AnnaJW

I'm thinking about trying these lights on my bananas. But, do you wrap them around the entire plant? I mean, run the lights up around the P-stem and then the base of the leaves? Or just the P-stem?
If anyone does this, I would love to see a picture!

My husband told me tonight that I'm going a little "overboard" with the bananas. If his guitars were out there in the cold and the rain, you can bet there would be an entire structure put up within hours.

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-Anna Banana -

Living my life in MMORPG's

dablo93

I think it could work; the do it often with palmtrees, and than only the stem, I should do just the P stem
daen

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Gabe15

I would not worry about trying to save any of the petioles (its really worthless as the leaves will die anyways), just concentrate on the pseudostem and make sure you have really good insulation. I would actually recommend cutting the petioles very close to the pseudostem and then going over the top, and if you can, add extra insulation and maybe even more lights near the base of the plant where the meristem is, that is after all, the number one priority area to protect.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

bencelest

That's what I used last year during the arctic blast here in California. I even saved the newly planted California gold that was blooming when I planted it last November. I did what Gabe said and as an extra insulation for the roots I spread Christmas lights on the ground and covered them with the glass insulation you put on the walls of a newly constructed house (I got them for free) then covered the ground with black plastics because it rained a lot here. I also wrapped the Christmas lights around the p-stem up to the top. The leaves that did not reach by Christmas lights were fried and the ones with C. lights stayed green when I opened them early on spring time.

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Banana Nut

momoese

Anna I think your husband has a point. It's not like you live in Alaska. Geographically speaking your only just down the road from me!

If you do run lights Gabe is correct that you only need to wrap the p-stems because the leaves will die in a frost anyway.

magicgreen

Anna you and your husband got another laugh outta me, and my husband again! The fellow who gave me my big DC told me he wraps up his palms with whatever he uses to insulate,{ I beleive it was, pinestraw and plastic} then he said he wraps xmas lites around that to keep it warm. http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...59502445tbXlfw

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

SOCALROCKER

Hello everyone,
It was 35 degrees last night where I live here in California, and woke up at 5:00am this morning and went outside and there was ice on my patio furniture it was to dark here to check out my banana's but bet they were possibly icy perhaps.I didn't have my sprinklers on here because of the rain we have had here.I had to go to work but after work I think I will be going to some stores today to shop for Christmas lights and maybe some hay and some kind of material to keep my banana's warm out here at night during the cold frosty morning's now starting to freeze here now the next few months here I am guessing.I hope everyone's banana's are doing ok with this cool rainy,windy weather we are having here in Southern California.


Mitch

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SOCALROCKER

john_ny

If you're going to use Christmas lights, you have to make sure you get the ones that give off some heat. I see that a lot of the new ones are LED, like the little indicator lights on the computer, and they don't give off heat. I think, probably, in another couple of years, you won't even be able to find the "hot" ones anymore.

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John

dablo93

a few days ago it was here -3 and many of the Basjoo didn't had much damage, also the Sikkemensis not, so a little frost is no problem for the leaves of BAsjoos

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bencelest

What I am using and it works for me for 2 years now is the 4 watt per bulb in the 100 strings that you can buy at Sears for $2.00 after Christmas. Theyare clear bulbs. If you put your hand close after you turn it on, you'll feel the warmt, not much but warm. I just wrapped them around and around the p stem and spread them close to the matts.

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Banana Nut

AnnaJW

Thanks for all of the replies everyone!

I wonder how I could sneak four or five patio heaters into the back yard witout my husband noticing?

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-Anna Banana -

Living my life in MMORPG's

AnnaJW

LOL! I just keep remembering the fried leaves and bunches from last winter. I'm trying to tell myself that was the first time I've ever seen it freeze here like that...

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-Anna Banana -

Living my life in MMORPG's

STEELVIPER

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