I am going to try to start growing some "cold" hardy bananas in zone 5. A musa basjoo, and a blue java/ice cream banana. They are supposedly in the mail on their way here. I expect the Musa Basjoo to survive with a little maintenance, and the blue java will require a lot.
For my first year with the blue java, I think I will try the traditional "dry storage method" to over winter the banana. For any pups that develop thereafter, I might do an experiment....although experimenting may not be necessary if someone else has done it and can report back their observations.
Supposedly underground, even just a few feet, it is supposed to stay warm even during the winter months. see
https://lisbdnet.com/what-is-the-tem...%20the%20south.
Hence, I think [and I could be wrong] the a cold hardy corm by itself might be able to survive a brutal winter if it was planted some 3-5 feet under ground [and gradually covered up as the psuedostem grows prior to the winter]. However during the winter months, there is still the issue of the [stem] making its way from the corm to the surface.
Can the [stem] be cut under the ground, or can it just be buried?
Or should layers upon layers of mulch be placed on it, or is that not enough to protect the [blue java] corm?
Will the corm still signal for the [stem] to grow in either case?
Will the temperatures at that depth be low for the corm to signal the [stem] to grow at an appropriate time?...will I have to effectively remove some of the dirt for it to grow again.
Will the corm have enough nutrients to survive the winter?
Will a deeply planted banana plant still shoot out new pups to the surface?
Thx