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Musa Basjoo in Containers over winter
Hi everyone, I was wondering if someone might be able to give me some advice about how to water musa basjoo (potted) over winter (in UK). For context, I have a young plant about 3/4ft tall in a 28ltr terracotta pot. Because the area i live in can get very cold frosts, my plan is to bring the plant into a porch to protect it. I am planning on taking off the leaves, wrapping the psudeo stem in fleece, mulching over the top and also possibly wrapping the pot. But one thing I don’t understand is what condition should the soil be kept in? Should I keep the soil moist? Or should it be kept more on the dry side? I feel like I am a bit clueless on what I should be aiming for with the watering. Many thanks for your advice! I really want to do a good job!<div>
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8 Replies
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I saw a video that said that you should completely shut down your plant for the winter, that is, remove the leaves and any especially juicy stems, cut off the roots, and then wrap it up and leave it dormant for the winter. But, there are videos that cover dealing with basjoos that are in the ground, and that was to cover the root mass with straw or some form of insulation to survive the winter.
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Thanks Cubbie, I had no idea you could cut the roots off. I have only seen than done on an ensete banana. As a beginner it’s so easy to mess things up especially with these type of plants. Thanks for your advice!
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Hi @Mary . I think your are right, the cutting roots off method is for Ensete. Musa basjoo is root hardy down to -10°C, meaning it will survive and quickly regrow from the ground. If you want to protect the height that it has achieved this year you can wrap the stem in horticultural fleece over winter. Musa basjoo is a VERY resilient banana plant. Mine survived -5°C last winter with no protection at all 😁
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Thanks Craig, I have learnt so much about tropical style gardening from your YouTube series. I was wondering do you have any advice about how to water a potted Musa Basjoo over winter? Does it only require minimal watering? I’m guessing there is a risk of root rot over the winter months.
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Hi Mary, yes I would only water a potted Musa basjoo minimally over winter if it is brought indoors. Probably once a fortnight just to keep it ticking over. Allowing the surface of the soil to dry between waterings. 👍
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I didn’t mean to imply that I was giving advice, I was only referring to the things I’ve seen online about overwintering banana plants. I don’t have any experience in overwintering banana plants, mine are tropical strains that are growing in a tropical to subtropical environment at high altitude. My banana plants are indeed evergreens.
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No worries 👍😀 You must have such an interest array of plants in your climate. The growth rate must be phenomenal as well?!
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Yes, of course any kind of tropical plants can grow in Hawaii overall, but I live at 3,000 feet, in a dry area, so I don’t have the full range of tropicals at my home. Here at home, I can’t grow cacao, coconut or breadfruit, because it’s too cold. But yes, I see coconut and breadfruit trees when I drive down to sea level. At my place, bananas, papayas, pineapple and coffee do just fine. But I don’t currently have pineapple or coffee plants. But I do have Tea plants, Camelia sinensis, and they do fine, though I’m too lazy to take proper care of them.
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