Winter Banana

Hi Guys

I've been told that I need to protect my Banana plant for the winter its a Musa Lasiocarpa. I have brought some fleece bags but dont know how it needs protecting. I do not have a greenhouse and was going to move to a very sheltered corner up against a fence in a couple of weeks time. Do I wrap the plant & pot or just the plant? Also should I water the plant during the winter months?

 

I doubt it will make it in a pot tbh. Do any friends have a frost free place you can store it ?

 

I could put it in the shed or garage if that would be better, do I need to water the plant during the winter?

 

yeah shed or garage is much better, but then you will struggle to get light in!?
yes water it for sure

 

keep it going, not so dry as to cause it to dehydrate but not too wet to as to encourage rot.

 

The picture I have in this months comp. is a banana plant. The owners told me they winter it over with bails of straw, or it could be hay (I mix them up) And my area is zone 4, 5, 6ish.

 

US winters zones, aren't comparable with the UK IMHO. The Ensete in that picture will die in all but the most mild of winters for most of the UK. I have got to april before with mine but the late frosts freezing and thoring just mush them. Lasiocarpa (stems) will very rarely survive the typical UK winter and it takes good planting and luck and a warm spring to get the roots going to produce any thing worthwhile for the following summer. Liken it to a canna plant, bring them in and bring them on protected frost free during spring.

 

Zone numbers or not. We get down to ZERO degrees here.

 

There is a house in Ford, West Sussex that has what looks like a HUGE banana tree in the front garden. I doubt very much that it's in a pot, it's far to big, yet it seems to survive outdoors all year round.

The only reason I can think why it survives is Ford is in prime vegetable garden territory, fairly sheltered but only a couple of miles from the sea. Maybe they don't get much frost there?

 

My basjoo's do just fine without protection, Ensete's on the other hand will 9/10 not survive the prolonged cold and wet of a typical UK winter. Zero would be positively tropical in the UK, try -7 like last winter and prolonged -5 to -2 nights.

 

I think we might be talking in F not C.

Damn those Eupropeans, at one time we almost spoke the same language.:D

 

Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter--- My ZER0 Farhrenheit coverts to your -17.7777 Celsius.
So, yep, I meant Zero here Fahrenheit , or for you -17 celsius. And we have gone to -5 here which would be your -22 Celsius. So lets talk tropical.

 

An ensete surviving -22 deg Cel , Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha................

 

I got as low as minus 12C last winter Red, and that was far too cold for me.

I have my doubts as BM does that, that Ensete in your pic will survive, but if it does then I'm sure we will all look up and take notice as it seems to be the norm here that they have to be lifted and dried off.

I'm sure Beachlovers Musa lasiocarpa is a different kettle of fish though and is reputed to be hardier than ensete, mine Lasiocarpa) will be kept potted in the garage and fairly dry.

Fingers crossed.

 

All I know, is that when I saw the banana tree on that property, I was amazed also. And asked the owners how they bring it inside--because it is huge, and its in the ground. The response from the owners is what I wrote earlier. So doubt if you will, why would they tell me otherwise?
I know in this area folks have fig trees that survive through the winters, they build a mini home around the tree with burlap and wood slats, keeping them going for years.