Overwintering a banana plant?

wow, some really nice bananas there guys, I'll have to hava a look at what subspecies i have & let you know.

 

Can anyone confirm that this is a canna musifolia,(banana leaved canna) and if it is would it survive planted in the garden for the winter? It's a superb plant, it stays looking good all summer. The leaves don't split in the wind and I just love it.

 

Mine stays in a pot through the winter. Just let it die down and then cut off the dead stems in late Feb. Mine is in a bigger/unmovable pot than the one in the photo which looks easy enough to move indoors if necessary. Your location is probably the same temperature as Essex.

Mine still looks like this so theres no way I would do anything while it looks like this.

 

It certainly could be, and probably is. Although people have got them to flower in the UK it is fairly uncommon. If its anything other than musifolia you would have expected some sign of flowering at that size.

 

Hi, I have a beautiful red leafed banana plant, unsure what variety, picked it up at a supermarket. This summer it has grown spectacularly! I have been reading up on over wintering and see alot of people recommend cutting off the leaves and chopping it down before wrapping it. I kind of hoped I could keep the foliage to get a head start next spring so it gets bigger and even more impressive. I thought about building a make-shift greenhouse over it with a frame and something like bubble wrap. Will this work?
Any ideas/advice gratefully received!

 

Just guessing, but without a pic, I'm a assuming you actually have Ensete ventricosum "maurelii".

its not as hardy as musa basjoo, and really likes dryer conditions over the winter.

My thoughts are, you could build a small greenhouse over it, but you would need to heat it in some way if you live in an area that gets frost.

 

That looks like the plant I have. What is the best way to over winter it, I won't be able to heat anything.

 

If its small enough, you can bring it in doors.
If you dont have a greenhouse with frost free conditions it could be difficult.

I tend to grow a new one each year, in a pot, the potted one goes in the greenhouse and the one from the year before gets planted out.

I've tried digging them up and overwintering dry, but its not worked for me.

@PeterS , has had some success, so he might be able to help.

 

Ours is planted out so can't bring it in, what about cutting it back a wrapping it!

 

You could try, but low temps and dampness tends to cause rotting.

Even if potted in a greenhouse its fairly normal to keep the plant pretty dry.

If its not too large you could try potting it up in October.

 

Dig it up?

 

I have no idea as to your location but even if you live on the Channel Islands I wouldn't fancy its chances outdoors. The trouble is that at no point in their "bloodline" have any of them been exposed to anything approaching cold conditions and as such they're genetically unsuitable for life outdoors in the winter.
I don't grow any myself (I have far too much to over-winter already) but I take an interest in the efforts of others. I know of someone in Germany who grows Ensete ventricosum outdoors - he builds a large wooden structure around it that is water proof for the top three quarters and packs it with straw. As regularly as conditions allow he unpacks a large part of it to allow it to breathe. If the weather turns really cold it gets bubble wrapped and totally sealed up.

Personally I would lift it this year and next year (assuming that it survives) sink the pot in the ground to ease lifting it at the end of the season.

 

Hi Sihitch, and a warm welcome to the forum.

As Pete said - I am pretty sure you have got an Ensete "Maurelii" - its a beautiful banana and as a consequence perhaps the most common one sold.

As others have said - I don't think it stands a chance outside over winter even with protection.

However, all is not lost, its quite easy to dig them up and overwinter them in an attic. The more difficult part is to get them back into growth the next year, but it can be done and I have done it with several - but far from an expert. I have also propagated them, by essentially the same method.

Have a look at this thread http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/bananas.55088/
I was interested in propagating them so I collected some videos from the internet. The first three videos are about propagation, and the second two about overwintering. But its all the same method.

The videos are pretty self explanatory - but do come back if you have any questions.

 

Thanks PeteS, excellent videos. Idiot proof which is what I need!