Congrats!
I was successful in keeping mine from dying back. They don't die here is left in the ground, but usually die back almost to the ground.
Last Fall I covered it up to 3' with pinestraw, then took 4' corrigated plastic sheets and held the pinestraw in with that. Worked very well!
I put pics on my Webshots page of it last summer, how I overwintered it and today. It's at the end, in the Garden Folder.
Barb

Here is a link that might be useful: Webshots page

gardenguy,

Congratulations on your success. I was unsuccessful last year, however that was likely due to the fact that I forgot to wrap everything in plastic. Now this past winter I took more care in protecting my plants however they are still wrapped up. As soon as I get back from my business trip the moment of truth will arrive. I hope that I have the same success as you.

Phil

beachbarbie, nice pics! What is the coldest you get there? I noticed that you live in NC, I didn't know that NC has a zone 9?

tropicalintoronto, good luck with yours. Keep us updated and post pictures!

I've 2 basjoos that are both now pushing out a second leaf in Z8b!

A sikkimensis protected in exactly the same way proved to be less of a trooper...

That is really neat to overwinter any amount of stem in zone 6! Do you know what your lowest temp was?

I like to protect the stems of my basjoo during winter too. I use 8' pine straw filled cages. This "winter" was the mildest we've had since I began keeping records in 1997. My lowest temp was only 22F. I have two clumps of basjoo one of which I did cover the other I didn't. Both began sprouting several weeks ago from the tops of last years stems. I hope you don't mind, I'd like to show a picture of the clump I did cover. The straw settled so much with the rains it was only covering the bottom half of these stems by the end of winter. Here is a pic from April 7......

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The height of the tallest stem where the leaves are emerging is 9'6"!!

GaAlan, which part of Atlanta do you reside? I am in the Grant Park area, and recently moved my Cavendish Bananas from pots to ground. If all goes well, I hope to do the same as you, and overwinter them in the ground. Where was your source for the Basjoos?

Here is a look at my basjoos. This is the second year for them. They are really taking off nicely now and are about 3 feet or more higher already! I covered them with leaf mulch for the winter--that's it. I managed to save 1 foot of pseudostem with a low of 15 degrees.

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Suriprof, I am in southwest Atlanta near Six Flags. The banana in my picture was planted June 6, 2003. It was a pup from my other clump which I planted on August 3, 2000. I received my original plant in a trade from a nice lady in Kentucky. She sent me a pup small enough to fit in a ziploc sandwich bag!

I need to remove three of the stems on the plant in my photo because they are dead, after having bloomed last year.

Nice looking family of basjoos Austin!

The first pup broke the ground today. Wasn't sure it would make it but wanted to try. Our low was -5.

suriprof4, just to let you know, I had some SDC in the ground from last year. I had a HUGE clump by the end of summer. Since I already had a pot of 6 SDC bananas, I let the one in the ground stay there all winter. This spring, going thru the mess and cleaning it up, I saw that the corm was still firm. It's regrowing now. It survived winter in the ground without any protection. Not bad for a SDC! Support global warming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

gaalan, I'm not sure what our lowest temp was. I think it did not go below 15 degrees all winter.

I really don't see any advantage at all in protecting a pseudostem over winter. The leaves have died, and all that you are protecting are the sheaths forming the pseudostem. These sheaths are 'spent', that is, they will not grow further or help support the leaves which are gone.

All banana growth begins deep down in the corm, and the only part of the plant which really needs protection is that growing point for the leaves, the central bud.

I say it is far better to simply hack down the whole pseudostem after frost, and wait for reemergence in spring.
That said, this spring I had emerging leaves frosted back twice, so if anything, frost protection of early spring growth might be an advantage towards getting larger plants sooner after winter's end. I imagine a box structure of styrofoam could protect a short growth overnight. The multiple frost-backs haven't hurt, though, and I have 3 ft of growth and two leaves unfurlled so far.

Gardenguy that explains why you had stem survive! This past year for me was very mild, but even at my coldest, over the last 9 years, the low was only 9F.

Jayreynolds, I began covering my stems during winter, to see my plants produce flowers and fruit. I realize there isn't any practical use for basjoo fruit because they are inedible, its just that I wanted to experience a flowering and fruiting banana. I kept doing it thereafter mostly out of habit. This past winter is most likely my last for covering my plants, but I would not take anything for the opportunity to witness a banana in bloom in my own garden!

jayreynolds, I do have the basjoo growing back now, and the leaf is now nearly unfurled with another coming out. Next year, everything may get dug up and stored.

I chopped mine to the ground and got fruit the second year. No covering whatsoever, my zone is 6. The fruiting bud is deep down in the corm until about 6 weeks until it begins to grow up through the pseudostem, so by protecting the leaf sheaths all you are doing is holding onto dead sheaths. Gaalan, note the difference in appearance between yours and austinl's. His are more tidy looking.

Galaan, I'd also suggest removing most of the suckers around your mother corm, selecting the best and leaving only two, one large and one small "sword" suckers for the upcoming years. Having too many restricts your mother plant, and removing the rest concentrates the available energy for the biggest one.

I used to grow bananas commercially in the tropics, and that's what we did.

The banana life cycle is around 30-40 leaves, after which flowering can initiate. A well-grown plant will make a new leaf every week or so. This adds up to 10 months or more. To get flowering, since our growing season is only six months, you need to have a plant make some good growth the first year, and complete the cycle the second.

Learn how to identify the best suckers, you don't want "peepers"(too high up on the corm) or "water suckers"(skinny necked), you want "sword suckers", tapered in appearance, located deep on the mother corm.

Eventually the mother corm rises up and needs to be replaced.

Below is a very good reference.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Jay, thanks. Interesting info and link. Good read.

TropicalinToronto

I look forward to a positive report from you. Since we are in the "almost" same zone, I'm curious how your Musas did over the winter.

I'm seriously thinking of planting our Musas this year, right in the ground and giving this outside, overwintering a shot.

It would sure make more room in the greenhouse!!! LOL ;)

Please let us know. :)

Well I finally got some pictures uploaded unfortunately I don't have a current shot as they are now shooting up their third leaves. Here are a few shot of my primative protection and the net result. Please note that I used a non-copper based fungicide which in my opinion did not work very well. However, I did manage to save about 10 inches of stalk.

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tropicalintoronto, what were your lowest temps in the winter? Thanks for the pics tho! The stems should take off nicely.

gardenguy,

Our lowest temps last winter was +4F/ -15.2C. This was warmer than normal. No complaints here!
BTW, the stems have taken off nicely even with the cool spring we have been experiencing.

Regards,
Phil

How I admire you all!! I guess we take growing bananas for granted - I just planted out 12 plants today I was given over the weekend - living in the tropics they grow like weeds here - good on you all for your dedication and love for your plants. Kiwilad55 in the Northern Territory in Australia.

My first year I protected the pseudostem so well that rodents moved in all winter and ate the entire corm.

The second year I waited until frost killed off the foliage of the bananas and some nearby cannas, and I cut off the leaves and piled them over the plants as mulch. That's ALL I did. I did not cut the stems down at all but left them standing. No pseudostem survived but I had nice big regrowth and pups.

The third year (the winter just past) I did the same thing. It was a mild winter, probably not much below 15 degrees F here either, and no long stretches of really cold weather. Also a dry spring. I had lots of regrowth from existing corms and lots of new pups. When I went to do my spring cleanup the beginning of May, I pulled off the dead sheath and discovered about two feet of pseudostem INTACT! White, but healthy. It is now growing nicely and nearly 4 feet tall to the tip of the newest leaf. The two largest pups are almost as big.

jayreynolds, a question - what is the best way to remove the pups and keep them from regrowing? I have a pup "forest" and want to limit to two or three plants but they keep coming back in multiples!

hmmmm I like the idea of using the leaves as mulch.

However, in our case, this won't work. Oh no, it won't work!

Why you ask with interest?

Because my other half, who is from Guatemala, cuts off all of the leaves in the fall and prepares them for freezing. Then, at Christmas time, uses the leaves for the traditional Tamales. LOL :)

blondboy,

Are you going to plant your Basjoos in the ground this?

Sorry but I meant this year.

ooops, Tropicalintoronto (I was just going to use your initials, but... well.... you figure it out) LOL ;)

Ok, we'll, we've planted 1 of the pups, the larger one. We moved the smaller pup to a larger pot. There's also another banana, but we have no idea what species it is. It's some sort of dwarf though. That one we planted in the space where we move the Washingtonia Robusta palm from. Also, we planted a Hibiscus tree there too.

But the 3 large plants, well, we just haven't made the final decision. Part of the problem we have is simply, lack of space. There's a pl0ace where we could put them, but there's several nice perenials that would have to be moved, but to where?.

So, for now, they are still in their same pots and placed in a totally different area this year, sort of as a background for a grouping of 3 palms. I did want to get them out of those pots since they are rootbound, but it seems that they are growing just fine. At the very least, I'll add some compost and more ferts. Will make the decision soon.

blondboy,

What type of Hibicus do you have? I planted one a couple of years ago and every year the plant gets bigger and bigger.
I also understand the issue of lack of space as I have a relatively small back yard and can do little with the front.

Good luck with your palms and banana plants.

Regards,
T!T

Spelled Hibiscus wrong!

I hate when the spelling police swoop in... but you are self "spelling-policing". I'm not ready! LOL ;)

The Hibiscus plants that I'm talking about are the tropical type. You know, those ones that Home Depot sells for around $20 that have their trunks wrapped around a stick in a braded fashion?

We bought 3 last spring or the spring before (my springs are running together these days).

This year, we repotted 2 of them so that they can be place whereever we would like and the other one, is planted where the greenhouse stands along with a dwarf banana plant. I want to see how the hibiscus does in the ground.

Here is an early June update.

The Basjoo banana that I started this thread about, it's about 4-5 feet now (leaves and all).

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Here are the rest of my bananas in the banana patch. The one on the far left is the basjoo that I overwintered. The center front one is a Dwarf Orinoco, the center rear banana is an Ice Cream and the one on the right is another Basjoo that I left inside, potted, in front of a window.

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Garden Guy,

Yes I know you made your last post about 4 months ago, but its time to start thinking about overwintering my bananas, so I came here for some research. I was curious, did you over winter the Ice Cream in the ground as well? I have a couple and I am deciding what to do with them. Also, if anyone knows the hardiness of Lotus Bananas (Musella Lasiocarpa), will that overwinter in the ground in Z6, Southern Mass?

Thanks

No, the only banana in the picture above that was overwintered in the ground was the musa basjoo. (far left) The ice cream banana was kept in the house, in a pot over the winter. This year, since I need to move the bananas, I will dig em all up and store them in the basement.

gardenguy, please e-mail me at islandtim@alltel.net, we need to talk. i have seen your post in the past and i know that you have seen mine. we need to swap info...thanks, tim

Well it's hard to believe that it was last April that I created this thread. Now it's October and I'm posting a picture of a whole spring, summer and fall of growth. Last year these bananas were no bigger than the palm of your hand when I ordered them. The 2 basjoos are in front, left and right. The left one was overwintered from last year in the ground, stem and all. See pictures at top of this thread. The basjoo on the far right was brought in the house in a pot near the window as insurance in case the one on the left didn't make it. The banana in the center is a dwarf orinoco which was in the house last winter and the one in the center-rear is an ice cream which was also potted in the house last winter. I need to rearrange these bananas so I will be digging them ALL out and storing them in the basement this winter. I'll post pics next spring if and when they get going again.

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I plan on buying basjoo banana plants this year. Do they require full sun or can they stand a bit of shade? How often should I fertilize them and what kind of fertilizer should I use? I love tropical plants, bananas, palms.
Are there any other banana plant growers in Windsor, Ontario? Also, I would like to know if anyone has had luck with windmill palms.

In Ontario, definitely full sun. Basjoos are pretty easy to over-winter as long as they are pot grown for a while until they are taller, then deep planted 1-2 feet, and then protected on top for further insulation.

Windmill palms are much harder to grow as they seem to require warm soil temperatures which never happens in Ontario.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintered basjoo success