Is it just cold that kills musas?

[ourarka]

Just wondering, but if (hypothetically speaking) we were to have a mild winter with very few frosts indeed, would Musas survive outside without protection ..... or would they still need protecting from the wet?

[Vagetarian]

Some tropical parts of the world get pretty cold in winter, the difference is that they stay very dry. I would think that even without frosts most Musa species would die outside in the winter here. If the ground doesn't freeze solid then I'm sure the roots sitting in cold water for months on end would cause rot.

Of course, it depends on which Musa, a Basjoo or Sikkamensis would stand much better chances than a Cavendish for example.

[musa_monkey]

Its the combination of wet, low temperature and poor air flow that generally leads to rot and finally death in Musa's.

This can be avoided in mild winters with care but survival rates will still be dependent on the musa itself as per above you have some chance with a basjoo but little channce outside with a cavendish.

[Dave Brown]

In mild, frost free winters M basjoo, sikkimensis, Helens Hybrid, Dwarf Orinoco etc may stand a chance, but the truly tropical/subtropical types generally not. Dwarf cavendish need temps above 10C to be happy, although it can take lower for a few hours, but not every night.

If you keep them in a greenhouse/poly airflow is very important, so a constantly running fan is beneifical even when warm enough for the heater to be off.

[ourarka]

So in a mild winter, would a Musa Basjoo still need wrapping? Would it suffice to try to keep water off the roots or would it most likely be fine just left to nature?

[Mr List]

i thought basjoo was hardy enough that it could be just treated as a late starting herbacious perenial if you didn't plan to protect it at all?

[grub]

I don't, nor ever have protected Musa Basjoo. I have tried a few times with Sikkimensis though and the result is always the same, pseudostem lost and coming from the ground .

[Dave Brown]

I just answered the question. but I have never used straw as it gets wet. Same as Grub if Musa basjoo, I don't protect, and sikkimensis is only root hardy so even protected I lose the stems.