banana overwintering process feedback needed.

Banana Plants, etc

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wheelman1976
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Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 5:48 pm
Location: West Michigan

banana overwintering process feedback needed.

Post by wheelman1976 » Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:28 pm

Recommendation needed for a new grower in Michigan.

I have about 35 dwarf brazilian and red dwarf bananas currently growing. I plan on digging them out for the winter but am wondering what you all would think I need to specifically do. The questions I have are the following?

1. Dig up and remove as much dirt as possible from the corm or leave it on?
2. Do I remove leaves or not?
3. I plan on keeping in my basement garage in the same location where my cannas have kept well. Doesn't freeze, but it nice and chilly. I store my snowmobile in this garage and when I go out sledding the garage door is left open and that has not bothered the cannas at all come spring but I suspect it might not be good for the bananas? I plan on laying them out on a shelf off of the concrete, should I cover them with a tarp of some sort? I've read some things about if you're going to dig them up to keep them away from lights, when I'm out sledding, I've got the lights on in the garage of course.

4. Does anyone have experience with these two types of plants and how they will overwinter? Will I have something to put in the ground the following spring?



JackLord
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Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:54 am
Location: Maryland- Zone 7A

Post by JackLord » Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:59 am

I chop down my in ground bananas and conver them with mulch for the Winter.

My potted ones are probably a better comparison. I bring them in to the basement and put them under the(meager) plant light. Its cool in there, but dry. I water them once or twice a week. They begin to look like lepers after a while. Come spring I bring them back out and the ressurection begins.

I saw your video. Quite a tour de force. You can either 1) Hack them all down and cover the entire patch with mulch and burlap or 2) Dig them up, put them in pots, and bring them in for the winter.

Maybe do half and half and split the difference?

wheelman1976
Seedling
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 5:48 pm
Location: West Michigan

Post by wheelman1976 » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:35 pm

The problem is where I am located and the types of bananas I have. The red dwarf and dwarf brazilian will not go through a michigan winter no matter how well I protect them. I got these from a local school greenhouse program for free so I had no choice in cold hardiness of the plants.

I'm more interested in knowing if I dig them up and clean off the dirt if I can store them bare root in my basement garage where temps get to the 40's or if I can do the same and put them in the back room of my basement where it's a bit warmer, but still on the cool side.

I can only bring so many plants in doors.... and buying 30 plus pots and the dirt for them would be quite pricey!

I'm open to selling some now that they're bigger if someone is interested in buying for a fair price. Although, the selfish side of them doesn't want to sell any... I want to grow them to the point of fruiting if possible here in michigan.

JackLord
Seedling
Posts: 300
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:54 am
Location: Maryland- Zone 7A

Post by JackLord » Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:18 pm

wheelman1976 wrote:The problem is where I am located and the types of bananas I have. The red dwarf and dwarf brazilian will not go through a michigan winter no matter how well I protect them. I got these from a local school greenhouse program for free so I had no choice in cold hardiness of the plants.

I'm more interested in knowing if I dig them up and clean off the dirt if I can store them bare root in my basement garage where temps get to the 40's or if I can do the same and put them in the back room of my basement where it's a bit warmer, but still on the cool side.

I can only bring so many plants in doors.... and buying 30 plus pots and the dirt for them would be quite pricey!

I'm open to selling some now that they're bigger if someone is interested in buying for a fair price. Although, the selfish side of them doesn't want to sell any... I want to grow them to the point of fruiting if possible here in michigan.
I have read that you can store them inside like Cannas, so I would think barerooting is an option. Here is a link where some people discuss it:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load ... 23074.html

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