Logee's Greenhouse

It’s time to put the Musa basjoo "Hardy Banana" to bed for the winter. The following step-by-step directions are one way to ensure that your hardy banana stand comes through a cold winter like we have in New England. The trick is to give an insulating mound of mulch that is high enough and wide enough to keep the ground from freezing. Remember that you need to go up vertically as well as sideways or horizontally with the mulch to prevent the cold from penetrating into the center of the banana stand.

Picture 1: Banana stand at the end of season.	Pictures 2-5: Banana plants being cut to about 12” from the ground. All plants are cut back.
Pictures 2-5: Banana plants being cut to about 12” from the ground. All plants are cut back.	Pictures 2-5: Banana plants being cut to about 12” from the ground. All plants are cut back.
Pictures 2-5: Banana plants being cut to about 12” from the ground. All plants are cut back.	Picture 6: Stakes are driven into the ground three or more feet from the center of the stand to hold the wire or netting.
Picture 7: Three foot high netting is lightly stapled to the inside of the stakes making a complete circle.	Picture. 8: Netting in place. The farther north or the colder the winter, the greater the distance and height need to be for the mulched area.
Picture 9: Stand of cut back Musa basjoo "Hardy Banana" ready to receive mulch. Straw, hay or leaves can be used; anything to create an insulating barrier that will keep the ground from freezing.	Picture 10: Stand mulched. It will settle in the weeks ahead and more will be added through out the fall to maintain a height of three feet.

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