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How to cover Banana Tree for Winter in Zone 6?

Posted by jschristian44 6 (My Page) on
Sat, Aug 27, 11 at 19:21

I live in southern PA. Our low temps reach about 10 degrees a the absolute bottom cold of winter. Most temps are in the 30-40's around winter time though. But I got a Banana Tree this summer because I enjoy the fruit a lot and wanted my own! I am in Zone 6. I know banana trees are only in Tropical zones and I don't think anyone has them around here. I wanted to cancel the order after researching that it doesn't grow well. But I planted it in about July and it's still growing small leaves and getting bigger. It's slow growing but they say in a year or two it will bear fruit. I just thought that if I could someway protect it a little from the cold of winter, then springtime/summer/fall it could still grow well enough. The site I got it from said it was Winter Hardy which made me think I could grow it. It says no less than 30 degrees and that's right about where the line is on the coldest days here in my state of PA. Can I put like a black trash bag on top of it during the winter or will that suffocate it? I have bird netting as well. What can I do to protect it from the cold?


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RE: How to cover Banana Tree for Winter in Zone 6?

You will need to cut the leaves off, dig it up, rinse the soil off, let the roots dry and bring it inside. It will be fine, stored bare-root, until you warm up in the spring, then you can plant it out again. Some folks put the root ball in a black plastic bag, but I prefer the paper leaf bags you get at Lowes, etal.


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