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Olafhenny · 11-08-2013, 10:27 PM

Hi Jeanne,

so bare root it is. I have no direct experience in that, but since I cannot comment on blooming
and fruiting of bananas, I have monitored wintering, my own experiments in it as well as those
of others. Most of the bare root wintering reported here was lying them down flat on garage
or basement floors.

The most important thing there is, that the PS do not come in direct contact with concrete.
That causes rot The thing to do is laying poly-sheeting on the concrete, a layer of cardboard
on top of that before lay down the PS. It is probably also advisable to cut all but the smallest
top leaves off, since leaves evaporate much of the stored moisture. If you elect to store them
upright in boxes, make sure, that there is a plastic barrier between the concrete and the
bottom of the box. A garbage bag will do nicely.

Your suggestion of peat moss sounds like a good one, since it will help the moisture household
of the plants balanced. Humidity control is one thing, you want to strive for a balance between
rotting and drying them out, temperature control is another. Ideally they should be kept most
of the dormant time cool but above freezing.

All of that can be avoided, if you plant them in the ground next spring and protect them well
for the following winter. The best, I have come up with so far you will find here:
Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring

It is a bit work at first to assemble, but has the advantage, that it can be re-used year after year
and will save a lot of work thereafter, as well it adds at least a month to your growing season
and thus to the height your plants will achieve, since it will allow you to take advantage of
warmer days in March and April, and re-apply the lid again in seconds, when frost threatens.
Otherwise you will have to wait until early to mid May, when it is safe to plant tomatoes outside.

Any more questions, feel free to ask,
Olaf

11-08-2013, 10:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,345 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Cutting corms in fall? Hi Jeanne, so bare root it is. I have no direct experience in that, but since I cannot comment on blooming and fruiting of bananas, I have monitored wintering, my own experiments in it as well as those of others. Most of the bare root wintering reported here was lying them down flat on garage or basement floors. The most important thing there is, that the PS do not come in direct contact with concrete. That causes rot The thing to do is laying poly-sheeting on the concrete, a layer of cardboard on top of that before lay down the PS. It is probably also advisable to cut all but the smallest top leaves off, since leaves evaporate much of the stored moisture. If you elect to store them upright in boxes, make sure, that there is a plastic barrier between the concrete and the bottom of the box. A garbage bag will do nicely. Your suggestion of peat moss sounds like a good one, since it will help the moisture household of the plants balanced. Humidity control is one thing, you want to strive for a balance between rotting and drying them out, temperature control is another. Ideally they should be kept most of the dormant time cool but above freezing. All of that can be avoided, if you plant them in the ground next spring and protect them well for the following winter. The best, I have come up with so far you will find here: Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring It is a bit work at first to assemble, but has the advantage, that it can be re-used year after year and will save a lot of work thereafter, as well it adds at least a month to your growing season and thus to the height your plants will achieve, since it will allow you to take advantage of warmer days in March and April, and re-apply the lid again in seconds, when frost threatens. Otherwise you will have to wait until early to mid May, when it is safe to plant tomatoes outside. Any more questions, feel free to ask, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.