Because we go to sleep in the dark!

Ssshhhh.... Be quiet! You'll wake the banana!

I stored several Plants in my outside Bldg. last year, which has windows (lots of light inside) and all the plants went dormant and made it!!!

Frank,

Cuz me didn't know better! ;-) I do know now. Here's another question. If I have a small greenhouse that I will keep 50 to 60 degrees in the winter, will my small bananas go dormant or will they grow at a slow pace. I'd actually prefer it if they did grow a little bit, just to keep me in a good mood LOL.

J

jardinerowa .....I think at them temps they will probably go Dormant...No Problem, just put them back in the Ground come Spring.

"If I have a small greenhouse that I will keep 50 to 60 degrees in the winter, will my small bananas go dormant or will they grow at a slow pace. I'd actually prefer it if they did grow a little bit, just to keep me in a good mood LOL."

It's pretty difficult to maintain low greenhouse air temperatures in full sunlight. Assuming you can maintain 50 deg.F., I suspect that the plants will grow slowly, but the older leaves will die faster than they are replaced by new leaves. This is based on my experience growing them on a sunny window sill in an unheated room.

I keep my greenhouse at a minimum of 50, they keep green leaves and stay the same size most of the year, but around February, they start growing slowly when the light levels start to increase, and temps inside my greenhouse increase because of the sun heating. As it gets closer to spring, they start growing faster, and usually by when it's time to get them out of there, it's hard to get them out again. Don't forget to put them out in the shade, protected from wind for a week or so, before planting outside again-- or get ready to cut off all the leaves in the spring, because the "indoor" leaves don't transition well to outdoors otherwise.
Don't water too much in the greenhouse, that is the most important part!

I will be bringing my 4' potted, basjoo in the house for the winter. Temps will be in the mid 70's were it will be kept. Can I expect it to go dormant as well or will it continue to grow?

I'm planning on planting in the ground in late April and then figure out what to do come fall of '07.

I go dormant at 50degrees! For that matter I don't move much from the heater at 60 degrees.
I've no idea how to "make" a banana go dormant but being dark seems it would just get pale and straggly. Not much goes dormant here!
50! BRRRRRR! makes me cold to think of such frigid temps!
Tally HO!

"If I have a small greenhouse that I will keep 50 to 60 degrees in the winter, will my small bananas go dormant or will they grow at a slow pace. I'd actually prefer it if they did grow a little bit, just to keep me in a good mood LOL."
- Depends on the species. Dwarf cavendish will not do much, but musa basjoo and himalayan species will probably thrive and grow. I have found that amount of light is just as important or more important than temperature for growth.
It is between 50 and 60 degrees here in Norway at this time, and my potted bananas as well as those in the ground keep pushing out leaves. Dilbert also talked about soil-temperatures beeing an important factor.

Erlend