Banana Plant Winter Care UK (Musa Basjoo)

[@Apistofish70]

Mine are in pots so have bought them into the conservatory for the winter. Looking forward to planting them out in the spring 🌴

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

good idea that, I've moved my red bananas inside too. thank you. mark

[@swimminwitdafishes8059]

I’m in zone 9a and have no luck saving the above ground portion of my Musa Basjoos. I’m 76 and don’t feel like building a frame but have tried bubble wrap, fleece and a combination of both with no luck. Next year going to try horticultural heat cable with a thermostat and bubble wrap.

[@DJSupaflyguy]

I fleeced my first 1 last year then bubble wrapped an then in spring I did have to trim an inch or two but was all good.

[@garykandmimisgarden1662]

I garden in a zone 9a in the US. My bananas have been with me for over 25 years. I first did exactly what you just did. It worked fine as long as we did not have an extended hard freeze. Now at 70 I don't have the time or energy for that. I wait for frost to kill the bananas. I don't cut them as long as they are green because they are still giving energy to the roots/plants. Once browned off, I cut them off at ground level. Notes on this: 1) the clear sap will permanently stain blue jeans (brown stains) so I wear old clothes. 2) the stalks are HEAVY. They are pure water and a 12 ft tree stalk will weigh several hundred pounds. I take them out in 3 ft sections. The first banana I cut down shattered a 24-inch diameter clay pot when it fell on top of it. A costly mistake but back then clay pots that size were only about $20. I also use rose fertilizer on them in the spring and they grow back every year and reach 12 to 15 feet in a single season. They also have the annoying habit of spreading to places you don't want them. Love your garden!

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Really enjoyed reading this comment. And thank you for the useful additional information which is here for others to reference. Very best wishes. Mark

[@HeatherLaird-ruocco]

I have a partially unfurled leaf, should I cut that also? My banana is potted and I have wrapped the pot at well as the plant. I've brought it under the cover of my veranda.

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi, it should be ok to leave that leaf, but equally you could cut it off, it's up to you really. Best wishes. Mark

[@HeatherLaird-ruocco]

Thanks very much. 😊