Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. Another way to protect your banana plant during wintertime is to dig it up and move it to a cellar, crawlspace, or similar area where the temperature is consistently 45-50°F. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may lose any portion of the plant that sticks out above the cage, but the covered portions and the rhizome underground should be protected. Water just enough so that the soil doesn’t separate from the sides of the container. Before you start moving earth, though, you’ll want to cut the plant back to about six inches tall. Make the cage as high as the amount of pseudostem you want to protect. During the summer, fertilize your Banana Trees once a month with a well-balanced organic fertilizer. If you live farther up North, place your banana trees in containers and bring them inside during the colder months. Ideally, this should be done before the first frost. Plus, they produce bushels of sweet bananas that are full of healthy benefits. Cut the plant back to about 4-6 inches above the ground, and then pile on at least a foot of leaves, straw, or other mulching material. They are now grown in more than 135 countries, mostly for their fruit, which is enjoyed around the world. Check out our tips and tricks below. Shake the soil from the roots and lay the plant on its side on top of a tarp or newspaper in your chosen location. Has shown good resistance to winds in excess of 50 mph. Bananas are typically ready to be harvested late spring or early summer. The Cavendish Banana Tree tastes sweet and produces the banana variety that is most commonly found in supermarkets. It’s an herb! Family: MusaceaeGenus: MusaSpecies: AcuminataCultivar: Ice Cream. After fruiting , cut down stem close to ground to allow energy to feed new growth. Order yours today! If your tree is in a container, make sure it has drainage holes at the bottom. And it’s definitely time for a happy dance when she’s able to beat the squirrels to the peaches, figs, or loquats. Check out these guides: © Ask the Experts, LLC. If you can’t bear to cut your plant down, you can leave it intact and fashion a wire cage around the pseudostem, leaving one to two feet of horizontal clearance from the stem to the cage. More than just cold hardy plants... Big, lush beauty that gives a tropical feel to any landscape – when it comes to an instant exotic vibe, the Cold Hardy Banana Tree fits the bill. Provide humidity by misting the leaves via a squirt bottle filled with water. You’ll want to give your tree plenty of water to revive it. Banana trees with pseudostems that are larger than five inches in diameter can be dug up and stored without lopping off the top first. Make sure you pack it in well, so it completely surrounds the stem. But what makes the Cold Hardy Banana, also known as the Basjoo, even better? Before the first frost, cut the stem back to about six inches tall, and place it in a cool, dark place – approximately 40-50°F. Are you referring to New Braunfels, TX? Expect to see slow growth during this period. They have large, wide and flat tropical leaves to give any space an exotic feel. To Gretchen, nothing is more rewarding than a quick dash to the garden to pluck herbs to season the evening meal. 99 Grand ‘Naine’ Bananas taste even sweeter, with a softer and creamier texture than the Cavendish. If an attached garage or crawl space makes more sense for overwintering your container grown banana, begin preparing the plant by gradually reducing irrigation as the weather cools. Banana Tree Plant Musa Basjoo Cold Hardy Tropical Live (No Shipping to CA, AZ, AK, or HI Per your State Laws) by Martha's Secrets 3.7 out of 5 stars 37 $29.99 $ 29 . You know what really makes us go bananas? You can spread the shredded leaves or straw around the base of the plant to provide some extra organic material to the soil. © Copyright 2020 — Hardy Tropicals Ltd. Co. & Guide of US Media. Fall is Here & It's The Best Time to Plant! Trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. So why is this plant featured on Eat The Planet if it does not get bananas? Having said that, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that there are indeed a few cold-tolerant varieties available. Given their native climate, it is unsurprising that banana plants are cold intolerant. For starters, it can: Withstand winter temperatures down to -10 degree when properly mulched. Raise the acidity of your soil by adding peat moss or a fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen. The banana is an attractive herbaceous flowering plant that grows to a mature height of 12 to 18 feet tall. Tips for Protecting Kale from Pests and Disease, How to Put Strawberry Plants to Bed for the Winter, How to Identify and Prevent Apple Cork Spot. Rather than simply abandoning your bananas to the whims of weather, you have several choices for protecting them for a return engagement come springtime. Banana stalks only produce fruit once, so it’s important to cut them back for new fruit to grow. Share your tips in the comments section below. Grows Well Despite Cold Weather. They need mild temperatures in order to grow; their leaves will stop growing at around 55°F. Replant when all danger of frost has passed. Before we talk about how to overwinter banana plants, the first thing we need to get straight is that the banana tree (Musa spp.) Most fruiting bananas are cold hardy down to growing zones 9 through 11. DIY Wintertime Decorative Arrangement Design: It’s a Handful of Greens Away! Cover their bases with mulch to insulate their roots and to keep weeds away. The Ice Cream Banana Tree tastes incredibly sweet with hints of vanilla. Likes evenly moist, well-draining, soil with fairly high levels of organics mixed in. Keep Banana Trees warm in the winter. Ground-wise, it’s important to keep the soil moist but not oversaturated. The Cold Hardy Banana Tree or ‘Basjoo’ is an ornamental banana tree with a tropical look, but it won’t produce fruit. Some of the most popular summertime desserts, like banana pudding and ice cream sundaes, include bananas.Best of all, bananas are an excellent source of nutrients. For example, the ‘Japanese Fiber’ variety (M. basjoo) can withstand sub-zero temperatures. The catch is that it does not fruit or flower in cold climates, and even if it did, the fruits are not edible. You can improve the drainage of your soil by adding organic material like peat moss. Banana Trees! If your trees are kept inside, place them near a large sunny window. How? Planting in the Fall Brings Healthier, Better-Developed Roots that Deliver Explosive Growth for Your Landscape Next Spring! The Cavendish Banana Tree tastes sweet and produces the banana variety that is most commonly found in supermarkets. Remove the cage and mulching material when warm weather returns and the plant shows signs of regrowth. A 15-foot “tree” in a pot would be a bit unwieldy! Why Cold Hardy Banana Trees? There is one Hardy Banana Tree(Musa basjoo) that will survive year after year in cold climates( down to USDA Zone 5). Copyright © 2005-2020 FastGrowingTrees.com | 2621 Old Nation Rd Fort Mill, SC 29715 | NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC. In Zone 8b, you’re right that a sustained freeze isn’t likely, but temperatures do often drop below freezing in the winter. If you’d like to adorn an empty corner of your living room, make sure it’s a sunny spot and be sure to keep the soil moist, but not soggy.