Ladylonghorn

Hi my name is Brandy and I live in Stillwater Oklahoma. I have purchased two banana trees from Walmart. I purchased them late in season. I have transplanted them into two larger pots. I want to keep them in the house this winter, and plant them in the yard come spring. What do I need to do in order to winterize them in the house? The leaves have started changing colors and now are turning brown. They are no longer producing new leaves. Is it best to pull them from the pot and store them in like a closed box in the garage or what? Any reccommendations would truly be appreciated.

Bananaman88

Brandy,

Well you really have two options. 1.) Keep them potted and on the dry side while giving them as much light as possible. Try to keep them in a cool room. Your goal is to make them go semi-dormant-no growth. The yellowing you're seeing is normal for bananas this time of year; especially on one's brought inside. It is a response to the lower light conditions. 2.) You could unpot them, knock all the soil from the roots and store them in a cool, unlighted area and hope for the best. Some memebers here do this under their house each year, but I think it's hit or miss if they survive. Do some research in the cold hardy forum and you'll find a lot of info. Personally, I'd go with option #1 if it were me. Good luck!

Ladylonghorn

Should I go ahead and cut it back short. Like 5 inches tall. I have a room to the south that has a window that gets decent sun light. I thought of moving them there. and it appears the growing consensus is not to water them. Please forgive my ignorance this is all new to me.

chong

You do not have to cut it back short. Just cut out the dead and dry leaves. If they are in a warm (above 65°F), well lit area inside your home, although you want them on the dry side, you do not want the soil to dry out completely. Make sure that you have a well draining potting soil, though. And water it after the top 1-inch of the soil gets dry. At this temperature, growth will slow down, but they will continue to grow. Have fun and good luck.

Chong