My banana tree looks dead due to a freeze. What to do?

Question

I have a bananna tree that suffered through 3 days of below freezing temperatues . I live in Northern CA. Above ground all the stalks about 6 feet look dead. The frawns are brown and wilted. A few of the baby stakes that are around 1 foot still look alive.

So What should I do to the ones that look dead?

One friend suggested I just cut off the top where I want the head of the plant to grow. He said the root system is usually intact and will send up new shoots. Is this good advice?

Should I cut the head of later or now and where should I cut?

Answer 1

cut off as much of the dead stuff as you can, the last thing you want is to have it start rotting on the plant. This can lead to funguses growing down the plant and killing anyhting that may still be alive.

You also need to insulate the roots and lower portion that may still be alive. Go to your local Lowes or Home depot and get a bunch of mulch.spread it around the plant several inches deep. This will help to keep the lower part of the plant insulated and help to stop the root ball from freezing if temps drop again. Covering it all with a protectivecloth will alos help, but only do this if temps aregoing to drop again as the plant does need to be watered

Answer 2

Here in Georgia we cut our banana trees to the ground. They come back in spring and grow beautiful and healthy year after year. Sorry to here about the freezing temps. there in N Cal. If the baby stalks are ok you can leave them. The mother stalk is damaged and therefore is seceptical to rot and disease, the babies are getting nourishment from the roots not the mother. If you are expecting another freeze you can protect the babies by covering them with what nursery growers use, this is called frost cloth, if you can't find this, make a tee pee over the plant, not letting the blanket touch the plant, but not letting air inside the tee-pee. Hope I explained well enough. Good Luck to you!!!

Answer 3

Leave the Dead, rest for now, then cut it back as Spring arrives. NOW everything is dormant. If the root ball, and the polyps are intact they will push up and new growth will occur. No offense but it's not a plant condusive to your zone.

Steven Wolf
Central Florida

Answer 4

It probably is dead. Wait till it starts to warm up (early Spring) and cut the tree off at the ground. It will come back stronger than ever. It is actually difficult to kill a bannana tree completly. Each year the root system expands and they will finally become a pain in the rear if you don't keep them cut back.

Answer 5

what a waste to burry a dead pig! Cut it up, masak pusas, prepare some bosou, roast some...