Winter advice

Shaun_spratt · September 2021

Hi all, so not been gardening that long, decided to plant lots of tropical plants last year such as banana (red and green) tree ferns, olives, star fruits and a few others, some in the ground some in pots, I’m going to wrap the ones I can’t move into the greenhouse in fleece which I did last year when they were really quite small, this year everything is massive! So bit of advise
do I still need to water the plants I put in greenhouse ? (As there bigger this year) My red bananas are huge 6ft, I seem to remember watching monty cut his down to the ground and dig it up, is that the best way to store them over winter, or could I cut them down enough to get them in greenhouse? There in huge tubs ?

Thanks for any help

Hostafan1 · September 2021

I move a similar sized red banana into my unheated polytunnel and just kinda ignore it all winter

Fairygirl · September 2021

Hi @Shaun_spratt . Usually - you'd just keep them ticking over in a greenhouse. If you water when it isn't necessary, it creates problems

I think most people cut them down, unless they're able to lift them easily enough [ie if they have another pair of hands] and have enough height to accommodate them. Easier in a polytunnel, unless you have a monster greenhouse.
@Hostafan1 might be able to advise you very well on that

Nanny Beach · September 2021

Hubby doesn't cut down our bananas. They go in bubble wrapped green house,along with agapanthus, citrus, nothing is watered. On very frosty nights they get an extra blanket of bubble wrap. Old brown leaves are removed next spring,then gradually start watering. If they are too big to move,make sure you keep water out of the crown, that's what rots them. The red ensete is much more tender,we lost ours even with these precautions. No monster green house here just 4 different sizes and aspects! We inherited 2,had to add the others as we could fit them in,oh and afford them,!

Winter advice

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