How to Store Potted Banana Trees for Winter

Are you wondering how to store potted banana trees for winter? Banana trees are a great addition to every house or garden. They’re aesthetically pleasing and they produce delicious fruit. A single banana tree can grow as tall as 10 feet and its large leaves give your home a tropical feel.

But if you don’t live in a tropical country, you’ll need to know how to store banana trees for winter. Keep on reading to learn more about overwintering bananas.

 

Banana Trees in Winter

Banana leaves won’t survive below-freezing temperatures and a few degrees lower than that can kill your plant. The roots of your banana tree may survive in winters that don’t go below 20 degrees F and they can grow a new trunk when spring season comes. But if this isn’t the case, you’ll need to move your plant indoors.

The easiest way to overwinter bananas is to consider them as annuals. Since bananas grow fast in one season, you can plant them during spring and have them grow in your house or garden during the summer season. When the fall season comes, you can let your banana tree die and plant them again next season.

But if you want your banana trees to survive through the winter season, you have to bring them indoors. Placing them in a container is one option, but you can also plant them in a greenhouse to control the climate. Bring your banana plant inside before fall temperatures drop and water it frequently. Keep in mind that your plant will most likely decline during the cold season, but it should stay alive until spring.

 

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Overwinter Potted Banana Trees

As mentioned, your bananas will die when they’re exposed to freezing temperatures. Throughout the winter season, store them in a cool and dark area for them to grow dormant. The banana trees will grow again when spring comes.

Here’s a quick guide on how to overwinter potted banana trees:

 

Step #1

When the banana trees’ foliage darkens during the first frost, cut the stem down slightly above the pot’s brim.

 

Step #2

Afterward, place the banana tree in a dark, covered spot with a room temperature of 40 to 45 degrees F. If you don’t have a greenhouse, you can use a shed or a garage.

 

Step #3

You need to water your plants even when they’re in storage. Make sure the soil is dry before you water it again. And when you do water the plant, don’t soak up the soil with water.

 

Step #4

You can eventually move your potted banana plant outdoors after the last scare of frost has passed. Afterward, return to regular watering and fertilizing.

 

Why Grow Your Plants in a Hobby Greenhouse?

One of the best ways to overwinter your banana plants is to place them inside a greenhouse. It keeps your plants safe and it provides a perfect environment for storing plants. Other than that, here are some of the benefits of growing plants in a hobby greenhouse.

 

Protect your banana plants from harmful insects and diseases

Some of the most common banana plant pests are weevils, thrips, nematodes, scarring beetle, and sap-sucking insects. They are also susceptible to certain diseases, such as bunchy top, Moko diseases, black and cigar tip rot, banana wilt, Sigatoka, and black leaf streak. Placing your banana plant inside the greenhouse reduces the risk of them attracting harmful insects and deadly diseases.

 

Keep your banana plants safe from the elements

While your bananas are dormant, they need to be kept in a room with a specific temperature and you need to keep them safe from the elements. Keeping your banana plants in a greenhouse keeps them safe from frost, snow, heavy rain, and excess heat. Once the weather warms and spring comes, you can relocate your banana plant outdoors if you want to.

 

Ideal for people who want to learn about greenhouses

If you want to learn how a greenhouse works, you can invest in a smaller greenhouse. It’s cheaper and more compact, but it gives you the same benefits as a regular greenhouse. You’ll be able to learn how to operate greenhouses and know the ideal conditions of different plants without having to shell out thousands.

 

Start planting early

With a greenhouse, you can start planting earlier than you intended. Your plants will stay safe and warm inside a greenhouse. When the weather warms, you can transplant them into your garden again. Plus, you’ll be able to harvest your crops earlier as well.

 

Final Thoughts on How to Store Potted Banana Trees for Winter

When the bananas are too big to fit inside your home, you can consider using a mini greenhouse or you can choose to cut the plant down to six inches above the soil. You can also add mulch if you want to and store them in a cool dark place when overwintering. When spring comes, water it regularly to keep your plants alive and kicking for the new season.

Now that you totally understand how essential it is to learn how to store potted banana trees for winter if you live in areas with cold winters, you might want to invest in a mini greenhouse to keep your plants nice and warm during the cold winter season.