It didn’t get cold enough this winter to kill the trunks. Chop the trunk down to ground level and shred the stem. FREE $25 Gift Card Included on Orders Over $200 Gift Card automatically included in cart for orders over $200. Though only necessary in areas that experience freezing conditions, covering the stump with a plastic mesh will help hold in the warmth and keep the banana plant from perishing. A. Hi, Lisa: It sounds like your bananas are happy! If left in the landscape the first frost will kill the foliage and it will need to be removed before you can prepare the roots for the winter months. To over winter your hardy banana, prior to first frost, cut back stems and leaves, leaving 8-10 inches (10-25 cm.) After you harvest your banana crop, cut back that stalk to the ground, slice it up, and use it as mulch around next year’s stalk. If your main stalk gets cold damaged, but not killed, do not cut it down! The edible banana plants require tropical or near-tropical climates, which means that they grow best in U.S.D.A. Do you know the variety of banana that you are growing? Cut the trunk of the banana plant as close to the ground as possible. The sap from a banana plant will stain anything it contacts and is very resistant to being removed, so it is best to gear up with coveralls and gloves before beginning to cut back the banana plant. Banana plants grow from underground stems, which tend to spread and produce suckers. In the right growing conditions, banana plants can reach a height of 15 feet or more. Some banana species produce edible fruit, while others are ornamental. Check out the Ornamental Banana Tree Grow Guide for more information on growing these pretty fruit trees. Use a sharp knife or machete and cut them to the ground, chop ‘em up, and scatter ‘em around the mother stalk as mulch. Answer: If you want your trees to flower and produce fruit, only trim off the damaged leaves and do not cut back the trunk. Remove the fallen stalk and debris. Show off your trees in the comments below for a chance to be featured on our blog and Instagram. 8: Netting in place. It’s hardy to Zone 5 or 6, and can be overwintered in colder areas by cutting it back and providing a protective mulch around the stem. Once the first frost hits, the hardy banana will die back to the ground. Banana trees love mulch at all times of the year to protect them and insulate them from the winter’s cold and retain moisture during summer’s heat. With winter just around the corner it is really important to keep a close eye on the weather forecast, as you will need to have your bananas Though only necessary in areas that experience freezing conditions, covering the stump with a plastic mesh will help hold in the warmth and keep the banana plant from perishing. Ornamental? The giant leaves are piled over the stump and root ball for protection during the rest of the winter. Lucinda Gunnin began writing in 1988 for the “Milford Times." Left to itself, a banana plant consists of a thicket of several stalks (called pseudostems). Gift Card valid on future orders until April 2021. Banana tree leaves can become damaged for a variety of reasons. Being traditionally found in more tropical environments, banana plants often experience difficulties when cultivated in areas that are prone to colder temperatures or that suffer from intermittent freezes. Regardless of where they overwinter, the foliage will need to be cut back. This is designed to prevent the plant from blowing over. Some varieties get over twenty feet tall. Cutting can be done with a hand saw for smaller stalks or with a chain saw for plants with wider base stalks. The banana tree’s Perfect Plants offers are all ornamental and may produce inedible fruit to humans (although birds and wildlife love them!). Banana trees love mulch at all times of the year to protect them and insulate them from the winter’s cold and retain moisture during summer’s heat. The pseudostem requires cutting back to 2 feet tall once the tree is damaged by freezing weather. Copyright © 2020 Perfect Plants. The farther north or the colder the winter, the greater the distance and height need to be for the mulched area. Prune banana trees before winter sets in. Banana plants aren’t actually trees: They do not have woody trunks. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. A mature stalk can produce a cluster (called a bunch) of banana fruits (technically they are berries) arranged in rows (called hands) only one time – then that stalk dies. The sap from a banana plant will stain anything it contacts and is very resistant to being removed, so it is best to gear up with coveralls and gloves before beginning to cut back the banana plant. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Overwintering a Banana Tree Outside Overwintering banana plants is a different story if they’re too big to fit inside. The leaves tend to catch the wind, but they shred along the midrib, which runs down the middle of the leaves. After you harvest your banana crop, cut back that stalk to the ground, slice it up, and use it as mulch around next year’s stalk.