This is the first year I've put some of my banana's in the ground and I need to know how to get them through the winter. I have a Musa acuminata 'Zebrina' - rated at zone 9 and above and a NOID green that I got in a local plant swap so it's probably a zone 8.

I know @Swayback digs them up and stores them but I've heard of other people wrapping them and even winding Christmas lights around the trunk . I did a search in the Tropicals Forum and didn't find anything about overwintering bananas.

Can some one please point me to a thread about wrapping the trunks if it exists or explaining it to me? I have a link for Swayback's method:

http://garden.org/ideas/view/S...

Thanks!

Anne, we had two winters worthy of zone 8 in 2009 and 2010 here. My neighbor lost the top growth on all his bananas, but the roots were fine with a very deep covering of mulch. He used wood chip mulch and piles of leaves to a depth of over a foot. They all jumped right back up beautifully the next year.

Just my opinion but if you're going to grow them in ground, I'd resign myself to losing the top growth each winter, and just growing them back each year. Oh, and pray for warm winters, of course.

Thanks Elaine .. I was considering that for the one out front ... just let it die back and mulch the bajeebers out of it - I thinking I can probably create an 'igloo' over the Blood Banana with masonry ladders this year since it's not very tall. As with everything in the ground, I always have heirs and spares in containers and take cuttings when possible in the Fall.

I'm still curious thought about wrapping and using Christmas Lights for the future when the one out front gets really tall .. I'm also looking for a way to overwinter the Strelitzia in case I decide to put it in the ground .. I know it can get mammoth in size and it's a zone 10 plant. I might be able to dig it up and store it in the garage like @swayback does with his tropicals.

Anne, I don't think I would go with the wrapping route, for one thing you will need the old fashioned lights that put out heat. LED's are no help. Following on Elaine's idea about mulch, how about using a cage about 3' or 4' tall filled with leaves around the lower part of the trunk? You can cut off whatever foliage extents above it. The new growth will emerge from the cut part and you will probably have some pups come up around the base.

You're right Alice! I didn't think of that. I guess I'm going to be doing as Elaine suggested. Thanks!

@DavidLMO lives in zone 5b and grows his bananas in the ground.

That's impressive .. he probably wraps and mulches them too.

I'm thinking he also plants the hardy varieties like Basjoo?

Wow I just looked up the Basjoo! I just might see if I can trade for one and plant that in the front.

Had Musa basjoo in my zone 4b garden for 4 years and preserved it successfully through winter with 4 straw bales stacked 2 high. Mostly worried the voles would eat them up, but no problem at all. Of course I had no illusions of saving foliage.
The downfall was -30 degrees in year 5. That did it in. I miss my banana !

Thanks Kate! I think I might just do that for the one out front.

Anne, do you get much rain or snow and ice during the winter? You might call around to appliance stores and ask if they ever have any large corrugated boxes, like those that refrigerators come in. Maybe they would save a few for you and you could place them over the top of the plants after mulching, for further protection. Only problem would be if you got lots of rain, they might get soggy and I don't know if they'd be strong enough to hold up to the weight of lots of snow, which could cause the plants to be crushed.

There is an ongoing thread about Bananas in this tropicals forum: The thread "Bananas" in Tropicals forum

Really interesting reading..hope it helps you Anne.

Thanks Lin & Tarev .. awesome idea about the boxes Lin! Great thread too .. thanks for the link Tarev.

Sorry - Just found this. I am in Zone 5B. Only Banana I have is Musa basjoo - the hardiest of bananas. I planted it May of 15. Last winter covered with 2 1/2 feet of leaves and straw mixed. Made it with no problems.

This method helps many of my tropicals survive a cold winter. You might not save the foliage though.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/S...