Musa Basjoo, Banana Tree or Palm for the winter

[constantgardener]

I just got a Musa Basjoo today. I'm super excited. Just thought I would tell everyone.

I would like some info about cutting them back or not to or when.

Also a good fertilizer for after winter

Its about 3-4 ft tall

Here is some info I found but it doesnt tell me what i need to know

The Musa Basjoo is the world's most cold hardy banana tree, and can be grown in all 50 states! It is hardy planted in ground to -3°F and with protective mulching it can survive temperatures reaching down to -20°F.

The plant has long, slender, bright green leaves and features one of the most beautiful flowering stalks of all banana trees. The Musa Basjoo is an ideal landscape plant, adding a tropical splash wherever it appears, even in cold temperate climates. Musa Basjoo also does very well in containers and makes a good interior plant.

In warm weather months it can grow up to 2 feet in a week. It's mature height is 18 feet. It can flower and bear fruits at 10 feet or whenever it has 35 leaves. The bananas are not edible. This handsome broad leaved variety can be grown in almost every state since it can handle temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit if the ground is mulched properly in the very cold months. At 40 degrees it will stop actively growing and at 28 degrees the leaves will die back and the tree can be cut back to a 2'or 3' height.


And here is a Article by a lady that is really interesting

i will put a few words on here then add a link. MUSA BASJOO all the WAy!


I love using tropical plants in my garden, but personally I hate having to bring them in for the winter. At least most of my tropicals are in pots, so there is no digging involved. If a plant has to be dug out of my garden in the fall, it has to be a very special plant.

I was thrilled when a Master Gardener drew my attention to the hardy banana a couple of years ago. My heart skipped a beat when I found out it was winter hardy to Zone 4! No digging or dragging pots indoors! I've wanted one ever since.

Besides adding a tropical look to gardens, the hardy banana, Musa basjoo, is a fascinating plant. It, along with other species in the genus Musa are the world's largest herbaceous plants, mostly originating from tropical climates. Many species of Musa routinely grow more than twenty feet tall! The hardy banana grows to be anywhere from 12 to 18 feet tall, so it will probably attract some attention if planted in your garden.

While sometimes we talk about banana 'trees', in fact all parts of the plant are herbaceous–no parts are woody. What many of us mistake for the 'trunk' of the banana tree is in fact tightly wrapped leaves. Botanically speaking this is a pseudostem, meaning 'false' stem. Unlike a lot of plants, the growing point for a banana plant is not near the outside of the plant. It is deep within the pseudostem near the base, much like how German irises and canna lilies grow.

To read more please click link HERE

[joclyn]

Where do you live? and I wouldn't cut them back. The Musa Basjoo should do just fine. A fertilizer I can not help you with. Try googling it

[Chicago Man]

It did well for the first year but outgrew the space so I put it out on the patio but the wind sliced all the leaves up. It looked really raggedy for a little bit, so I gave it to a friend that lives in the suburb with a home, it now gives banans and he gives them to me when i see him at work. Its funny because people in the office see him dropping off banans at my desk every now and then and call him the banana rama man!... ALso from that one bana plant four more grew next to it so he has a huge clump of banana plants.

[greatwork]

They are extremely hardy and can be cut down to the top of the soil and it will continue to grow from the roots.