Most growers on this island don't every fuss over them in the Winter. If the mn. temps. get cold enough they will freeze to the ground and bounce back in the Spring. Myself, I bubble wrap only the trunks in late Oct. I leave them that way until mid March or so, then I unwrap. You will achieve maximum height ou of your Basjoo if you do this. Don't worry about protecting the leaves, because the first killing frost will knock them back. I planted my bananas in 1989. Good luck, Banana Joe

Mulching probably adequate for large ones most winters. Jerry at Jungle Fever Exotics once told me small first year plants require more consideration. I wouldn't leave the Musaella out to freeze up solid in the pot, that's just asking for trouble. Maybe move it into the garage if a frigid spell comes, then back out later. Roots of all plants much less hardy than tops, new roots even more tender than old. The gardening version of checking a horse's teeth is knocking a plant out of its pot and looking at its roots. Too often you will find many of them dead, even though the top is intact.

Thanks for the feedback--I really appreciate it. I think I will heavily mulch one of them and let the other two fend for themselves this winter and see what happens.

The golden lotus "banana" has gotten huuuuge this year. I must admit I'm not a huge fan (but I haven't seen one in bloom which would probably make me a convert), but I'll probably take pity on it and schlep it in and out if we have serious freezes. We'll see.

Thanks again,
Grant

My biggest problem has been from rot.

I would be afraid that plastic would keep the moisture in and promote more rot.

I would like to find a way to protect the trunk AND keep rain from running down from the top into the plant.
And to keep the soil at the base drier.

Mine is on a slope but the soil there is very water retentive. And in the mild winter the plant keeps fairly actively growing and pumping more water up from the roots to the top. If I cut any leaves off, the leaf stem keeps pouring water out of the cut edge. I wish the leaves WOULD die back and dry out at the first freeze.

In the past we have completely lost the main stem to the base and deeper to complete mush, but had some pups grow back the next year.

In the past we have not done much except to run out at the oncoming of a predicted bad freeze and then try to throw covering over it. I would like to do something ahead of time this year since we have a very nice trunk this year.

I was hoping there is some type of woven matting that would insulate and shed rain that could wrap the trunk yet some air could still get to it.
And then also something to make a cap for it. Oh, and a ladder for the slope so we could reach it--and...yeah, yeah, dream on.....

I have M. sikkimensis. I wait until about November then dump leaves on it to about 18" deep, but of course they settle and decompose over winter. Usuaully the larger trunks will rot out but all of the small ones tend to live and grow large enough by the end of the following summer. Musaella did not grow well for me; it tended to rot out. I had M. basjoo for a while; it seems to require more sun and water than M. sikkimensis, though it is somewhat hardier to cold temperatures. If possible, I think it is best to use oak leaves to mulch bananas and similar plants, because they don't get quite as soggy.

All I have done is heap several garbage bags filled with leaves around the bottom, this has worked for three years now, and is very easy. Hope this helps.
Cindy

I have a mature grove of basjoo which I do not protect at all in the winter. After the first frost the leaves turn brown and hangdown covering the trunks this seems to do a pretty good job insulating against frost damage. My banana's do benefit from radiant heat since they are close to the west side of my house. I also have a musella lasiocarpa which I cover every winter with a tomato cage wrapped tight with a tarp.