still alive, I was wondering how to wrap them for future years. Mostly the cold stunted their growth but did not kill them. And even if they never bore fruit I love the look of them, like palm trees but with smooth leaves and trunk. LOVE IT! I will have to follow your advice because you are in the same exact zone as me! THANKS!

Odd thing is there's a banana clump across the park that wasn't wrapped and the leaves are still somewhat green. It was stange looking at them blowing in the snow yesterday. The bubble wrap is the easiest to apply and really you're just keeping hard frosts away from the plant tissue.

Ya, the bananas really are an odd-ball thing to find here in Canada. They do just fine and even if they aren't wrapped they come back from the roots. I just am amazed at the speed they grow.

Growin, thats why I was so impressed to. They just have such determination! I always thought I didn't want any plants that you had to baby, like some tropical Bouganvillea vine I had that the frost finally killed. But seeing these Banana trees keep coming back...I just feel like I HAVE to help them!!! They work so hard! Don't know if they'll ever give me banana's but they are pretty just to have.

I recently read of a Zone 5a Banana (perennial). They're getting hardier and hardier!

Dax

A zone 5 banana! Can a climbing deer with an opposible hoof be far behind?

I know of a guy in Ottawa, Ontario who has grown both Musa basjoo & Musella lasiocarpa. He planted them against the south side of the house with a white wall. He piles tons and tons of hay in a huge mound each year. I'd say it is pushing the limits but possible. If you can keep the stem and roots from freezing, you're ok. Using Christmas lights to put a little warmthing around the wrapping, it helps too.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2006 11:23 AM

Hey, Christmas lights! Now that's original. What an idea!!!!



This message was edited Jun 2, 2006 4:24 PM

I have about 8 Musa basjoo. I'm going to try to get some to stay alive here outside. I'm pretty sure they will die-back to the ground, but to what extent is what I'm going to experiment on. I have the receipts to them all so I'll take them back to Lowes if their dead.

I brought them all inside this Winter, they turned brown and crunchy, they might already be dead. I watered them and cared for them inside along with the other plants I have in here.

But I've seen where people went to great effort to keep at least the corm alive (the part below ground). I've seen photos where a plastic tent is built over the plant, outside with a light bulb in there with it.

In colder climes I think the hardier bananas will survive but may die to the ground, unless extensive protection to try to keep as much of the trunk (pseudostem) of a banana plant. Or unless one was really serious and digs up the bananas to bring them inside or maybe even build a greenhouse for it.

I for one, too love the idea of a banana tree in a northern clime like here.

I'd think San Antonio wouldn't be much of a problem outside to save the pseudostem each year. Wrapping is usually referred to protecting the pseudostem in northern climes as far as I know. I'm not really up to date on preserving everything in a southern clime like yours.

Back when I frequented G Web, I went to the Banana forum a lot, there is some fanatics in there. I don't go there anymore, I just sit there and stare at a white screen when I click on anything, it takes too long on my dial-up.

Will