Successfully overwinter and repot the banana plant

In summer the banana plant often lingers outdoors. But how is the banana plant successfully overwintered? We have helpful tips and tricks.

All but one type of banana (Musa) come from the tropical to subtropical regions of Asia and the western Pacific region. Therefore, they are used to plenty of sun and warmth. Very few species occasionally see some snow in their homeland. Therefore, the exotic perennials usually cannot cope with our frosty winters. Nevertheless, in our gardens at home you can see more and more planted bananas. The trick here is choosing the type. With a hardy banana you save yourself the annual new purchase and the stress of replanting. However, even the hardest bananas survive the local winter only well packed. We'll show you which bananas survive in the garden all year round.

Variety selection of hardy banana plants

It is hard to imagine that bananas will make it through the winter here too. But the Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo) also survives the Central European winter well packed. There are extra frost-hardy varieties such as 'Nana' and 'Saporro', which were bred for planting in our latitudes. They are also often sold under the name "garden banana". The leaves are hardy to -3 ° C. At lower temperatures, the above-ground part dies and the plant hibernates underground as a rhizome. Temperatures down to -12 ° C can be withstood without any problems. In the spring the banana will sprout again.

More types like Musa sikkimensis (hardiest edible fruit bearing species), Musa itinerans (The 'Burmese Blue' variety is very hardy), Musa balbisiana, Musa cheesmanii, Musa yunnanensis are considered to be conditionally hardy. They tolerate short phases with slight minus degrees, as the species come from the high mountains and sometimes see a little snow in winter. It is possible to overwinter plants of these species outside in regions with mild winters. However, depending on the severity of the winter, it is more or less uncertain whether the plants will sprout again next year.

Hibernating banana plants: optimal conditions

In winter, temperatures can sometimes drop below -12 ° C. In order for your banana to withstand such extreme temperatures, it needs proper winter protection. Proceed as follows for planted bananas:

• Drive four wooden slats into the ground around the trunk
• Wrap wooden slats with rabbit wire or insulating material
• Fix rabbit wire / insulation material with rope
• Stuff the gaps tightly with autumn leaves or straw
• wrap everything with thick, diffusion-open film (mulch fabric)
• Watering: Do not let the soil dry out
• Fertilize: monthly with liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water
• Unpack again when new growth occurs

Insulation boards or old mattresses can be used as insulating material. Instead of mulch fabric, bubble wrap can also be used. Since this is not permeable to air, about 10 cm are left free above the floor. To protect against rain, a rain protection roof made of foil or corrugated bitumen roof panels is erected. Raise the canopy for ventilation in between.

Hibernate bananas indoors

The temperatures in the winter quarters should not fall below 5 ° C for a longer period of time. Most varieties feel most comfortable at 10 ° C. A light cellar or winter garden are therefore the ideal winter quarters. Some varieties like it warmer too. However, your bananas don't like it too warm, because the plants need a hibernation of around three months so that they can sprout again vigorously in spring. If the plants are in heated rooms, they are not granted this hibernation. This leads to a stoppage of growth from a few weeks to months. But that is not the only thing to consider, because when wintering bananas, the following applies: the warmer, the lighter the banana has to stand.

With bananas that are overwintered in heated rooms, our short, dark winter days can quickly become a problem. Because an additional light source is often necessary even at window seats. An inadequate supply of light is manifested by the shedding of leaves. The plants usually recover in spring. The dry heating air quickly becomes a problem with indoor bananas in winter. Therefore, spray the plant with water several times a day and use a humidifier. In addition, the following applies:

• Water when the substrate separates from the edge of the pot
• Check for pests regularly
• Fertilize: monthly with liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water

Hibernating banana plants: should you cut them off beforehand?

The above-ground part of the banana plant dies in severe frost. Therefore, one can confidently anticipate the whole thing. After the first frost, the frozen leaves are cut off and the false trunk of the banana is shortened to about one meter with a sharp and clean saw. This residue protects the rhizome. The cut material is chopped up and ends up on the compost or is used as mulch material. With the right care, the shortened banana can have grown back to a height of three meters in August. How one Caring for banana plants properly should find out here.

Our tip: Sprinkle the cut on the trunk with carbon powder to prevent pathogens from entering the wound.

Repot the banana plants

Banana trees grow at an impressive pace, so the time flies by before a larger pot is due. It's time to do this about every one or two years. However, do not use a container that is too large. Otherwise it will take too long for your banana to take root and gain the necessary stability in the pot. Pay attention to the following:

• It is best to use a clay pot / bucket with a drainage hole
• Lay a drainage layer on the floor
• Fill the pot with substrate
• Do not plant too deep
• Press the soil properly so that the banana sits firmly in the bucket

Banana plants have a very manageable lifespan. After a few years the leaves first turn yellow, then brown, and finally the plant dies. This time can be used to remove the dying mother plant, separate off the runners that have formed and put them in a new pot. But runners are not only formed on the deathbed of your banana tree. Do not let the baby bananas that are forming get too big, but remove them in good time and give them a home of their own. Plants don't want to live with mom forever, either, they want to stand on their own roots.

Tips on Buying banana plants you can read about it in our further article.