Musa 'basjoo' - Winter protection

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by Charles Richard, Nov 7, 2010.

  1. Charles Richard

    Charles Richard Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
    We have a Musa 'basjoo' and it has been in a pot since we purchased it. We had planted it in the ground this past summer and are intending to leave it in the ground over the winter.
    My question is. Do we wait until the leaves start to die off or should we cut them off and protect it before we get a heavy frost? It is planted against the house in semi-protected spot.
    Was going to put a cage around it and fill it with dry leaves, then cover this with remay or other. They sell a product called 'Banana Pajamas', which looks to be a plastic tube with an insulation inside between two layers of plastic. Was not sure about the plastic idea?
     
  2. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    I'd cut the leaves and use them as mulch to protect the plant before you get frost. Either the mulch cage or the tube will work fine for insulation - it's really up to you. However, if you go with the tube and find that winter is particularly cold, you'll need to wrap the tube in Christmas lights to give it a bit more heat.
     
  3. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    gulf island, bc, canada
    Some growers here on the coast leave them unprotected, and they still return in all their glory in the summer--if you're by the water in Nanoose, you're likely in such a provident spot...so you might get away with no protection at all. Still, with so many sagely declaring an upcoming nasty winter, probably prudent to protect them as described. Given the profusion of basjoo clones locally, might also be a good year to buy stock in the companies that make banana pajamas and xmas lights.
     
  4. Henrysmith

    Henrysmith Member

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    Location:
    Tofino, BC
    You don,t have to cut all the leaves off. In this area, some people just wrap the stem up to the growing leaves and leave the top open. Bubble wrap is the easiest wrap product to use in this area. I do cut the leaves off (but only because in my location they get completely shredded with winter winds). I have no wrapped mine every winter and have had varying degrees of freezing setback. If I am going to wrap, I do it in early November and remove it in early March (depending on the winter).

    If you don't wrap or do receive winter damage, they are root hardy and you will at least get new growth from the grownd in the following season.

    In your location, I would not bother with the Christmas lights.
     

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