Blog: Saving plants for another season
Tropical and sub-tropical plants look at their best when mature and that’s why overwintering banana plants is so important. Their huge leaves are a staple of the exotic garden, and although not straightforward when they’re huge, it is achievable.
My bananas (more on them here) are just small enough to be carried into the greenhouse or conservatory to overwinter until being started into growth in spring. The biggest three – Ensete ventricosum Maurelii (Abyssinian Red), Musa basjoo and M. lasiocarpa (‘hardy’ flowering Chinese banana) – are in lightweight Root Pouch containers.
UPDATE: After a trial with a thick mulch of Woolch (made from Cumbrian fleece) from Grazers, I managed to successfully overwinter Japanese hardy bananas (Musa basjoo) outdoors. Read more on this method.
These large eco-friendly bags are made from recycled pop bottles. They have sturdy handles so you can plant them in beds for the season and simply lift the whole thing out when the weather turns.
The smallest, a Dwarf Cavendish, is ironically planted directly in a heavy pot, so it had to be dragged into the greenhouse. Even though my Abyssinian Red made it indoors, it only did so when I cut off the foliage. It looks very forlorn! Bananas will keep growing if the temperature is high enough, above 10°C. I keep mine fairly dry and cool under glass to send them into dormancy.
However, if your Musa basjoo is too heavy to lift, there is another way. It’s hardy enough to stand this treatment:
Overwintering banana plants – Cut off the leaves
After the first frost (or just before it is forecast), cut off the leaves. Blackening of the foliage or dry, cold conditions will trigger dormancy. Use sharp secateurs or a knife. The cut must slope away from the stem to stop water from running into the pseudostem and causing rot.
Wrap in horticultural fleece and hessian
Using horticultural fleece, wrap the plant and secure it with twine. Add hessian on top and tie it, making sure there are no gaps.
For really cold areas, build a chicken wire frame
Hammer three or four stakes around the plant, 15cm away from the pseudostem and build a chicken wire frame around them. Fill the cage with dry straw, packing it tightly. The straw will keep excess water and ice from reaching the growing point.
Overwintering banana plants – Apply a watertight cover
Place a waterproof sheet over the top of the structure. Secure it in place with twine or cable ties. Now that’s how you go about overwintering banana plants!
Overwintering banana plants updated 2025
