We got some banana tree this year for the first time.. What do we need to do with them for the winter months??
We got some banana tree this year for the first time.. What do we need to do with them for the winter months??
I bring mine inside. I have a big party room that they hang out in. If you can bring them into the garage and that will protect the roots. They will come back next year.
There are different kinds of banana trees. I have had mine for probably 6 or 7 years. They grow as tall as my two story house every summer. Every year they send up baby banana trees and I give some of them away to friends. Also, every year one plant has little bananas on it and then that tree does not come back in the spring - it dies. After the first hard freeze when the leaves freeze I cut the trees back to about 3 feet tall. I pack leaves around the trees and wrap the trees in plastic. I use duck tape to secure the plastic so it doesn't blow around. Just as soon as I see them start to grow in the spring I unwrap them.
My big one, we cut down to about 4 feet and then put in containers in the garage. Just enough dirt to cover the roots. Or stick the bottom in a plastic bag
I think we have the same kind of trees.. I was told that when these bare fruit then they will die.. We also have seen them shoot up babies around them.. The lady that give them to us said to cut the leaves off and take them inside bare root in a bag for the winter.. I have no idea what I am doing with these things, but I love them and dont wanna loose any..
I have never lost one of my banana trees in the winter. We live near Portland Oregon and it gets cold here but not midwest cold. In the spring the new growth grows right out of the three foot tall tree stump that I cut down in the fall. I will try to look up the name of it - hardy something or other. It is a beautiful plant with really huge leaves. It gives us lots of shade on our patio.
I looked up my banana tree and it is called Musa Basjoo. It is hardy to -20. It grows on rhizomes not roots. When I try to dig up a "baby" I really have to work to dig through the rhizome. It says this plant can grow up to 2 feet a week and I believe it.
I've got a few bananas myself and was told to cut the entire above ground section down come late fall and cover with mulch. Come spring, up they are supposed to come ??? This is my first year but a few friends have done it this way with good luck. I am told they grow bigger every time they are cut back.
Kinda like a little experiment.....................
Bob
I live in Florida, rarely do we have freezing temps for more than 12 hours at a time, however my banana trees are very invasive and each December I cut all the banana trees off about a foot above ground level. Unfortunately within 1 week there will already be new 1 new growth popping out of the "chop zone" of each.. but for the ones I need to permanently get rid of, I either have to dig out the roots or I have to cover the chop-zone with a thick black garbage bag to make sure it doesn't get any light or air for a couple weeks til it finally kills it.
It takes about 1 month after cutting the entire tree off the stalk, and I'll have about 1-2 feet of new baby banana tree growing out of the old stalk. It's crazy, but since I cut them every year, I don't normally get bananas each season which is fine by me, they stink when they rot anyways :D
Orlando, FL
I don't understand the question. I'm often confused, so nothing new there. I have two banana trees and one of them currently has green fruit on it. We don't normally get frost here, but we did get it 2 or 3 mornings ago. I might have lost both trees, so far it's not looking good.
If you are asking how to stop banana tree babies... I have found digging then up root and all is the best. Put the babies in a plastic pot and let stabilize for a couple months, then sell/gift on craigs list. You can contain (for the most part) with concrete curb that is 24" deep. They are invasive so this only works up to a point.
The juice from the tree stalk not only smells bad but will stains your hands and clothes a dark drown. I haven't found anything that removes it once it dries.
Brad
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