Banana plants come from the tropics and need a warm and sunny climate all year round. In our latitudes, even the “hardy” varieties freeze to death after a prolonged period of frost. With a bit of luck, however, you can save the frozen bananas.
What to do if the banana is frozen?
In many cases the banana is justfrozen above ground, so you can still save the plant. CutIn the spring,all dead plant parts, if necessary just above the ground, and wait for the hopefullynew growthoff.
What temperatures can bananas endure without freezing?
Most bananas freeze to death at temperatures well above 0 degrees - the tropical plants need constant heat and lots of light. Therefore, bring the pots into the house when the thermometerfalls below 12 degrees Celsius, strong winds and / or continuous rain begin. Winterization should take place in October at the latest!
Only some varieties of theJapanese fiber banana(Musa basjoo) are considered “hardy”, which is why they are also known as garden bananas. But here too, the leavesfrom minus three degrees Celsius and the remaining parts of the plant die from around nine degrees Celsius. As a rule, the plant sprouts again in spring - provided the roots are intact - despite the frozen above-ground parts of the plant.
When will the banana sprout again or has it frozen?
After removing the cover - between March and April depending on the weather - the banana shouldfrom approx. Grow out again at the end of April to the beginning of May. However, this time is not set in stone - depending on the temperature and sunlight, new growth can occur significantly later!
If your banana is frozen above ground, you shouldwait and seeafter pruning. As long as the roots are intact, the plant will sprout again. This can take some time and above all you have to protect them from possible night frosts in the spring!
Can you save a frostbitten banana?
Whether you can save a frozen banana depends on itsroots: You can simply cut off the above-ground parts of the plant again. With a bit of luck the banana will sprout again. But then it also grows very quickly: the plants manage an average ofone centimeter per day! To ensure that new growth is successful, you should fertilize it with organic material after pruning. Mature compost or a high-quality universal fertilizer (€12.00 on Amazon) are suitable.
In addition, dying banana plants often form children - even without flowers - which you can cut off and plant separately. As a precaution, you can also take cuttings in the fall and overwinter them indoors.
Tip
How do you protect bananas from permanent frost in winter?
Unless you live in a wine-growing climate, the likelihood that even a “hardy” banana will freeze to death in permanent frost is very high. Therefore, covering with leaves and straw is not enough in very cold winters! In cold regions, cut the plant back heavily and place a composter with half-ripened compost (which is always refilled!) over it.
