Texas Garden Tip: Protecting Bananas

They’re one of the signature plants of tropical gardens so we hate to see them freeze at the end of a season. We want to do anything we can to help them survive.

It’s a simple process. First, let them go through the first killing freeze without protection. Their top growth will turn to mush and fall to the ground within the next 24 hours. Let it wither and dry over the next couple of days.

Trim all the dead stubble down to 15-18 in. above the ground. The plants will be coming back from their large root systems the following spring. You will be working to protect those roots from freezing.

Form a wire cage 15 in. tall and 18-20 in. in diameter around the clump. Fill it with shredded tree leaves or compost to act as its mulch.

You do not want the plants’ soil to stay wet for prolonged periods over the winter, so divert rainfall away from the roots. If necessary, put some type of semi-porous covering over the cage so that moisture can get in but heavy rains will be diverted.

When nighttime temperatures are in the 50s in spring remove the cage and its mulch. Apply a high-nitrogen plant food, and water the plants thoroughly to encourage new growth.

If you’re in deep South Texas all this effort may not be necessary. In mild winters you might need only a short-term covering of frost cloth to keep your plant from freezing.

If you’re in far North Texas (the Panhandle), or if your area experiences extreme cold, it’s possible you could lose a planting roots and all. The good news is that nurseries have fresh supplies at the proper time for planting – April and May.

If you are growing an ornamental banana in a container do not leave it out when temperatures are expected to drop into the 30s. They are less tolerant of freezes than the taller green types, plus you lose 10-20 degrees of cold hardiness when plants are in pots. Those plants will need to be brought into a heated sun porch or greenhouse anytime a freeze is possible to keep their foliage intact and vigorous.