How to Take Care of Banana Trees in the Winter is part of the Ultimate Guide to Banana Tree Growing.
If you don't want to lose the plant when the temperature drops, you need to plan carefully.Even though both plants grow in the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, an occasional heavy frost can damage or kill your plant unless you take the proper precautions.
There are USDA zones 5 through 10 and Musa 'Orinoco' if you need a more cold-hardy variety.
Banana plants can be damaged by freezing temperatures, which can kill the plant's foliage.Banana plants don't die completely in freezing temperatures because their underground rhizomes are still alive and they come back to life in the spring.If the temperature drops below 22 F, or if the freeze lasts for a week or more, the rhizome may die along with the leaves.
Bananas can be protected depending on their size.If your plant is small, you can cover it with blankets in the event of a cold spell.If you want your banana to live through the winter, you have to dig it up, place the root ball in a black plastic bag and leave it in the basement or garage.To prevent the plant from drying out, keep the soil around the root ball on the dry side and only apply small amounts of water.You can replant the plant in the spring if you cut it back to 4 inches.
If you have enough space, transfer your plant to an indoor location for the winter, give it direct sun for 6 to 8 hours a day, and water it once a week.If you can't grow a container plant indoors, cut the foliage down to the soil level after the first frost.In areas with mild winters and only one or two days of freezing temperatures, leave the container outdoors and protect the soil with a thick layer of mulch; wrap the pot if a heavy frost is predicted.For areas with continual heavy frosts, dig up the root ball and store the plant as you would an in-ground plant.
The dwarf Cavendish banana (Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish'), which grows well in a container, is located in USDA zones 9 through 11.