Frost is due this weekend in S.W. Missouri. I have about 30 banana trees out. Should I let the frost hit them and then dig them, or dig them before the frost? The winters are too cold here to cut them off and leave them in the ground. Besides I would like too save them and have bigger trees to start with next year. Any help on storing will also be appreciated. Thanks Stan
Try this:
I have been growing some miniature bananas in pots for several years. It is my experience that when I bring them inside, the top eventually dies back. The next spring new plants come from the base. I would think that unless you have a greenhouse, they won't survive as-is but will start over next year. Your thirty trees will turn into 100 next year as each tree will put out several new ones.
my neighbor down the block has a half dozen or so banana trees and last week she cut them down as she will take them up an store roots in garage. (zone 7) she will water them lightly once in a while.. just moist.. then put them back out in the spring after last frost.
she gave me one this summer and it already has two babies. she said that some in this zone just cut them back and mulch them heavily.
i think i will cut before frost, put in garage which is kept at least
55 degrees F. as i want to plant them at another location come spring. lee h.While I think Pam is right on the general idea of Google searches, there are also novel approaches or localized approaches that don't get much publicity for one reasonn or another. I live in SC which many people mistakenly associate with Florida or similiar climate. While our summers are hot and humid, our winters can be unpredictable and bitterly cold for short periods. Here in southern SC, the cold is generally not severe - but for bananas it is. Many bananas will overwinter in the ground here, but the tops will be killed without a lot of protection. I have a greenhouse but have some neighbors who don't. They have successfully grown the plants in the ground, dug the root ball cutting back the leafy part of the leaves, and stored the plant in the crawl space under the house with a plastic cover. Here a blocked in crawl space never freezes. In Missouri you might need a little more protection. In spring, plant them back out. It might be worth a try depending on your situation. Gary
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