asacomm

Hello everyones!
I am going to overwinter in zone 9 Rajapuri and Williams hybrid outdoors on
the ground. What I will try is cut all petioles off and wrap the pseudostem
with strawmats and then overwrap it with plastic sheets.
Now I have a question if doing so will choke the plant to death especially by
wrapping with plastic sheets which prevent the plant from breathing.
Wrapping only with strawmatts is seemed a little bit unsufficient, so I like
to overwrap it with plastic sheets.
Or is it unnecessary for Rajapuri and Williams to protect so much under zone 9?
Thanks in advance for your usefull experiences and opinions.
Stan

Kylie2x

You mean you are going to dig them up?? How big are they?
Kylie

asacomm

Hello Kylie2x,
In zone 9, it is not necessary to dig up the plants, and usually it is ok just to leave them in the ground with/without cold protections.
So I mean I am going to protect the pseudostem with plastic sheets for
safety reason, and then I suspect whether or not doing so will choke the
plants and they will die because of the plastic material which seemingly
prevent them from breathing.
What do you think?
Thanks, Stan

STEELVIPER

Not to butt in. but i use plastic to protect my bananas. I do not see a prob. with you leaving on the plastic for a few days. But!! i would not leave it on for no more then 2 days straight. Plastic is something that you want to remove everyday, unless you have freezing temps. during the days to. Moisture and plastic are not good for long periods of time.One more thing. Make sure that your plastic sheets are colored.Black,Green, blue.... any dark color. Clear plastic is no good. You lose the heat that the plastic traps to easy. The color helps keep the heat in. I learned the hard way a few years back using clear plastic.That is why i use tarps to wrap. good luck!

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asacomm

Hi Steelviper,
Many thanks for your precious experience and advice.
Now everything became clear to me as to what I should do or not to do for
overwintering outdoors in the ground.
Observing the weather forcast, I will overwrap colored plastic sheet on the
plant when frost or freezing temperature is indicated, and remove it as soon as possible if the weather recovers.
Thanks again and good luck.
Stan

monkeypickle

question to steelviper. I live in zone 6a. If I wrap a banana pseudostem up in loose colored plastic and stuff the plastic with say maple leaves, how often would I have to unwrap it. Would just openg up the top of the wrapping be sufficient or would I have to unwrap the whole thing?

monkeypickle

STEELVIPER

Depends on what kind of moisture falls from the sky in your area? If you get a lot of rain, then i would not recommed plastic. Unless your taking it off the p.stem daily.Like i said moisture and plastic do not go well with p.stems for long periods of time.Ive seen p.stems go hard yellow in a few days of wet plastic wrapped around them. Plastic is more of a temp. defense against nightly frost.That is how it is in my area.Now if you get some snow or hard freezes, then i do not see a prob. with the plastic. As long as its colored. Clear plastic is no good. Plastic alone will not do any good in snow or hard freezes.Would have to stuff the plastic like you said.There are other items to use to protect the p.stem,but for areas that get nightly frost or frost once in a while, Tarps i would go with.

mark

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Kylie2x

Hey!
I have several plant's that can't take our winters that I have built a cage around and filled with leaves(shredded) I have also used paper from my paper shredder I saved and wrapped the cage with plastic.. I would never just use plastic..Then we don't get z9 rain either...Dieing to know what your gonna do tho!!! I didn't think ya'll got that cold anyway...LOL
Kylie

Tony O

What kind of banana plant is it? If you make the ring wide enough to keep it from freezing by filling with leaves (or straw is good too), AND KEEP IT DRY, it should come through the winter just fine. I learnt the hard way. Mine didn't freeze, but the cold wetness caused it to rot by spring. Good luck with yours.

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monkeypickle

i have Misi Luki and dwf Cavendish [currently residing in my bathroom] I didn't know what else to do with the Misi
luki, so for now it is living in front of the picture window in the living room. I couldn't leave it outside any longer so I had to bring it in. It is 4 1/2 feet tall ans is busily producing new leafs at the rate of one new leaf every 9-10 days . It is taking over the place, but not so bad as the Cavendish, which is putting on new leafs every 7-8 days. At this rate, very soon I shall have to take a machete with me to the bathroom. lol It is too late fot this year, but I can't do this again next year. I've gotta come up with a better plan. [my husband said so just last night]

monkeypickle

I am just real new at this banana thing.
i don't think
i have he right kind of nannas; Maybe I shoulda got a basjoo or something. I have discovered that I got tropical varieties. I am gonna have to get something a little more cold harty.[an excellent excuse to go shopping for more nannas, don't you think ] I'm going to keep these inside until I can finish my 'greenhouse'. It gets WAY too cold here [was 22 degrees F last night] for them outdoors. According to the weather bureau, it got down to 12 degrees when it snowed the other day. brrrrrrs! I want to grow bananas that I can eat. What kind [s] do you all recommend?

JoeS475

Hi Mari,

Basjoo is certainly more hardy, which is good for those of us stuck in the cold who want the tropical look to make the neighbours jealous, however sadly it is not edible!

There are plenty of people around here who can recommend better than me, but I think Orinoco is relatively hardy, considering it is edible. Also I think some people have had success with California Gold, but I'm not 100% positive!

Good luck,

~Joe

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monkeypickle

Thanks Joe. I just ordered an orinonco [dwf] off of wbay. Anybody know where i can get a california gold. I understand that it is a descendent of dwf. Cavendish, Only more hardy.
Failing that; I have a little teeny tiny greenhouse [13ft long and 8ft wide x 5 ft high. It is not really large enough to grow a big banana plant but..... cou8ld a person carry a banana plant throuh 1 winter and get it to flower and mature a bunch of bananas, then take a pup and repeat the process, sort of like using the banana as a bienniel? Woulf thsat be a workable idea? If I kept the greenhouse temperature above 65 degrees, would the wintering banana have enough time to make this scenario workable? And, since the banana corm [mom] would throw up a follower, should I dig up the motherbulb and keep it, or replace her with just a pup?

monkeypickle

I just found something on the ebay. It says that they are selling seeds of dwarf cavendish. I thought that dwarf cavendish was seedless? Is there some scenario in wihich dwarf cavendish produces seeds? Could a person cross a basjoo to a dwarf cavendish? Would the progeny be seedless in the f2 generation? Has anybody tried this to get coldhardiness into edible bananas? Am I missing something here? Are coldhardy and edible bananas genetically compatible? So many question and so few answers.