Hi,
I've decided I'm going to put a Banana (or something that looks like Banana), in my back garden.
The requirements are:
1. It must be fully hardy in Yorkshire
2. It mustn't be dwarf ie 2 to 3 foot
3. It mustn't be huge - no 15M trees required
What I'm ideally looking for is something that is nice looking, fully hardy and will grow to around 6 foot or maybe a little more.
Also, what are the roots like on Bananas, do they pose a threat to walls, paving etc?
Banana Family Recommendations
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
Then is has to be Musa Basjoo. Root hardy, top growth may be protected to preserve height and subsequent flowering after a few years. If the Winter does kill the top growth, then it should make 3-5 feet of trunk in a year. As far as I'm aware, the roots don't present a problem. I'm sure that someone on this forum local to you will have one to spare as they are so easy to grow from offsets. Mine all re-grew after 2009/10 Winter low of minus 11.2c.
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
Do they need to be protected during winter then?
Also, what happens if they become frost damaged? Are they like Cordylines where basically everything restarts from the roots or do you just lose the leaves and they come again from the stem?
Thanks.
Also, what happens if they become frost damaged? Are they like Cordylines where basically everything restarts from the roots or do you just lose the leaves and they come again from the stem?
Thanks.
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
Also how do you protect the top growth of something with such a large spread?
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
It depends how cold. A frost will kill the leaves but if not too cold, or with simple protection, you'll retain the stem and start from there the next year. Severe cold, with no prôtection, you'll lose much of the stem too but it'll restart from the roots.
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
An air frost will blacken and kill the leaves - the stem will remain. Penetrating prolonged cold weather will kill the stem but re-growth from the base will occur in mid-Spring. A mulch over the roots will help protect them without looking unsightly as........protection. This usually takes the form of chicken wire placed around the trunk allowing room for straw to be stuffed between the trunk and wire. This is to protect the height as previously mentioned.
This past Winter has been quite mild so here are mine showing re-growth from trunks not damaged by cold.
This past Winter has been quite mild so here are mine showing re-growth from trunks not damaged by cold.
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
Simple answer - you can't. The leaves will die in Winter unless the plant is in a frost-free environment.Alsone wrote:Also how do you protect the top growth of something with such a large spread?
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Re: Banana Family Recommendations
The leaves survived -2.5C here with no problem last winter.... but the 75.9mph winds dessicated and snapped leaves
Two stem have remained in flower all winter. Pics taken 20th March
Two stem have remained in flower all winter. Pics taken 20th March
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
Dave, yours would still be looking good if not for those winds. Here where I am in an inland location, the first hard frosts usually come in November and I recorded -3.8c on the 20th of Nov last year. This killed the leaves but the trunks remain undamaged, as per usual.
I am told that Yorkshire can get pretty cold in Winter.
I am told that Yorkshire can get pretty cold in Winter.
Re: Banana Family Recommendations
I'm thinking maybe about potting it now and moving it into the garage for winter.
Are they OK in pots around 55cm?
Are they OK in pots around 55cm?