How to Care for Cold Hardy Banana Tree

A banana tree flower

If you desire a tropical-looking garden but live in a temperate climate, consider growing a cold hardy banana tree. Cold hardy banana trees grow rapidly, which means you can plant a little plant in the spring and end up with a large, leafy tropical-looking plant by late summer. Also, once the growing season ends, there are methods to protect these plants through the winter to enable you to enjoy a larger plant the following year.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Composted manure
• Shovel
• Fertilizer
• Knife
• Mulch
• Rake
• Plastic sheeting

Instructions

1. Mix equal amounts of compost and composted manure with your soil in the area you wish to plant your banana. The site should be located where sunlight is abundant during the day.

2. Dig a hole as deep and wide as the pot the banana is in. Place the banana plant in the hole, backfill the soil and water thoroughly until the soil is moist.

3. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (same number for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) at the rate indicated on the fertilizer bag. Spread the fertilizer around the plant from the stem out to where the farthest leaf reaches.

4. Water your banana plant weekly at a rate of 1 to 2 inches during the growing season. Banana plants do not like dry periods and leaf damage may result from long periods without water.

5. Cut off the leaves from your cold hardy banana plant once frost kills the leaves. Cut the stem down to 6 to 12 inches above the ground. A sharp kitchen knife works great for this process.

6. Cover the ground around the banana plant with 6 to 12 inches of mulch after cutting the stem down. Spread the mulch out a few feet from the stem. This mulch layer will protect the roots from freezing during winter. Cover the stem with a sheet of plastic and weigh it down. This will keep moisture away from the stem and roots.

7. Remove the plastic cover and mulch in spring. The banana plant will resume growth from the previous year's stem.

Tips & Warnings

• Failure to cover the cold hardy banana plant may result in rot. Also, the roots may freeze solid which will damage the plant.

References

• CoolTropicalPlants.com: Cold Hardy Bananas
• University of Arkansas: Hardy Banana
• The Banana Tree: How to Grow Banana Plants and Trees