sidpook

Hi All,

Im in South Jersey and we are supposed to get hit with Hurricane Sandy. Should I try cutting back my 10 to 15 ft. musas before the storm or risk them getting shredded by Sandy? At any rate, I will probably be cutting them back and putting them to sleep within the next week or two if we get a cold snap and freeze. ...Hmmm???
Thanks,
mike

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Mike

2woodensticks

im in florida,when debbie came thru i staked and tied..two or three stakes,old hose cut into pieces thread rope thru hose and go around ...my leaves took a beating but all stayed upright ant recovered well..even with the flooding i never lost one..

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got to love em..{neotropical rattlesnake..cascabell}

sidpook

That works great down there but since I will def. have to cut them back in a few weeks due to freeze, i it worth letting them get torn to shreds and have to cut them after anyway????

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Mike

oakshadows

Work when the weather is best. If I was going to move them inside for the winter I would probably just wait even if they get knocked down, time and amount is the factor . Good luck and watch the weather.

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"What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

Lord Snooty

I think I'd trim them and put them to bed for the winter a little earlier than than you would normally, which is what I'm going to do as soon as I can find enough staw to protect mine over winter.
I usually drive 3 or 4 stakes around each plant, wrap chicken wire around the stakes then pack loose straw in the space. I wrap horticultural fleece around the outside of the chicken wire and over the top of the plant to stop the rain entering the crown and causing rot. With such tall plants, you might have to use ropes to stake down any protective structure .
I live on the coast of Nth Wales and although we don't get hurricanes, high winds can occur at any time of year. A couple of years ago one of my plants was lifted and blown flat by high winds, but as it was summer I managed to re-plant it and it soon started growing again. It wouldn't have taken this time of year though.
The day time temp here is 47f and last night it was 36f so growth has practically stopped anyway.
I always try to pot up at least one pup from each specimen which I keep in an outhouse over the winter just in case the worst should happen.
Good luck.

Abnshrek

I'd strap them down and pray your power don't go out... :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

flaflowerfloozie

good luck to you, Sandy is working her way there, pulling away from us.
wish that cold front got here faster to direct it out to sea sooner.

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I wanna buy your seeds...maybe??

sidpook

Thanks for everyone's replies, worst part is they are curently flowering an fruiting too, Damn!!!!!!!

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Mike

brothertom2020

YO SidPook: If you have the time and resources, and the plants are fruiting and blooming, I'd try like hell to wrap'em up good and tight and tie them down. The storm shouldn't last more than day or so, as it blows by!
Praying for all of you in it's path, for safety and no damage!
E
BTW All Members: Go to EmergencyEmail.org. Enter your state, than follow directions9Zipcodes next, I think) to get free immediate daily weather info direct to your email. We use it out here and it's great! Stay Safe, put some rocks in yer pockets so ya don't git blown away to far! :-)

sidpook

LOL, YO!!! You know how we say things Philly and Jersey style. I am afraid It would be impossible to wrap them at this point, the tops are over 14 feet tall and it is logistically impossible. Besides we should be getting a hard freeze in a few weeks and they need to be cut and wrapped by then anyway

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Mike

Foreverlad

Pretty new to growing bananas, and I'm in Florida, so I don't have the same type of concerns as you, but would it be too hazardous to basically tip the plants over? Just dig them up and lie them down right there, maybe throw a tarp over them?

If bearable fall temps hold a bit longer, you might be able to slide 'em back in for another few weeks after the storm?

brothertom2020

Yo Martha: I just found my " Rambo Knife"! Some clown is trying to cut down a banana tree with it! :-)

Sorry, I couldn't resist! Stay Safe, Tom

Jose263

My nanas survived Isaac earlier this year - leaves shreded but shreded leaves still provide energy to the plant - Maybe try to support the stalks with blooms to avoid breaking and get another few weeks of growth? Tough call this late in the season. I live in hurricane country - Hurricanes are unpredictable at best. Often they wobble close to shore and go in unexpected direction.
Do you normally leave them in ground or store over winter?
Best of luck - whatever you decide -
Jose

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Growing: Orinoco, Rajapuri, Dwarf Cav, SDC, TT, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah (aka Ice Cream), Dwarf Brazilian, Veinte Cohol, California Gold, Double Mohai, NOT-Goldfinger, Gran Nain, Velutina

sidpook

Hi Jose, I do normally leave them in the ground and this is usually the week i cut them back to overwinter anyway, so I am figuring it may be futile to try to save them anyway....just to get that last bot of summer in as I sit int he hot tub under the nanas.....

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Mike

Paige818

Good luck.

harveyc

sidpook, the one flower I see looks like a basjoo. Is that right? Fruit isn't edible anyways so I wouldn't consider it a big loss (have one myself in flower now that was supposed to be an Orinoco type).

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sidpook

Right, I know the fruit isn't good, but Iw as just so psyched to get my first flower in only 3 years of growing these, I do know a recipe for the pod itself

Banana Blossom Salad Recipe : : Recipes : Food Network

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Mike

momoese

Mike I have tried to make this salad using different flower buds and it has failed every time. The woman who does my wife's nails makes it using only one type of banana bud, I forget which kind. Mine has been so astringent that it was inedible. It was like trying to lick a popsicle stick. Hope you have better luck!

Btw how is that storm treating you?

sidpook

Thanks! Storm is beginning to really suck now: ramping up quickly...UGH!

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Mike