obrienforensics

I am a newbie to bananas and to NC zone 7b and planted in 5/08 what are supposed to be 4 Dwarf Orinocos. (One is about 2-3' taller than the other 3, so I have some doubts about her.) BTW - where do you measure for height? The highest leaf point's reach or where the leaves stop coming out?

I do not want to overwinter under the house. I have not found a thread that clarifies for this literal brain how high off the ground I am supposed to cut off the pseudostem to mulch around it with some sort of supporting barrier and leaves/hay/or and burlap/or and top it of with cans/pots/bubble wrap/or.

I also do not feel clear on whether I am supposed to insulate the pups with the Mom until spring or dig them out now and then what do I do with them? 7b - Insulate and overwinter with Mom? Plant them outside now or pot them with no light under house or pot them with light in sunroom?????

Bubble wrap has come up with + and - as insulation. Bw's neg seems to be the moisture factor and our days can stay very warm
(50-65) most of the winter so that sounds pretty rot and mold supporting to me, but 19' for 3 nights killed 75% of the peach crop last spring! If bw is only on the top and the sides are breathing through pine straw or hay, wouldn't the bw still be a good insulating thing?

Am I cruising the edge of disaster by not having this structure at the ready now. We are not likely to have a killing frost for another month, but it is likely to go into the 40s at night.

Can anyone give me some pointers?
Obie

chong

Plant height is measured from the top of the adjacent soil to just above the base of the newest visible leaf petiole. The newest leaf is obviously vertical but does not count for height because they bend down when they unfold.

microfarmer

If you can keep the moisture out, BW is a good insulater. Perhaps some Christmas lights inside the BW will help on those really cold nights.

You can cut it down to whatever height you'd like, but if you want fruit, you need most of the P-stem. My DO flowered (and is now fruiting) after I cut about 12" off the top to take care of a little rot. mine went somewhat unprotected last winter with only a black lawn and leaf bag on it to keep out the rain. It didn't work...

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obrienforensics

Thank you, Chong and Microfarmer. I think I will try to read more posts and see where that gets me.

Anyone have any opinion of insulating around the p stem with pine straw vs hay? I am thinking maybe it would let too much air in because a bale of hay is much denser and heavier than the same size bail of pine straw.

Should I leave the pups attached to Mom until spring?
Obie

JCDerrick

I used hay on my basjoo last year, but it seems like hay holds water more than I'd like. I was thinking of using a mix of hay and leaves this year - see how that works. Overall the hay worked fine, but had it rained a lot, might have been another story.

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modenacart

I used BW on one group of my orinocos and it worked. I have fruit on them this year. I did have some rot and cut it back, but next year, I will not cut the rot back. It seem to rot further the more I cut it. After I wrapped them, I put a couple of feet of pine straw aound the base, only because we have a crapload of it from the pine trees.

damaclese

this is the problem with plastic its non porous no air can pass throw most plastics there are some that allow air transfer but they are exspesiv if you go back to the old days when people had to prep there non hardy plants for the most part they only used fibrous materials so i advocate hay and burlap they allow air to pass throw and slow transfer of moisture if your worried about dessication you can always spray any plant with and anti desiccant available at almost any garden supply cold and wet equals rot. cool and dry equals stable non bacterial condition also hay holds air pockets that insulate the ground and the plants them selfs it also repels water if its thick enough for example if you live in new england a proper layer of hay would be 3ft sounds like a lot but its not so don't skimp use an adequate amount the Bananas will be fine

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obrienforensics

I decided I will go with the native pinestraw and burlap and wrap the 2 larger ones and their pups and take the 2 smaller ones in under the house for the winter. I am going to start wrapping the larger 2 next weekend with pinestraw, adding more as weeks go by and then closer to the 1st frost entomb them for the winter.
BTW - it is really cheap to buy burlap at fabric stores instead of landscape suppliers.

Thanks to all for the advice and anyone who wants to send more - please do!!
Obie

PS: What is antidessicant? I get that it means to prevent drying out, but I have never seen such an animal in any store in CT or in NC.

jason

I would not use bubble wrap,,plastic actually attracts the cold burlap bags would work better,or even alot of leaves packed in around the plant.

Lodewijkp

bubble wrap and burlap, i make small holes in the bubblewrap for air exchange.

i spray the banana stem with fungicides , make a cage around it and fill it with leaves that are mixed with chalk power or any fungicide to discourage fungus.
now i cover it with black burlap and i cover the inside of the bubblewrap with charcoal.
i use a sort of small plastic roof above it with wooden stakes.

when christmas arives i decorate it so it will still look nice.

on a good sunny day it can get warm inside.


ppl should use charcoal more often (keep it dry) it really stores alot of energy from sunlight.

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obrienforensics

I was away this weekend in NW NC at the Biltmore Estate - they have a ton of Bajoo that they just cut back and leave alone despite their even getting some snow. I know my orinoco's need more TLC, bu while away we got an earlier than usual frost so my plan to take 2 in under the house and wrap the 2 big ones with their pups may need adjusting. Can I put the frost scalded ones under the house or is it too late for them and I need to cut and wrap them now?
I like the fungicide idea for the ones left in ground, but where do you buy chalk dust to augment it? The air holes in the bubble wrap sounds interesting also combined with burlap.

modenacart

I would be careful with charcoal, if it stays wet, it can spontaneously combust.

saltydad

"What is antidessicant? I get that it means to prevent drying out, but I have never seen such an animal in any store in CT or in NC."

Can be bought from many garden/home depot stores. Wilt Pruf is one brand but there are others. I sold it in my old garden center in Ossining, NY. Keep the plant from losing moisture during the winter cold/wind to some extent.

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