Can anybody advise me on growing banana plants indoors? We have one in a pot
which has reached a couple of feet in height and has grown well in the
conservatory through the summer. However, now that it's getting cold at
night, the three lowest leaves have gone brown and died off. Would this be
because it's too cold in there and if so, should the plant be brought into
the house where it will be warmer but not get as much light? I'm thinking of
heating the greenhouse through the winter and wondered about putting it in
there but obviously it would only be a few degrees above freezing and I' not
sure that would be enough. Any thoughts would be most welcome.

thanks

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:55:21 -0000, "Chris Wardman"
wrote:

Anyone have any advice on caring for banana plants in winter, put mine in
the garage to protect from cold but looks a bit rough

The more warmth (or lack of frost) the better. I believe that if
they're wrapped well, they may be ok. Mine is in our unheated
greenhouse, wrapped in fleece. We only started it last year so this is
our first winter.

The only other thing you might consider is some gentle background
heat. I considered a paraffin greenhouse heater, but I think they
generate moisture and I was concerned that could lead to other
problems with condensation freezing, dampness & mould etc.

I guess we'll both know later on in Spring....

Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:55:21 -0000, "Chris Wardman"
wrote:

Anyone have any advice on caring for banana plants in winter, put mine in
the garage to protect from cold but looks a bit rough

The more warmth (or lack of frost) the better. I believe that if
they're wrapped well, they may be ok. Mine is in our unheated
greenhouse, wrapped in fleece. We only started it last year so this is
our first winter.

The only other thing you might consider is some gentle background
heat. I considered a paraffin greenhouse heater, but I think they
generate moisture and I was concerned that could lead to other
problems with condensation freezing, dampness & mould etc.

I guess we'll both know later on in Spring....

Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)

Martin Sykes wrote:
"Colin Malsingh" wrote in
message ...
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:55:21 -0000, "Chris Wardman"
wrote:

Anyone have any advice on caring for banana plants in winter, put
mine in the garage to protect from cold but looks a bit rough



Depends what variety it is. I have Musa basjoo which is one of the
commonest. I do nothing for it and it dies down every winter, then
sprouts back again in spring. If you want a larger plant, you need to
stop it dying back by keeping it warm but I just think that's too
much effort.

this year with mine I'v wrapped in in bubble wrap and put Bamboo-on-a-roll
around that. Looks very much like the much ore fancy wrapping done in real
japanese gardens - but took about 15 minutes!

Previous years I've used chicken wire and straw - took ages and cost money!
Last year i did nothing expecting it to die to ground level - it still
survived to 2 m and grew away strongly

pk

pk

"Colin Malsingh" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:55:21 -0000, "Chris Wardman"
wrote:

Anyone have any advice on caring for banana plants in winter, put mine in
the garage to protect from cold but looks a bit rough

The more warmth (or lack of frost) the better. I believe that if
they're wrapped well, they may be ok. Mine is in our unheated
greenhouse, wrapped in fleece. We only started it last year so this is
our first winter.

The only other thing you might consider is some gentle background
heat. I considered a paraffin greenhouse heater, but I think they
generate moisture and I was concerned that could lead to other
problems with condensation freezing, dampness & mould etc.

I guess we'll both know later on in Spring....

Colin
-----
(Sorry - no direct email. Please reply via the newsgroup)

Well, mine, all bar one, are all in pots and some spend time in the paraffin
heated greenhouse, with no wrapping and a little watering, they seem
perfectly happy. The larger specimins are in the unheated shed, corrugated
plastic roof, they are wrappen in hessian, and fleece. Nothing plastic,
since the plants stems are basically just leaf stalks and even in winter
hold an enormous amount of water you have to stop mould and rot setting in.
Plastics tend to cause the plant to sweat, or cause too much condensation,
when this freezes it kills the leaves, and hence the trunk.

The only outdoor plant, has it's leaves chopped off, an old tyre placed
around the base and two sheets of corrugated plastic placed inside the tyre
and around the trunk. The ample air space is then filled with straw, and the
whole thing is topped with something solid to stop any rain dribbling in on
top.

With these techniques I have managed to keep the plants alive for up to 5
years so far, and indeed am multiplying the number of banana plants I have
every year.

Last year, the first offspring of my first banana plant managed to get to
about 14-15 foot high, in a pot little more than 18 inches in diameter.

All of these are Musa Basjoo by the way, apart from my most recent
acquisition which is the flowering banana, and I absolutely cannot rememer
it's name right now.

Duncan

"Colin Malsingh" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 18:55:21 -0000, "Chris Wardman"
wrote:

Anyone have any advice on caring for banana plants in winter, put mine in
the garage to protect from cold but looks a bit rough



Depends what variety it is. I have Musa basjoo which is one of the
commonest. I do nothing for it and it dies down every winter, then sprouts
back again in spring. If you want a larger plant, you need to stop it dying
back by keeping it warm but I just think that's too much effort.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm