This is the most informative video on winterizing a banana plant I've seen by far. Thank you so much for giving a logical explanation for what needs to be done and how to do it. As a kid (I'm 83) I would have said very,. very, very, very, very good.
I live in upstate South Carolina and I planted three of the musa basjoo around 4 years ago. Last summer I had over 30 even after one of the first three didn't make it through the winter months. I always cut them to the ground and put mulch film over them and cover with mulch. Then I uncover them after the last frost. They're thriving
This is an excellent video! I wish you had made it about 6 years ago when I started planting my musa basjoo bananas. Fortunately it has worked out well for me in zone 7b and they have thrived, but this video has answered many of my questions I have had. Thanks!
I usually use the wrapping method for Musa basjoos and the others I dig out and store dormant. I've tried to overwinter blue javas in the ground but they have always died (I think because of our lack of winter sun/dry).
I have 12 plants and after the first winter I was happy to see they are all alive! Thanks for all the info. I used fall leaves with a cage. It's going to make great soil too after I mulch it.
Im in Auburn WA, zone 8b. Just south of you. Planted Musa 'Blue Java' x 'Namwah' at the end of spring. Its doing awesome. I'll probably cage it this year and see how that goes.
Nice. You'll have to let me know how it goes. I have tried blue java twice unsuccessfully. I have not yet tried namwah outside over winter but will try next year or the year after depending on when I get pups.
It's a good way to do it, especially in colder climates. I haven't done this myself (yet), but I have seen others that have gotten dessert quality bananas to fruit in USDA zone 7 using this method. I am going to put some blue javas in the ground in the spring and use this method to overwinter them.
I’m in 9a and have found wrapping musa basjoos with bubble wrap or frost cloth is a total waste of time. The corms are safe with a little mulch but a couple of nights in the high 20’s and all the moisture in the stem freezes killing everything above the ground. Next season I want to grow a plant that will produce bananas but my growing season isn’t long enough. I might try wrapping a plant with a thermostatically controlled heat cable and frost cloth.
I usually only wrap a couple stems. They will start next season much taller than the rest and be the biggest plants for the season in my 8a. You could try veinte cohols which are some of the fastest fruiting plants. I've not done this myself, but have seen several have luck getting bananas to fruit by digging them out and storing them indoors for the winter.
Thank you so very much for this video this is so helpful and I am so grateful for it!! I just bought 2 Basjoos we live in southern Indiana in zone 6b. Last year the county next to us changed to 7a due to it getting warmer. What method or methods would u recommend for our area? I really cherish them and want to take good care of them. Bought them to remind us of our former home in the south.
great video thank you so much. I live in Zone 10a ( east bay norcal) and my Musa Basjoo don't need anything they do fine all winter long but I have planted 4 blue Java ( Nanwha) in the ground and wondering if I need to protect them over the winter
Namwah and blue javas are different, but both should be ok in 10a. They will take some damage if temps drop below freezing, but as long as it's brief, they should be ok.
As long as the corm underground doesn't freeze, it's not a requirement. You will get taller plants sooner if you protect the stems, but it's not always worth the effort. The lazy effort would be to cut off the leaves and tops of the stems and stack them around the base of the plants.
Great video! I live in NJ zone 7. I planted musa basjoo for the 1st time this Summer. I'm interested in the bubble wrap technique. I live by the bay and it's very windy and cold. Once I wrap them and put the leaves around the plant. Should I also apply an additional layer of of something else such as (plastic) for xtra protection or will this cause the root to rot. I don't want to kill the plants my 1st time. Thanks
I don't apply anything extra other than the bubble wrap. I get more rain than most being near Seattle - we regularly have stretches of 30-60 days with no sun over the winter. Stems will get a little mushy, but the bananas have always survived and most years thrive.
My first answer is whatever kind you can get 😂. If you can get blue java(ice cream), namwah, or orinoco, those should do well in 9b in the ground. I keep double mahoi, Manzano, dwarf cavendish, super dwarf Cavendish, and Puerto Rican Plantains in pots that all do well inside for the winter.
@@vibonitatropics thank you very muchhhhh, the thing here is even tho the hardiness zone is 9b we don't have warm summers because of oceanic wind (no more than 20°C in summer)
Understood. We have similar conditions on the Washington State coast near me. If you can find somebody local that is already doing it, that's going to be your best advice. Otherwise, it's up to you to carve a path with trial and error.
What happens to the plant if you choose option1, do nothing? Do the plants need to be trimmed at the start of the next growing season? Or do they start growing from where you left off?
Anything that freezes over the winter will be dead in the spring. For me, this usually includes all of the leaves and the stem down to a couple feet off the ground. I will remove any dead leaves and cut the stems down to where the center is solid in the spring.
Hello, watching the wintering video. I hope you can help me establish which plant I have. Is it possible to send you a picture? Also, how large of a root system do they have? Do the roots go deep or are they a root system that goes out and more on the top of the ground? Asking because we have a well and septic system. Also, my plant is potted. How do I winterize this if it a plant I can keep outdoors? The pot enough or still put things in and around the pot? I would place it out of direct weather by placing it under our patio against the wall, but making sure to winterize it properly. I may blow up your phone with questions for a while. Lol. Thank you!
You can send photos to the channel email or on Instagram. I'll try to help but understand there are so many varieties of bananas that it can be hard to tell from a photo or two. The roots are substantial and strong. I would not plant bananas next to a septic or drain field. How cold does it get where you are? Bananas in pots are less hardy. You'll need to either put them in a micro climate that stays warmer or add additional protection around the pot depending on your temps.
I have a question. I’m not sure if it has been asked, but I’ll ask it anyway so if you’re actually wanting to yield fruit on these banana plants would the steps to winterizing them be the same.?? And I brought some pups in the house and have them under some grow lights and they just really don’t seem to be growing very much at all. Would you happen to know the reason behind this are the lights just not bright enough do I need to turn the heat up or any clue?
It really depends on your zone and climate. Mine fruit every year in 8a. In colder areas, digging them out for the winter and storing them in pots would be more likely to give fruit. Certain pups grow faster than others. The skinny leaf pups, referred to as sword suckers, will grow much faster than the fat leafed pups, referred to as water suckers. There's not much you can do about it. They will all eventually grow if you treat them right. They need good food and water for optimal growth!
If you live in the UK and use bubble wrap, the plants will rot. You need to let them breathe. Also if you’re going to hibernate them don’t wrap in black plastic again the plant is more prone to rot without air circulation. If using the wrap method build a frame with chicken wire, a cage or bamboo steaks cover it with horticultural fleece and fill with an insulating material like straw or hay or dry leaves kept the top with something waterproof so Rayne doesn’t soak through. You’re looking to create a dry warm airy environment.
hi have learned so much from your channel i have three musa basjoo trees that i ordered and there doing great in pots because i rent and they go with me i ordered the plant food you use great stuff but pricey but would probabally last a couple of years thanks for that tip! my question is i live in prescott az similar wheather as washington i am going to bring them in for the winter will they do better under a grow light or just by a window and second when do they start growing suckers and or clones next to the main body and to clarify would you want your light on veg or bloom hope to here from you thanks!! sorry wanted to ad the plants seem to thrive in smaller pots being root bound is that accurate? came back to ad again sorry the window i have is the sunset side only so i wanted to ad a grow light for added light only not as the primary light
Extra light will help, but might not make a material difference depending on other conditions. Personally I don't give plants extra light when they're indoors for the winter. Grown inside, the leaves will be weak in comparison to it being outdoors. It's not a problem as long as the plant stays indoors, but expect the leaves to suffer when you move them back outside. It's not a big deal other than the plants will look rough until a few new leaves pop out. On the pups, I've seen it after 6 months and I've seen it take 2 years. Continue to treat the plant well to improve your chances of it happening sooner rather than later.
Hello, I have Blue Java and I am in Zone 8a. If I cut down stem to 3-4 ft height will that mean I loose on 15 months fruit target or it stay on. I am trying to assess will pruning hurt plant fruit cycle? Or is there a correlation with stem thickness/height to fruiting time?
From my experience, not at all. I had a Musa basjoo fruit last year with no leaves on the plant. Not ideal as the plant didn't have the leaves to support proper pod development.
Age is an indicator, but not an exact thing. I've had Musa basjoos flower at 2 years and others at 4 years old. There's nothing I'm aware of other than experience for your exact growing conditions that will help you predict when flowers are likely to appear. Lots of people will say different things but they are usually guessing or repeating something somebody else told them.
That's tough. I don't know of any way to guarantee success. Your options are to leave them and hope the bananas develop enough before any freeze or dig them up before they freeze. You could try potting the stem if you have the space indoors to keep them. I think the chances of getting good bananas in this scenario are are low with anything you try, but better to try something rather than nothing. Personally I would probably try and dig out the fruiting stem and throw it in a pot inside. You'd want to get as much of the roots as possible to give it the best chance.
Hey so I have a few musa basjoos under straw. One had a mushy black stem and it pulled out easy but it sent out one shooter that year, I had 3 others with I think still green stumps or even one has a 2 foot stem. I just overwintered with more big pine branches. Are they okay?
From what you've described, it sounds like they are OK. Mine turn to mush on top usually and even the sides can be very mushy most of the way down. I'm near Seattle so we see little sun from October to May.
@@vibonitatropics hey man also wondering, if my musa basjoo have been in ground for 3 months but have been overwintered and dormant, will they produce fruit in the spring or summer? I know it takes 9-12 months for them to fruit but just let me know. Wondering if dormancy period disrupts that process….
@@vibonitatropicsohhh that’s very very interesting. I live off the grid and will be buying more basjoo if these survive and planting them along my creek. Would you say about 10 feet from the running water, 5ft in elevation up the hill slope is okay? I will also be germinating Helen’s hybrid I just can’t find viable seeds online as of right now. The website I ordered from hasn’t sent anything or emailed me yet so. But yeah the creek runs then it’s 10 ft of flat and damp, strawberries grow crazy there. Then it goes up hill.
This is the most informative video on winterizing a banana plant I've seen by far. Thank you so much for giving a logical explanation for what needs to be done and how to do it. As a kid (I'm 83) I would have said very,. very, very, very, very good.
Thanks you. You're still a kid and don't let anybody else tell you otherwise! 😁
I live in upstate South Carolina and I planted three of the musa basjoo around 4 years ago. Last summer I had over 30 even after one of the first three didn't make it through the winter months. I always cut them to the ground and put mulch film over them and cover with mulch. Then I uncover them after the last frost. They're thriving
Looks like you have it figured out for your climate!
This is an excellent video! I wish you had made it about 6 years ago when I started planting my musa basjoo bananas. Fortunately it has worked out well for me in zone 7b and they have thrived, but this video has answered many of my questions I have had. Thanks!
I was still killing alot of plants 6 years ago 🤣.
Excellent video!
Thanks!
Good to watch a video for zone 8!
I usually use the wrapping method for Musa basjoos and the others I dig out and store dormant.
I've tried to overwinter blue javas in the ground but they have always died (I think because of our lack of winter sun/dry).
I have 12 plants and after the first winter I was happy to see they are all alive! Thanks for all the info. I used fall leaves with a cage. It's going to make great soil too after I mulch it.
Glad it worked out!
Im in Auburn WA, zone 8b. Just south of you. Planted Musa 'Blue Java' x 'Namwah' at the end of spring. Its doing awesome. I'll probably cage it this year and see how that goes.
Nice. You'll have to let me know how it goes. I have tried blue java twice unsuccessfully.
I have not yet tried namwah outside over winter but will try next year or the year after depending on when I get pups.
Great video! I didnt knew u could store them over winter like with canna or dahlia! Def gona try it next year thx!😊
It's a good way to do it, especially in colder climates.
I haven't done this myself (yet), but I have seen others that have gotten dessert quality bananas to fruit in USDA zone 7 using this method.
I am going to put some blue javas in the ground in the spring and use this method to overwinter them.
Thank you! Great tips!
Any questions, just ask!
I’m in 9a and have found wrapping musa basjoos with bubble wrap or frost cloth is a total waste of time. The corms are safe with a little mulch but a couple of nights in the high 20’s and all the moisture in the stem freezes killing everything above the ground. Next season I want to grow a plant that will produce bananas but my growing season isn’t long enough. I might try wrapping a plant with a thermostatically controlled heat cable and frost cloth.
I usually only wrap a couple stems. They will start next season much taller than the rest and be the biggest plants for the season in my 8a.
You could try veinte cohols which are some of the fastest fruiting plants.
I've not done this myself, but have seen several have luck getting bananas to fruit by digging them out and storing them indoors for the winter.
Thank you so very much for this video this is so helpful and I am so grateful for it!!
I just bought 2 Basjoos we live in southern Indiana in zone 6b. Last year the county next to us changed to 7a due to it getting warmer. What method or methods would u recommend for our area? I really cherish them and want to take good care of them. Bought them to remind us of our former home in the south.
If anything is unclear, just shout! Fortunately you don't need this info for a few months 😀
If you wrap them for winter, are u wrapping them for the whole winter season? Or just the days there is freezes?
Most people that wrap bananas do it for the whole season.
great video thank you so much. I live in Zone 10a ( east bay norcal) and my Musa Basjoo don't need anything they do fine all winter long but I have planted 4 blue Java ( Nanwha) in the ground and wondering if I need to protect them over the winter
Namwah and blue javas are different, but both should be ok in 10a. They will take some damage if temps drop below freezing, but as long as it's brief, they should be ok.
I'm in zone 6A, I wonder if I should even bother wrapping the stems?
As long as the corm underground doesn't freeze, it's not a requirement.
You will get taller plants sooner if you protect the stems, but it's not always worth the effort.
The lazy effort would be to cut off the leaves and tops of the stems and stack them around the base of the plants.
Great video! I live in NJ zone 7. I planted musa basjoo for the 1st time this Summer. I'm interested in the bubble wrap technique. I live by the bay and it's very windy and cold. Once I wrap them and put the leaves around the plant. Should I also apply an additional layer of of something else such as (plastic) for xtra protection or will this cause the root to rot. I don't want to kill the plants my 1st time. Thanks
I don't apply anything extra other than the bubble wrap. I get more rain than most being near Seattle - we regularly have stretches of 30-60 days with no sun over the winter.
Stems will get a little mushy, but the bananas have always survived and most years thrive.
Hey I loooove that you grow bananas, I wanna have a fruiting banana in zone 9b Osorno, Chile, but I don't know which variety to have
My first answer is whatever kind you can get 😂.
If you can get blue java(ice cream), namwah, or orinoco, those should do well in 9b in the ground.
I keep double mahoi, Manzano, dwarf cavendish, super dwarf Cavendish, and Puerto Rican Plantains in pots that all do well inside for the winter.
@@vibonitatropics thank you very muchhhhh, the thing here is even tho the hardiness zone is 9b we don't have warm summers because of oceanic wind (no more than 20°C in summer)
Understood. We have similar conditions on the Washington State coast near me.
If you can find somebody local that is already doing it, that's going to be your best advice. Otherwise, it's up to you to carve a path with trial and error.
What happens to the plant if you choose option1, do nothing? Do the plants need to be trimmed at the start of the next growing season? Or do they start growing from where you left off?
Anything that freezes over the winter will be dead in the spring. For me, this usually includes all of the leaves and the stem down to a couple feet off the ground.
I will remove any dead leaves and cut the stems down to where the center is solid in the spring.
Hello, watching the wintering video. I hope you can help me establish which plant I have. Is it possible to send you a picture? Also, how large of a root system do they have? Do the roots go deep or are they a root system that goes out and more on the top of the ground? Asking because we have a well and septic system. Also, my plant is potted. How do I winterize this if it a plant I can keep outdoors? The pot enough or still put things in and around the pot? I would place it out of direct weather by placing it under our patio against the wall, but making sure to winterize it properly. I may blow up your phone with questions for a while. Lol. Thank you!
You can send photos to the channel email or on Instagram. I'll try to help but understand there are so many varieties of bananas that it can be hard to tell from a photo or two.
The roots are substantial and strong. I would not plant bananas next to a septic or drain field.
How cold does it get where you are? Bananas in pots are less hardy. You'll need to either put them in a micro climate that stays warmer or add additional protection around the pot depending on your temps.
I have a question. I’m not sure if it has been asked, but I’ll ask it anyway so if you’re actually wanting to yield fruit on these banana plants would the steps to winterizing them be the same.?? And I brought some pups in the house and have them under some grow lights and they just really don’t seem to be growing very much at all. Would you happen to know the reason behind this are the lights just not bright enough do I need to turn the heat up or any clue?
It really depends on your zone and climate. Mine fruit every year in 8a. In colder areas, digging them out for the winter and storing them in pots would be more likely to give fruit.
Certain pups grow faster than others. The skinny leaf pups, referred to as sword suckers, will grow much faster than the fat leafed pups, referred to as water suckers. There's not much you can do about it. They will all eventually grow if you treat them right. They need good food and water for optimal growth!
If you live in the UK and use bubble wrap, the plants will rot. You need to let them breathe.
Also if you’re going to hibernate them don’t wrap in black plastic again the plant is more prone to rot without air circulation.
If using the wrap method build a frame with chicken wire, a cage or bamboo steaks cover it with horticultural fleece and fill with an insulating material like straw or hay or dry leaves kept the top with something waterproof so Rayne doesn’t soak through. You’re looking to create a dry warm airy environment.
We have similar winters to London and have had stretches of up to 90 days with zero sun over the winter. Basjoos do fine in just bubble wrap.
hi have learned so much from your channel i have three musa basjoo trees that i ordered and there doing great in pots because i rent and they go with me i ordered the plant food you use great stuff but pricey but would probabally last a couple of years thanks for that tip! my question is i live in prescott az similar wheather as washington i am going to bring them in for the winter will they do better under a grow light or just by a window and second when do they start growing suckers and or clones next to the main body and to clarify would you want your light on veg or bloom hope to here from you thanks!! sorry wanted to ad the plants seem to thrive in smaller pots being root bound is that accurate? came back to ad again sorry the window i have is the sunset side only so i wanted to ad a grow light for added light only not as the primary light
Extra light will help, but might not make a material difference depending on other conditions. Personally I don't give plants extra light when they're indoors for the winter.
Grown inside, the leaves will be weak in comparison to it being outdoors. It's not a problem as long as the plant stays indoors, but expect the leaves to suffer when you move them back outside. It's not a big deal other than the plants will look rough until a few new leaves pop out.
On the pups, I've seen it after 6 months and I've seen it take 2 years. Continue to treat the plant well to improve your chances of it happening sooner rather than later.
Hello, I have Blue Java and I am in Zone 8a. If I cut down stem to 3-4 ft height will that mean I loose on 15 months fruit target or it stay on. I am trying to assess will pruning hurt plant fruit cycle? Or is there a correlation with stem thickness/height to fruiting time?
From my experience, not at all.
I had a Musa basjoo fruit last year with no leaves on the plant. Not ideal as the plant didn't have the leaves to support proper pod development.
@@vibonitatropics so basically I just cut them and cover them and after winter season I will have my plant ready to fruit based on age of plant
Age is an indicator, but not an exact thing. I've had Musa basjoos flower at 2 years and others at 4 years old.
There's nothing I'm aware of other than experience for your exact growing conditions that will help you predict when flowers are likely to appear. Lots of people will say different things but they are usually guessing or repeating something somebody else told them.
What zone are you in?
8a near Seattle.
Question about the blue java.. I'm trying to get bananas.. however they started fruiting right before winter.. any suggestions? In a 9a ag zone
That's tough. I don't know of any way to guarantee success.
Your options are to leave them and hope the bananas develop enough before any freeze or dig them up before they freeze. You could try potting the stem if you have the space indoors to keep them.
I think the chances of getting good bananas in this scenario are are low with anything you try, but better to try something rather than nothing.
Personally I would probably try and dig out the fruiting stem and throw it in a pot inside. You'd want to get as much of the roots as possible to give it the best chance.
Hey so I have a few musa basjoos under straw. One had a mushy black stem and it pulled out easy but it sent out one shooter that year, I had 3 others with I think still green stumps or even one has a 2 foot stem. I just overwintered with more big pine branches. Are they okay?
From what you've described, it sounds like they are OK.
Mine turn to mush on top usually and even the sides can be very mushy most of the way down. I'm near Seattle so we see little sun from October to May.
@@vibonitatropics dude if these survive I have 30 Helen’s hybrids and Mekong giants I’m gunna cross breed them
@@vibonitatropics hey man also wondering, if my musa basjoo have been in ground for 3 months but have been overwintered and dormant, will they produce fruit in the spring or summer? I know it takes 9-12 months for them to fruit but just let me know. Wondering if dormancy period disrupts that process….
Mine generally fruit in year 3 although if I wrap the stem, sometimes they fruit in year 2.
@@vibonitatropicsohhh that’s very very interesting. I live off the grid and will be buying more basjoo if these survive and planting them along my creek. Would you say about 10 feet from the running water, 5ft in elevation up the hill slope is okay? I will also be germinating Helen’s hybrid I just can’t find viable seeds online as of right now. The website I ordered from hasn’t sent anything or emailed me yet so. But yeah the creek runs then it’s 10 ft of flat and damp, strawberries grow crazy there. Then it goes up hill.
Disappointed
What about bringing in potted plant to dark garage?
You only address bringing into dark by digging up…
Works similarly if it's already in a pot but I would give it some water every few weeks.
@@vibonitatropics The rumor is, if you put it in a black bag, the plant will go dormant. is this true?