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Old 10-18-2010, 08:15 PM   #5 (permalink)
palmtree
 
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Location: New York City
Zone: 7b
Name: Alex C
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Default Re: Indoor Banana Wintering

If you a musa basjoo then you can definitely get away with planting it in the ground next spring on Long island. You are definitely a zone 7 (some areas of Long island even seem a little zone 7b ish to me). I overwintered mine in my basement closet with lights on in the closet. I lost the mother plant, but the pups continued to grow and they pupped like crazy. This year Im going to keep my bananas by a bring sunny window and let them continue to grow. Bananas need at least 60s to grow. If temps dont get into the 60s, they are pretty much going to sit there and maybe even get a few yellow leaves after a while. My bananas are all still outside and some are getting yellow leaves, but they are all still slowly pushing up new leaves (except for my musa velutina which isnt skipping a beat even in the fall weather!!!). You can keep your banana plants outside right until temps get into the mid to upper 30s which shouldnt be until November sometime on Long island. If you let a frost get to them the leaves will brown, but the stem usually doesnt until temps get into the upper 20s or so (according to the species). I let my banana plants see a frost and they didnt grow indoors for about 2 or 3 weeks, but then they started to grow again.
Sorry for all the writing! Good luck! Post some pics 'cause if its Musa Basjoo, Im sure a lot of people would easily ID it for you!
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Location: New York City, zone 7b
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