How to protect banana plants over winter MUSA BASJOO

[@martinwb3834]

Seems like everyone spotted the cold weather change this week coming! I just wrap my musa up with bubble wrap around the trunk, tie wires to hold it in place or sellotape. Works great evertime, now mine are 8ft tall in a large grove.

[@rj12341]

I've always chopped off the leaves like you showed, then put a plant pot over the trunk (make sure there's no holes in the pot) and wrapped the whole thing in fleece, never had an issue with it.

[@realMysta]

He mentions that in the vid

[@greatnorthernexotic]

Right on cue! Have just done mine this morning using a combination of techniques you've suggested. 👍❄️

[@lawman1965]

I've done mine in fleece - I had a 10mx20m roll and used half on the largest stem. On some of the pups it's produced this year I've used 100mm plastic pipe with fleece stuffed into the end. The stems are away from the sides of the pipe with plenty of room for moisture to escape. The smaller pups (it's produced about 9 or 10 this season) I'm going to let die back.

[@JH-fv1gq]

Just slung mine into rhe greenhouse along with the treeferns. Snow tomorrow maybe

[@2023byoml]

Mine still look good Nov 11 probably for at least another week or two. weather is cold but no freezing yet

[@YorkshireKRIS]

@@2023byoml frosts forecast for many from tonight onwards

[@scooty883]

Mine becomes houseplant in hallway for winter months

[@paultsworld]

Kris - that was brilliant! I’m talking about your presentation!! How did you do it? Did you film yourself indoors with studio light in front of a green screen? Just brilliantly done. 👍

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Thanks yes I filmed indoors next to my window blind.

[@paultsworld]

@@YorkshireKRIS looked really good 👍

[@TJones-vw8vq]

Thank you for the great video I live in upstate New York, USA and will be attempting to protect my plants shortly. You left me very puzzled though because you didn’t mention what the white material is that you laid on the ground inside your straw cage before you put the straw on top of it. What was that stuff? Many thanks for your great video

[@YorkshireKRIS]

It was a piece of fleece 👍

[@TJones-vw8vq]

What is fleece? I’ve heard of fleece jackets and did a Google search but can’t find just plain fleece.

[@TJones-vw8vq]

Oops, I just found it frost blanket fleece At the local gardening store

[@Jellyf0x]

I lost all my maurelii last year, didn't get the time to dry store them. 4 of them where 5 years old.😥 A neighbour's parasol blew into my garden and got stuck in my tetrapanax eventually snapping the trunk. You'd better believe I'm wrapping my basjoos up like newborns this year, or else I'll have nothing left!😂

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Good luck with this winter!

[@barry6717]

If wrapped up in fleece, do you have to then cover again for rain? Or is it better to let it breath?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

They'll be good with just the fleece.

[@barry6717]

Cheers Kris

[@neilworner2900]

Can leaves be used instead of straw ?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Yes dry leaves can be

[@neilworner2900]

@@YorkshireKRIS 👍

[@anupamuk]

Do you do anything special when removing the cover to help the plan recover or just remove and that’s it?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Just remove and that's it really

[@larrydemonte2218]

I have two trees muerelli ,that are 12 feet tall, I live in a very cold climate. I’m thinking of either to dry storage or is it safe to use your method of insulation?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Dry storage will be your best bet.

[@scottwells1692]

How do you overwinter Musa’s in pots?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

If basjoo simply bring them under cover. Even a garage is fine as long as its not sub zero

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

I love the way your technology is getting better and better with the "blue screen" film-kit, a tiny version of you speaking whilst the younger version toils in the background winterising the bananas 🍌 😀. Great tutorial video as always Kris 👍

[@lyndabirkby3887]

Hi Kris, ive got the insulation role and heavy duty fleece ready and will wrap my 7 musas and one sikkimensis on Monday. (Im in buckinghamshire so Tuesday will be the latest to get it finished). QUESTION: Do you out scrunched up fleece over the crown/roots before or after mulching?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Mulching can be with any insulating material including straw, fleece, leaves etc

[@patricksouthgaaccountabili5829]

What is a sinameter?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Centimetre? A centimetre (international spelling) or centimeter (American spelling)

[@suzanneporter738]

Hi Kriss, thanks for the info, very useful. I've taken the leaves off my big Musa's but I have one question. I noticed that you cut the stems down to where is an emergent leaf but I always understood that you should leave that leaf in situ. The emergent leaf on my mother plant is really high so I can't reach to wrap it anyway and I was just going to leave it exposed. Which way would you recommend?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

I cut them across for a clean cut but you can bend the leaves down if you wish for extra protection

[@annturner7088]

How did you get those bird of Paradise to flower behind you ? ….or is that a wallpaper

[@YorkshireKRIS]

It's a wallpaper

[@dandeleona4760]

What hardiness zone is this?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Musa basjoo can be protected from cold with straw down to around -10⁰c without losing the pseudostems providing it's not weeks of continuous cold. Ground hardy to -15⁰c or there abouts

[@neilworner2900]

👍

[@mikedinni6318]

Bazoo? 🥴😂

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Basjoo

[@mikedinni6318]

@@YorkshireKRIS you say it like "bazoo" 😂😂 lol

[@YorkshireKRIS]

@@mikedinni6318 I guess I do 🙂

[@GotoHere]

I’m in zone 8b can I just leave my banana trees? Will straw work for my papaya trees?

[@YorkshireKRIS]

Zone 8 is still borderline. The plants will always come back from the base you you may lose the stems if not protected

[@amphetaminelogic7006]

Recommend you protect them buddy. Im 8a or 8b (SW-netherlands), and I use a modified version of Chris' technique #1. Same cagewire construction with suppporting canes, but instead of straw, i use other materials mostly from the from garden. A lot of the green leaves cutt of from banana, Canna, gingers, Tetrapanax, kiwi etc go in, but the bulk here is oak leaves. I have at least 10-15m3 of leaves every season, and its proven to work perfectly here (6 years now). Be creative and use what is available to create insulation, distance, and windcover. I use large woven PE bags to cover it up instead of fleece (these are 6'tall, 3' diameter, 100% re-usable, and because they are woven, they leave a little bit of air through to avoid rot!).