i live in the northeast (new jersey) my wife bought a blood banana plant (red banana) and it has been doing quite well where we live and it was planted in the spring. I know this is not hardy for our zone, but is there ANYTHING i can do to save it this winter? we are looking for a greenhouse that may allow us to store it there, we heard about greenhouses that do that (for a price) but have been unable to find out. is there anything we can do to save it over the winter? again, its planted and not potted. thanks
Hi Jobmr, I live in Vermont, and am a tropical plant addict. I think what you call 'red bananas', if I'm not mistaken are actually Ensete Maurelli's, which are beautiful ornamental bananas. I have 3, one of which is 17ft tall. The are all potted in tubs on my deck. This winter will be the 3rd winter for the big one, and the second for the other two. OK. Here's what I would do to over winter them. Since yours is in the ground, you can do one of several things. Dig it up and put it in a pot not too big to get into the house, and treat it as a house plant. Don't know what your indoor light situation is, but it you have a good size window facing south that would be ideal. If not, well, here's what I do. I cut off all the leaves around the trunk (sounds awful, and is painful and scary the 1st time!!) leaving only the very center new leaf. Can't remember what it's called. Anyway, so you'd pot it up, cut it to the center leaf, bring it inside and store it in a cool basement or garage, water it very sparingly and try not to worry. Last fall, I did this but I didn't store it in my basement, I put it in front of my west facing window (it's all I have in my studio)on a round kiddie sled (as a plant tray to protect my floors) and what do you know it began to grow new leaves!! Initally it got full again in my studio, with very little light and poor air circulation, but I watered it well once a week. It got so big the leaves got in the way of my easel, (I'm an artist) and I had to cut some leaves off again. So by spring, it was actually looking pretty bad, as 7 months of low light etc was doing it's work, and I was sure I'd lost it. This banana is now 17ft tall and glorious! I think I'm going to do what I read on a post on a banana forum I belong to, and cut the trunk off completely above the soil level, and (with help) keep it in my basement. My other bananas, 3 musa basjoo's and 2 Ensete Maurelli's will go into my studio, minus their leaves.....does this help??
Blood banana can also mean Musa acuminata ssp zebrina which are not remotely as hardy as the Ensete 'Maurelii' and should be put into pots and brough indoors over the winter. Winters like you get in NJ will kill a Zebrina with no hope of recovery. A picture in this case really is worth 1000 words, though. If you have the Ensete, it's fine with a nice heavy layer of mulch and burlap, with the pseudostem wrapped in burlap. (this how my friend Bob, also in NJ, treats his.)
