Banana - Winter care?

[SMT]

Hi all,

I was given 2 banana seeds as a gift this year that came with very limited instructions and foreign text. I managed to get one plant to go and is now about a foot high with nice green foliage.

The problem I have is Im not sure what to do with it over the winter. Its currently happily sitting in the greenhouse, but we have had very mild nights so far so I guess it would be ok. I understand that some varieties are hardier than others but I havnt a clue as to what this one is. The greenhouse is unheated.

What do people suggest I do with it?

Many thanks

[Two_Sheds]

I had a "hardy" banana and lost it last year in an unheated greenhouse.

It might have survived if I'd wrapped it in straw or something first?

[Jeanied]

I really think you shouldn't risk it - if you don't want to heat the greenhouse, bring it indoors - it is small enough. When it grows too big to do this, you may have had a chance to work out what variety it is (tender or so-called hardy) and deal with it accordingly. In any case they need wrapping up from the cold in the British winter.

[starloc]

With no heating in a greenhouse, put some christmas lights on it and if very bad weather add some bubble wrap and frost fleece on it, it should be fine as the lights give heat right to the plant and use little power

[WrexTheDragon]

I would move it indoors and not take the risk in a greenhouse.

Lost a lovely one, three years ago as I left it in the greenhouse. Once the frost got at it, the plant was doomed.

[Jax]

oooh didnt know you could grow nanas in this country

[SMT]

As you say its only small so prob not worth risking it this winter. Maybe once its more developed it may cope much better.

[sarraceniac]

If it is a Musa Basjoo you should be OK, even in it's first year, cutting it right back, fleecing it and leaving it in the greenhouse over winter just barely watering once a month or so. There are many bananas described as 'hardy', the Sikkimensis for example, that only become fairly hardy in their third or fourth years. If you are not sure what it is the safest thing to do is to treat it as a house plant for a couple of years although I once lost one by being too kind in winter. If you over winter it in a greenhouse then the secret is to keep it very dry. I think Starloc's idea is brilliant. They don't actually need warmth, just not a glimmer of frost and I'm sure it would work. Oh and Jax, yes, you can grow nana plants but don't expect any fruit. They're a bit like my Butternut squashes, fine leaves but nothing to eat.

[Two_Sheds]

oooh didnt know you could grow nanas in this country

You can, but usually for foliage in a 'tropical' type garden. This chap managed to get fruit though

[mbronco27_03]

I got 2 banana plants which I have been growing this year, the leaves are getting pretty big, I have put them inside my brick shed for the winter, its not heated, but prob warmer than a greenhouse, due to being brick and not glass!!
I have now cut off the lower leaves, that have gone brown and look horrible, leaving the big upper leaves. Will then wrap the base up to the leaves in fleece, will this be sufficient to keep it alive over the winter? Its too big to bring into the house, will upload pics of it later

[sarraceniac]

I got 2 banana plants which I have been growing this year, the leaves are getting pretty big, I have put them inside my brick shed for the winter, its not heated, but prob warmer than a greenhouse, due to being brick and not glass!!
I have now cut off the lower leaves, that have gone brown and look horrible, leaving the big upper leaves. Will then wrap the base up to the leaves in fleece, will this be sufficient to keep it alive over the winter? Its too big to bring into the house, will upload pics of it later

Nearly right Bronco but you should cut the stem back to about 2". Don't worry it should kick in again next year, if it doesn't then it would have died anyway. You don't want it trying to feed the stem in winter.

[mbronco27_03]

So if I cut the stem back to 2" surely it will never grow tall, at the moment its pretty big, will post some pics on here later, on this thread, about 9pm ish at night

[sarraceniac]

So if I cut the stem back to 2" surely it will never grow tall, at the moment its pretty big, will post some pics on here later, on this thread, about 9pm ish at night

Nope. If you don't cut it back it may not grow at all. I repeat, that it is not capable of feeding the stem over the winter unless kept warm with plenty of light. It will recover quickly with lush new growth next year if you cut it back. I haven't cut my bananas back yet for this year but they are in the greenhouse. All are now dying back but I wait until the foliage is dead before pruning. Trust me. I have about a dozen of them, all several years old.

[mbronco27_03]

Ok, here are some pics of the Banana's, first pic is from June when I bought them, the other 2 are from weekend just gone, after trimming the bottom leaves, leaving the bigger leaves on top, they are in a brick shed at the moment, well blockwork shed, so fairly warm in there, warmer than a greenhouse, as it wont lose heat through the glass.

[jackie j]

My in laws have two banana plants not sure what she does regarding cutting back but she bought some of the fleece bags for pots ( they come in various sizes ), and straw around the base, put them in the shed and forgot about them till I said where's the banana plants ( in the summer ), she bought them out and there was lots of new shoots.