I have seen banana trees killed by freezing, but they came back because the
root ball lived. Where they grow them for crops, they harvest the stalk of
bananas and then cut the entire tree off at the ground. It then puts up new
shoots that become replacement trees.

Dwayne

wrote in message
...
Hello and Happy New Year!

I bought two bananas last year: a M Cavendishi and a dwarf version of
the same. They were in the greenhouse until the frost came. I had a
fan heater set to keep the greenhouse above freezing but I learned
that bananas need to be above 15C. I bought them into the house from
the greenhouse, so they are now warmer. However it may have been too
late. The M Cavendishi leaves have died but the "stalk" remains firm,
so I am hopeful that it may grow again. Update: whilst firm above
ground, it is soft around the soil line and the stalk has now toppled
over; I think I have lost this one too.

The dwarf variety is worse, that is quite soft and I worry that it is
rotting. Is it too late to save it or will it re grow next year?

Thanks,
Mark

First off, Bananas are large growing perennials not trees. They have no
woody trunks. The fleshy leaf bases will eventually die back anyway.

Second, they are rhizomatous and cutting back the foliage will encourage new
plants to sprout from the base.

Its is most important to protect the rhizomes from freezing temperatures and
not worry about the leafy growth over the winter. The top growth will be
replaced in the spring.


"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
I have seen banana trees killed by freezing, but they came back because
the root ball lived. Where they grow them for crops, they harvest the
stalk of bananas and then cut the entire tree off at the ground. It then
puts up new shoots that become replacement trees.

Dwayne

wrote in message
...
Hello and Happy New Year!

I bought two bananas last year: a M Cavendishi and a dwarf version of
the same. They were in the greenhouse until the frost came. I had a
fan heater set to keep the greenhouse above freezing but I learned
that bananas need to be above 15C. I bought them into the house from
the greenhouse, so they are now warmer. However it may have been too
late. The M Cavendishi leaves have died but the "stalk" remains firm,
so I am hopeful that it may grow again. Update: whilst firm above
ground, it is soft around the soil line and the stalk has now toppled
over; I think I have lost this one too.

The dwarf variety is worse, that is quite soft and I worry that it is
rotting. Is it too late to save it or will it re grow next year?

Thanks,
Mark

You underestimate how large and how fast plants can grow in the tropics
where there is high rainfall and high humidity.

Keeping the soil warm is a good idea for overwintering tropicals in a cold
climate. The best thing is to overwinter them in a warm greenhouse.


wrote in message
...
On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:08:49 GMT, "Cereus-validus-..........."
wrote:

First off, Bananas are large growing perennials not trees. They have no
woody trunks. The fleshy leaf bases will eventually die back anyway.

Second, they are rhizomatous and cutting back the foliage will encourage
new
plants to sprout from the base.

Its is most important to protect the rhizomes from freezing temperatures
and
not worry about the leafy growth over the winter. The top growth will be
replaced in the spring.


What about bananas that fruit only once they reach 8ft? If they
die-back each year, is it likely they will ever grow high enough to
fruit in one season?

I was thinking of next year using soil warming cables to keep the
roots warm, but I know very little about these cables as I have never
used them before. Does this sound like a good idea?

That is correct. I have cut down about 4 myself while living in Puerto
Rico. The "trunks" were more like a stringy cabbage head only longer and
stronger. It took about 3 times with a machete to cut them down. I should
have said banana plants, not trees.

Dwayne


"Cereus-validus-..........." wrote in message
...
First off, Bananas are large growing perennials not trees. They have no
woody trunks. The fleshy leaf bases will eventually die back anyway.

Second, they are rhizomatous and cutting back the foliage will encourage
new plants to sprout from the base.

Its is most important to protect the rhizomes from freezing temperatures
and not worry about the leafy growth over the winter. The top growth will
be replaced in the spring.


"Dwayne" wrote in message
...
I have seen banana trees killed by freezing, but they came back because
the root ball lived. Where they grow them for crops, they harvest the
stalk of bananas and then cut the entire tree off at the ground. It then
puts up new shoots that become replacement trees.

Dwayne

wrote in message
...
Hello and Happy New Year!

I bought two bananas last year: a M Cavendishi and a dwarf version of
the same. They were in the greenhouse until the frost came. I had a
fan heater set to keep the greenhouse above freezing but I learned
that bananas need to be above 15C. I bought them into the house from
the greenhouse, so they are now warmer. However it may have been too
late. The M Cavendishi leaves have died but the "stalk" remains firm,
so I am hopeful that it may grow again. Update: whilst firm above
ground, it is soft around the soil line and the stalk has now toppled
over; I think I have lost this one too.

The dwarf variety is worse, that is quite soft and I worry that it is
rotting. Is it too late to save it or will it re grow next year?

Thanks,
Mark

Dwayne wrote:
That is correct. I have cut down about 4 myself while living in
Puerto Rico. The "trunks" were more like a stringy cabbage head
only
longer and stronger. It took about 3 times with a machete to cut
them down. I should have said banana plants, not trees.
[...]

My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

--
Mike.

Mike Lyle wrote:
Dwayne wrote:
That is correct. I have cut down about 4 myself while living in
Puerto Rico. The "trunks" were more like a stringy cabbage head only
longer and stronger. It took about 3 times with a machete to cut
them down. I should have said banana plants, not trees.
[...]

My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

Ah! But....

Normal banana "trunks" are not trunks at all....

..... but the flowering & fruiting occurs on a true stem which grows from the
basal corm up through the pseudostem of leaf bases....

....so, harvesting by driving at the trunk does not require the ".."!

pk

p.k. wrote:
Mike Lyle wrote:
[...]
My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during
the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

Ah! But....

Normal banana "trunks" are not trunks at all....

.... but the flowering & fruiting occurs on a true stem which grows
from the basal corm up through the pseudostem of leaf bases....

...so, harvesting by driving at the trunk does not require the
".."!

This could turn into a thread worthy of alt.usage.english, so I won't
say more than "Hmm..."!

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:
p.k. wrote:
Mike Lyle wrote:
[...]
My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during
the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

Ah! But....

Normal banana "trunks" are not trunks at all....

.... but the flowering & fruiting occurs on a true stem which grows
from the basal corm up through the pseudostem of leaf bases....

...so, harvesting by driving at the trunk does not require the
".."!

This could turn into a thread worthy of alt.usage.english, so I won't
say more than "Hmm..."!

Especially as (IIRC) bananas are a grass - or closely related - and
AFAIK only heffalump grass has trunks...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

This could turn into a thread worthy of alt.usage.English, so I won't
say more than "Hmm..."!

NO, this is about correctly defining what you see and understanding how the
plant is actually constructed.

Bananas do not have any of the woody tissues that make up an actual tree.

Just because a plant is very large that does not automatically make it a
"tree".


"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
p.k. wrote:
Mike Lyle wrote:
[...]
My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during
the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

Ah! But....

Normal banana "trunks" are not trunks at all....

.... but the flowering & fruiting occurs on a true stem which grows
from the basal corm up through the pseudostem of leaf bases....

...so, harvesting by driving at the trunk does not require the
".."!

This could turn into a thread worthy of alt.usage.english, so I won't
say more than "Hmm..."!

--
Mike.

So, you are saying aberrant anti-social behavior is hereditary in your
family?

How did your crazy pops manage to get out of the country without becoming a
shrunken head trophy by the angry natives? Surely he would have at least
spent some time in the brig for destruction of property!!!


"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Dwayne wrote:
That is correct. I have cut down about 4 myself while living in
Puerto Rico. The "trunks" were more like a stringy cabbage head
only
longer and stronger. It took about 3 times with a machete to cut
them down. I should have said banana plants, not trees.
[...]

My father recalled harvesting some bananas in New Guinea during the
War by simply driving a Jeep at the "trunk".

--
Mike.