I guess it depends on how many freezing days you have, though I am not sure.
I am in Houston and we don't have very many at all. I pretty much just leave
them alone except for watering them during dry spells.

I may not be the person to ask...lol...I have more trouble killing them than
growing them. Round up has not even worked for me yet. I am down to about 24
trees verses the 100's when I bought this place. I literally had to have a
knife to get though the yard...lol.

I do know this though...we they are dead they will fall over and stink to
high heaven. Try using a regular bread knife to cut just the tops off, if
you must. You may find they are showing new growth the same day.

"Sibel D. Unalmis" wrote in message
...
Mine are more than 3 years old. But the trunk gets watery and looks very
dead. Aren't yours like that?

Also, the banana trees I saw in San Antonio Zoo were very tall and they
had
bananas on them. That explains.

Next year I will try not cutting them. My husband always complains how
hard
it was to cut them. This year I had to because he had a knee surgery a
week
before I cut them and I had a chance to validate his complains. :-)

Thanks and regards,
Sibel


"Norma Briggs" wrote in message
...
I have a yard full of banana trees. I admit they might grow better in my
zone, 9b. However, I never cover them and don't cut them back too far,
only
the very tops. I believe that to get them to produce the tree must be 3
years old. Mine produce lots of fruit, but so far it has been leathery
and
I
have no interest in eating them.

good luck
"Sibel D. Unalmis" wrote in message
...
The green in the middle you see is the new growth. Mines are about a
foot
long now.

I cut my banana trees early March, depending on how the winter is
going
on.
This way they survive the freeze without being covered.

The first year spring came earlier. I noticed they were already
growing
inside and I cut the tip of the new growth too but no harm were done.

I cut them very close to ground. Then they grow back again. The
remainings
from last year gets watery. Even the trunks I cut are watery too.

Only I wish they make banana.




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