What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter????

natej740 · 10-09-2009, 06:40 PM

I have 2 Musa Basjoo's and I want to know what are the best ways to protect them???? Freezing temps are just around the corner and i need to get ready. Pictures would be great too if you took pics of previous winters....

The guy i got it off of said to pile up bags of leaves around it and on top of it. I wanted to know of other ways and maybe more attractive ways so it wont look like trashbags piled up in my yard.....Thanks Nate

saltydad · 10-09-2009, 07:30 PM

I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only.

lava lounge · 10-09-2009, 07:49 PM

The bag of leaves/grass works well, put three around the base and then one on top then cover all with a tarp and fold edges under bags. this works well and you can even fill the void around your banana plant with leaves or straw if you like. I think this year I am going to try the bags but then flip over a garbage can that is vented bottom and top and place that over my plants then tarp the whole thing and see what that does. Im hoping somewhat of a green house effect where as it will be a little warmer inside the can than outside temp but yet breath and not hold to much moisture. And the leaves in the bags will protect the ground around the base of the musa as usual. I like using black bags because they draw some sun in the winter here and it has to help somewhat,, I think this should work just fine either way. good luck.

natej740 · 10-09-2009, 08:18 PM

My biggest one is around 5 1/2 to 6 feet p. stem with 5 pups. The tallest pup is around 10 inches. Would it be ok to separate one of the pups now before winter or should i just cross my fingers and hope they survive the winter and come back in the spring?????

lava lounge · 10-09-2009, 11:42 PM

if its pretty new which it sounds like it is I was told to leave it be as in my case. I have many pups this year but all less than a year old and I thought about the same but was told to let them really estabilish themselves and they should come back if protected correctly.

saltydad · 10-10-2009, 03:56 PM

I agree.

PAbananas · 10-10-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltydad

I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only.

Hi salty: Do you let the plants sap to stop running or just cover it ? I am covering mine with mulch and tarps but dont no if it is a little to early. Dan

sandy0225 · 10-11-2009, 04:24 PM

cover them after they get a few good hard frosts if you're not trying to save any of the pseudostem. I haven't had any luck saving the pseudostem in my zone 5 no matter how hard I tried. I even used leaves around the bottom and a triangle of straw bales around the stem with no luck!
I cover mine with bags and bags of leaves. I leave a little space around the trunk if it's kind of a single trunked type specimen, and a little space around the group if it has several pups that are 3 feet tall or taller. Then the space is filled with loosely fluffed dry leaves, and then more bags over the top. You can use one of those tarps that's brown on one side and green on the other and put it brown side up over the whole thing and it looks much better! and keeps it dry too.

saltydad · 10-11-2009, 06:08 PM

Dan, I also wait until the first hard frost before I cut the p-stem and start protecting. I do it a little earlier for the palms.

momoese · 10-11-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter????

Plant it in the tropics with armed security guards.

BILL MA · 10-13-2009, 11:02 AM

Keep them dry Nate, as you already know. Has anyone ever sprayed fungicide on the stems before wrapping, might help keep the rot down. Copper is obviously poisonous but we don't eat basjoo fruit anyways. Just a thought!

Bill

bananadude · 10-19-2009, 02:19 PM

I have always just cut them down to about 16 inches....removed the mulch from around the base and then mounded dirt up around the base on a slope, so water will run away from the base during freeze thaws!

I then replace the mulch(cypress), putting down a good layer 10-12 inches thick and about a foot out...I then cover the stem with a heavy duty rose cone, (I sprayed mine black-inside and out...to help absorb heat)....and then I cover it with black bisqueen, the black bisqueen seems to keep it around 8-10 degrees warmer under there then the actual air temp outside, (you can actually dig in the dirt in the middle of winter under there, the ground just does not freeze hard) this has always worked for me!

Good Luck!

Brian

jwmahloch · 11-12-2009, 02:57 PM

What exactly is a "rose cone" and where do I buy one?

BILL MA · 11-12-2009, 05:22 PM

A rose cone is a cheap styrofoam thing that looks like a small tapered trash can. I'm sure you could find it at Lowes or HD, I never looked for one before though.

Bill

bananadude · 11-12-2009, 06:19 PM

Lowes or Home Depot...make sure you get the heavy duty kind!

natej740 · 11-12-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BILL MA

A rose cone is a cheap styrofoam thing that looks like a small tapered trash can. I'm sure you could find it at Lowes or HD, I never looked for one before though.

Bill

How are your bananas?? Did you cut them down yet??? I just cut mine down today. I'm still unsure how I'm gonna protect mine. I like the rose cone idea I'm gonna go to lowes tomorrow and see if I can find some.....

Thanks for all the input everybody.

BILL MA · 11-12-2009, 08:52 PM

Hey Nate,
The Nanas got finished off awhile ago now. The trunks are still fine, not cold enough for me to worry to much yet. I probably should have tried the freezepruf on them that I bought after they survived temps of 25-27. Next year I have a secret plan for frost. I dug up all of my none hardy nanas this week and hauled the load of them to my basement. I chopped off a ridiculous amount of pups that I re potted and put into my Dexter style greenhouse in my basement. For everyone who doesn't watch the show it's a plastic bubble en closer 13 * 14 or so completely full. I need to post some picture so people can have a laugh. I'm sure your protection will be just fine, I need to figure out what I'm doing still as well.

Bill

BILL MA · 11-12-2009, 08:55 PM

By the way the biggest nana I dug up and hauled to the basement (orinoco) had a circumference of 30 inches at the base. 9 foot clear trunk, it was a heavy sucker!

Bill

sandy0225 · 11-25-2009, 07:12 AM

I had one ladyfinger I had to chop nearly in half to bring it in. It's about 200 pounds before I did that. I've found that a hand truck is your best friend when you're bringing in big bananas by yourself and you're 5'3 and 150 lbs. Also for my 7 foot alocasia, that sucker is growing a trunk and it gets heavier every year. I almost had to wait for hubby to get home this year on that one!

austinl01 · 11-25-2009, 12:59 PM

10-09-2009, 06:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
natej740 natej740's Photo Gallery Location: Chillicothe, Ohio Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 509 BananaBucks : 196,924 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 262 Times Was Thanked 480 Times in 224 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 49 Times	What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? I have 2 Musa Basjoo's and I want to know what are the best ways to protect them???? Freezing temps are just around the corner and i need to get ready. Pictures would be great too if you took pics of previous winters.... The guy i got it off of said to pile up bags of leaves around it and on top of it. I wanted to know of other ways and maybe more attractive ways so it wont look like trashbags piled up in my yard.....Thanks Nate

10-09-2009, 07:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 183,437 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? I have had good luck with cutting my basjoo pseudo stems to around 1-2 ft., then covering with a deep layer of straw mulch. However, it's not pretty, as you can see in the pic below. Our temps got to 5F last winter, but my basjoo clump came back with 19 pups! It's located in the center of the pic in front of the azaleas.The large plastic bag is over a T. fortunei palm mulched and wrapped with burlap. Smaller palms are protected with straw mulch only. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

10-09-2009, 07:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
lava lounge lava lounge's Photo Gallery Location: Mid Michigan Zone: 5 Name: Clint Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 38 BananaBucks : 23,080 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 35 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? The bag of leaves/grass works well, put three around the base and then one on top then cover all with a tarp and fold edges under bags. this works well and you can even fill the void around your banana plant with leaves or straw if you like. I think this year I am going to try the bags but then flip over a garbage can that is vented bottom and top and place that over my plants then tarp the whole thing and see what that does. Im hoping somewhat of a green house effect where as it will be a little warmer inside the can than outside temp but yet breath and not hold to much moisture. And the leaves in the bags will protect the ground around the base of the musa as usual. I like using black bags because they draw some sun in the winter here and it has to help somewhat,, I think this should work just fine either way. good luck. __________________ Its always tiki time at the LaVa Lounge, Come join us!!! " free drinks tomorrow"..

10-09-2009, 08:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
natej740 natej740's Photo Gallery Location: Chillicothe, Ohio Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 509 BananaBucks : 196,924 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 262 Times Was Thanked 480 Times in 224 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 49 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? My biggest one is around 5 1/2 to 6 feet p. stem with 5 pups. The tallest pup is around 10 inches. Would it be ok to separate one of the pups now before winter or should i just cross my fingers and hope they survive the winter and come back in the spring?????

10-09-2009, 11:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
lava lounge lava lounge's Photo Gallery Location: Mid Michigan Zone: 5 Name: Clint Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 38 BananaBucks : 23,080 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 35 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? if its pretty new which it sounds like it is I was told to leave it be as in my case. I have many pups this year but all less than a year old and I thought about the same but was told to let them really estabilish themselves and they should come back if protected correctly. __________________ Its always tiki time at the LaVa Lounge, Come join us!!! " free drinks tomorrow"..

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10-10-2009, 03:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 183,437 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? I agree. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

10-11-2009, 04:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 362,830 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? cover them after they get a few good hard frosts if you're not trying to save any of the pseudostem. I haven't had any luck saving the pseudostem in my zone 5 no matter how hard I tried. I even used leaves around the bottom and a triangle of straw bales around the stem with no luck! I cover mine with bags and bags of leaves. I leave a little space around the trunk if it's kind of a single trunked type specimen, and a little space around the group if it has several pups that are 3 feet tall or taller. Then the space is filled with loosely fluffed dry leaves, and then more bags over the top. You can use one of those tarps that's brown on one side and green on the other and put it brown side up over the whole thing and it looks much better! and keeps it dry too. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

10-11-2009, 06:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 183,437 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? Dan, I also wait until the first hard frost before I cut the p-stem and start protecting. I do it a little earlier for the palms. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

10-13-2009, 11:02 AM	#11 (permalink)
BILL MA Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 BananaBucks : 32,879 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 17 Times Was Thanked 108 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? Keep them dry Nate, as you already know. Has anyone ever sprayed fungicide on the stems before wrapping, might help keep the rot down. Copper is obviously poisonous but we don't eat basjoo fruit anyways. Just a thought! Bill

10-19-2009, 02:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
bananadude bananadude's Photo Gallery Location: Gladwin, Michigan Find me on the map! Zone: New Zone Map on the border of Zone 5-6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 221 BananaBucks : 45,895 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 96 Times Was Thanked 91 Times in 47 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? I have always just cut them down to about 16 inches....removed the mulch from around the base and then mounded dirt up around the base on a slope, so water will run away from the base during freeze thaws! I then replace the mulch(cypress), putting down a good layer 10-12 inches thick and about a foot out...I then cover the stem with a heavy duty rose cone, (I sprayed mine black-inside and out...to help absorb heat)....and then I cover it with black bisqueen, the black bisqueen seems to keep it around 8-10 degrees warmer under there then the actual air temp outside, (you can actually dig in the dirt in the middle of winter under there, the ground just does not freeze hard) this has always worked for me! Good Luck! Brian __________________ Brian...Zone 5-6...Gladwin, Michigan Last edited by bananadude : 11-12-2009 at 06:21 PM.

11-12-2009, 02:57 PM	#13 (permalink)
jwmahloch jwmahloch's Photo Gallery Location: St. Charles, Missouri Find me on the map! Zone: 6 - 7 Name: Jeremy Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 217 BananaBucks : 64,148 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 120 Times in 64 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? What exactly is a "rose cone" and where do I buy one? __________________ Jeremy

11-12-2009, 05:22 PM	#14 (permalink)
BILL MA Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 BananaBucks : 32,879 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 17 Times Was Thanked 108 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? A rose cone is a cheap styrofoam thing that looks like a small tapered trash can. I'm sure you could find it at Lowes or HD, I never looked for one before though. Bill

11-12-2009, 06:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
bananadude bananadude's Photo Gallery Location: Gladwin, Michigan Find me on the map! Zone: New Zone Map on the border of Zone 5-6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 221 BananaBucks : 45,895 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 96 Times Was Thanked 91 Times in 47 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? Lowes or Home Depot...make sure you get the heavy duty kind! __________________ Brian...Zone 5-6...Gladwin, Michigan

11-12-2009, 08:52 PM	#17 (permalink)
BILL MA Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 BananaBucks : 32,879 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 17 Times Was Thanked 108 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? Hey Nate, The Nanas got finished off awhile ago now. The trunks are still fine, not cold enough for me to worry to much yet. I probably should have tried the freezepruf on them that I bought after they survived temps of 25-27. Next year I have a secret plan for frost. I dug up all of my none hardy nanas this week and hauled the load of them to my basement. I chopped off a ridiculous amount of pups that I re potted and put into my Dexter style greenhouse in my basement. For everyone who doesn't watch the show it's a plastic bubble en closer 13 * 14 or so completely full. I need to post some picture so people can have a laugh. I'm sure your protection will be just fine, I need to figure out what I'm doing still as well. Bill

11-12-2009, 08:55 PM	#18 (permalink)
BILL MA Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 50 BananaBucks : 32,879 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 17 Times Was Thanked 108 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? By the way the biggest nana I dug up and hauled to the basement (orinoco) had a circumference of 30 inches at the base. 9 foot clear trunk, it was a heavy sucker! Bill

11-25-2009, 07:12 AM	#19 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 362,830 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? I had one ladyfinger I had to chop nearly in half to bring it in. It's about 200 pounds before I did that. I've found that a hand truck is your best friend when you're bringing in big bananas by yourself and you're 5'3 and 150 lbs. Also for my 7 foot alocasia, that sucker is growing a trunk and it gets heavier every year. I almost had to wait for hubby to get home this year on that one! __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

11-25-2009, 12:59 PM	#20 (permalink)
austinl01 Got pink bananas? austinl01's Photo Gallery Location: Little Rock, AR Find me on the map! Zone: 7b/8a Line Name: Austin Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,288 BananaBucks : 167,240 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: What Is The Best Way To Protect A Musa Basjoo For Winter???? __________________ Austin Arkansas River Valley Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

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