Bananas.org - View Single Post - Time to put the bananas to sleep for the Winter

critterologist · 09-25-2006, 01:52 PM

I'm glad I found this forum, and this thread! I was concerned that if I cut leaves off my bananas when I dug them for the winter (zone 6b in MD), I would set them back so that they wouldn't fruit. Hooray for finding out that it's not so! I got them (Apple, Ice Cream, and one that was supposed to be a Dwarf Orinocco but is the tallest of the bunch now so who knows what it really is) last fall, grew them inside over the winter, planted them out at 18-24 inches in spring... Now they are 9 to 12 feet tall (6 foot trunks, or I guess I should say psuedostems)!!! DH keeps looking at them and asking, so, what are you planning to do with them this winter? LOL

I am still debating.... I can haul them down to the basement (sunny window, temps between 55 and 70 degrees) and water sparingly to keep them semi-dormant... Or I can put them in the garage (no windows, so it'll be dark unless I put up a shop light for them, it's unheated but insulated so temps generally don't drop below 40, definitely doesn't freeze, but occasionally we get warm spells in winter so it might warm up to 65 degrees).

From reading through the above, it sounds like temperatures above 55 will make them come out of dormancy and then they will require some light, so maybe the garage isn't the best idea unless I put up a bank of florescents for them...

What does anybody think about letting them be semi-dormant in big tubs of potting mix in the basement? They put out several pups between them, so I may also hedge my bet by taking 1 pup of each variety inside (upstairs) to pot up in the morning room.

Those were wonderful pictures at the top of this thread, and I think I'll be more fearless now about digging my new bananas for the winter -- THANKS!

09-25-2006, 01:52 PM	#53 (permalink)
critterologist Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1 BananaBucks : 700 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Time to put the bananas to sleep for the Winter I'm glad I found this forum, and this thread! I was concerned that if I cut leaves off my bananas when I dug them for the winter (zone 6b in MD), I would set them back so that they wouldn't fruit. Hooray for finding out that it's not so! I got them (Apple, Ice Cream, and one that was supposed to be a Dwarf Orinocco but is the tallest of the bunch now so who knows what it really is) last fall, grew them inside over the winter, planted them out at 18-24 inches in spring... Now they are 9 to 12 feet tall (6 foot trunks, or I guess I should say psuedostems)!!! DH keeps looking at them and asking, so, what are you planning to do with them this winter? LOL I am still debating.... I can haul them down to the basement (sunny window, temps between 55 and 70 degrees) and water sparingly to keep them semi-dormant... Or I can put them in the garage (no windows, so it'll be dark unless I put up a shop light for them, it's unheated but insulated so temps generally don't drop below 40, definitely doesn't freeze, but occasionally we get warm spells in winter so it might warm up to 65 degrees). From reading through the above, it sounds like temperatures above 55 will make them come out of dormancy and then they will require some light, so maybe the garage isn't the best idea unless I put up a bank of florescents for them... What does anybody think about letting them be semi-dormant in big tubs of potting mix in the basement? They put out several pups between them, so I may also hedge my bet by taking 1 pup of each variety inside (upstairs) to pot up in the morning room. Those were wonderful pictures at the top of this thread, and I think I'll be more fearless now about digging my new bananas for the winter -- THANKS!