Yes we have no bananas, or do we?

[BobDE]

I live in southern Delaware and my banana tress usually fall over and start from scratch the following year. The winter of 2012 was mild and I had 2 trees that we protected from the frost and survived. They produced bananas!

I tried to do some research to see if I could overwinter them. I found a few articles, but no results. So I set out to try it. I used materials that I already had, and a little labor. The efforts paid off. I noticed the bananas this morning while I was outside preparing for the storm.

Here is a photo from 2012.

If you are interested in trying this I have some posts on my blog that follow the progress. http://randomthoughtsandphotos.com/?s=banana

 

[Mmathis]

Cool! Are they edible bananas? They look like corn.

 

[BobDE]

Sorry, ornamental only. The bananas are very small. Great for a conversation piece though! LOL

 

[j.w]

I have the Musa Bajoo banana plant here and they grow up to the 2nd story of our house. One got a banana this year. If you eat one of those fibrous banana's you will never need another prune again

If it doesn't freeze too much here in the winter most of the banana stalk will survive and will start to grow from a higher point in the Spring but if it freezes really hard for too long then they need to start all over and come up from their roots. For the past couple years we have had mild winters so they have had much height kept so they grow very tall.

 

[BobDE]

WOW, they are very tall!

 

[Big Lou]

We tried growing one many years ago but the winter freeze killed the plant.

 

[j.w]

You should try again @Big Lou cuz we are in zone 7 and sometimes like I say they die to the ground but the roots still survive. You can also cover the roots w/mulch or use the old banana leaves to cover them and it should come back. You are warmer than we are.

 

[Big Lou]

Thanks! Think I have a good location for one.

 

[sissy]

My banana plants hit 12 feet tall this year and took out lots of babies and will have to thin them out again .Elephant ears got big but not as big as last year

 

[BobDE]

I have elephant ears too. Mine are a little darker than yours. They get yellow flowers as well.

 

[sissy]

They look like the wax leaf ones .Mine get flowers also and I have dwarf black ones also

 

[Richardspond]

Mine grow around 13 ft tall. Gona try and produce banannas next year