If you averaged your winters lows over a 15-30 year period, which is what the USDA does, I think your area would be a solid 7b, but nowhere near an 8b or 9a. Not even Virginia Beach gets a solid 8b and is consequently still a zone 8a on the USDA zone map. Microclimates aside, you could possibly have to deal with 7a and even the ever more rare 6b temp in that period of time. Atlanta has even had zone 6a temps in a 30 year period. Milorganite is fine for the Trachy too and I use it in addition to palm fertilizer. I would up pot the bananas in a month or so and fertilize again. Musa Basjoo is corm hardy in our area and even futher north, so it can be planted in the ground and left out for the winter. It will grow much larger in the ground than in a pot anyday.

OK you guys are freaking me out. I want to plant them in the ground, but if they're going to die, I won't. I didn't do anything special. They're in pots that are still getting too small for the size of the plant already. Generic "Bushel Stop" potting soil with some Dynamite fertilizer. They do eat fertilizer. A little fish stuff, a sprinkle of palm stuff occasionally. They don't care. As for communicating, I look at the plant, then the pot, and realize it needs more room. Especially something as fast growing as a banana. So I put 'em in a bigger pot. I should get these in the ground now. Need more room to grow. I had one in full sun, one in afternoon shade and one in full shade. I moved them together for the photo and realized they were all the same. Surprised me. Barb, I can only think that yours are planted in too fertile or too loose a potting soil and are drying out too quickly. and attracting the kind of compost eaters you described. Give 'em more fish emulsion (nitrogen) for a short while, may finish decomposing the compost? Work some native soil into the rootball? Keep 'em watered thoroughly. We had a dry and windy spring here too. They suffered, along with the rest of my garden. Now I'm afraid of what's gonna happen to them when I give them their permanent home.

crystabel "pups" are baby banana plants that develop off the mother root. They are under the soil I believe as 'corms' and then form their own roots after a bit. they pop up with green leaves above the soil very close to the Mother or original banana tree. From what I understand, a banana tree will fruit only once, but keeps producing babies to carry out the life of the plants. Does this make sense?? Linda, that concoction sounds YUMMO! Cliff, THAT"S why the Mockers were around my banana plants this spring! I never realized the mockingbirds were actually taking strips of banana fronds for their nests. I always leave a bunch of string, lint, twigs on my potting bench in the spring for the birds to help themselves, never realizing they were in the bananas for a reason!

Well, I just have to sing..." Happy Birthday to Me - Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday to Me - Happy Birthday!!!" Wait a minute its not my BIRTHDAY. It sure does feel like it!!! Vanessa: Thanks for all you've done!! Marcia: Thanks for picking up my babies!! Felix: Thanks for babysitting!! I'm so excited! Picture me doing the birthday dance and singing..."Happy Birthday to Me"... Priscilla