I haven't any experience with the banana, however, I'm overwintering one inside because I didn't realize that I could have left it in the ground. I potted it and now have it in my garden room that gets most of its light from overhead and a bit from the northern exposure. Long story short...for a while it sat there with one leaf and one leaf that hadn't unfurled. The tag said that it liked water...so...I started to water it weekly....the leaf unfurled and now another one has started to pop out. I'm so happy because I love this plant. Try keeping it at least moist. (LONG STORY!!) Margaret

kypalms, I assume you've been to William's nursery on N. Preston Hwy on the south side of Louisville? About a week ago I passed thru Louisville on the way back to Alabama after visiting family in Illinois. I stopped in there & had a nice visit with Brian and purchased a Saba & Thai Black banana & several alocasias & colocasias. It's quite an incredible place.....I hope to get back up there sometime in the summer when everything he has planted out is growing full blast.

Musa basjoo should be hardy there! But don't mess with it now! Wait til spring! They won't make the winter if you disturb it now, mulch it good now, wait til frost knocks the leaves out and wrap the trunk. I'm going to protect my hardy naners with lawn and garden bags stuffed with leaves, stuck right down over the trunk! That'll help keep it dry! Once it wakes back up in spring, slide a knife between the parent and the pup, you need a decent sized chunk of corm to get the pups to take...it's easy Good luck!

You could use an insulating material around the stems up to the growth point and cut back dead leaves as needed. With those temps you're quoting, I wouldn't be the least bit surprized to see unprotected pseudostems remain intact with only the leaves getting frosted. You've seen how fast they grow so even if they do die down ... Cheers.