I guess that depends on the person and what your climate is like right now.

I my case, I just couldn't wait! This was our 2nd winter with the Basjoo in the ground and last year, we thought it was a gonner since it didn't come up until (I think) sometime in May (if memory serves). But it finally did come up and grew, although, not tall last summer.

The first winter, we did the cage thing with plastic around it and all that stuff.

But last fall, I figured that I'm not going through all that.

So I cut its leaves off and leaves from some of the potted ones and covered the plant with that. On top of that, we threw about a foot of mulched maple leaves on top of that and on top of that, lots of loose maple leaves.

Well, today, I just had to see what was going on under all that. I carefully moved everything and to my great surprise, OMG! the plant was alive and already pushing up 2 pups!!!

So, if you don't expect any more extreme lows, perhaps any time now. If you still think lots of cold will happen, perhaps wait another week or 2.

Good luck on that and I hope you have great success. :)

Thanks Blondboy for the info. We still have some snow on the ground, so I think I'll wait a while longer. Hopefully we will get warmer soon. I guess I can alway cover them with a box or something if we have a cold spell. I have 4 more in pots as back ups. Thanks

I live in south Jersey and I plan on uncovering the same day that I uncovered last year. Sunday, April 20th.

Last year they had already started growing under the Tarp but, I believe it actually gave it a head start. This year, I had covered the same Tree plus 2-3 large Pups and I cut them much higher. I can't wait to see whats going on in there.

Heres a link to my post on the Tropicalesque Forum.

Danny

Here is a link that might be useful: Uncovering Bajoo's

Danny,
Thanks for the link to your pictures. I hope mine look as good as yours when I uncover them. I also covered mine with an old towel. Maybe thats the trick for survival. I'll let you know how they look. April 20th sounds like a good time. I guess I can wait 4 more weeks, I'll try to control myself.
I'm not a real patient person. I'll keep saying to myself "Don't do it!!! You'll be sorry!! LOL
Thanks for the help.
Linda

I'm in Zone 5 and I'm going to wait until at least late April. As I understand it they really don't grow until the soil's warm so there's not much point in uncovering them early. I'll peak a few times if I can though. Of course I've never successfully overwintered one yet, maybe this year! We have snow coming tonight...sigh

Iam in z6,Cincinnati. I to am going too wait until some time in April (probably late April) to uncover my basjoo. Ive come toooo far now, to hurt it with this sometimey weather! And it could snow in APRIL!!!!! Arggggg!!!lol

This is my 1st spring with my bananas, and I figure that I'll uncover my basjoo when my body clock says to put in my annuals! Hope this helps!

ITS FINALLY SPRINGGGGGGGGG EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a Great Day! : - >

I'm not sure by my experience but, I have a friend that over winters with basicaly the same method as you. His are always mushy on the top but, the roots under that mess always push up new growth when the temperatures rise.

I did try covering mine with mulch one year. I mounded it pretty high and then wrapped burlap around it. I did not cover it with a tarp or use anything to keep excess water out. I believe that was my mistake. Come spring, all I had was a mushy mess. I think it was possible that the roots were still alive but, I ripped it out and replaced it. I could have given it a chance to come back but, I wasn't feeling that patient as I was really looking for a jump start in height.

I'm planning on posting some pictures when I uncover mine in a couple weeks. Keep a look out for my post. As always, my fingers will be crossed.

Since I started Tarping mine, my results have been dramatically better but, I suppose there is more than one way to skin a Cat. Good luck.

Danny

I think i'll rerout my wintering to a longer stem or half a plant and box them with heat tape around a frame surrounding the tree, and box my windmill palm the same way. I can only hope than under that mushy mess I have that theres a little life left...I guess time will tell. I will post photos soon...Don

Don,

I just posted a similar question to yours in another thread. I'm zone 6 too - in Pittsburgh. I covered mine the same way you did and it looks like mush. It's supposed to be quite nice this week, so hopefully they're alive and will get going a bit. I don't know though... doesn't look good right now. Still, I 'killed' my first one five times last year through various menthods of burning, freezing and mowing and it kept coming back. So, they're stronger than we think. Good luck! :-)

~Deborah

Deborah, Hang in there...one of mine may be showing a sign of life and from everything I have read on this, they are hard to kill...dig around the base about 2" deep with your finger and see if the root is firm...if so, you are probably in luck. Mine are firm and I may have found a sprout cooming off of a root....dig carefully.

UPDATE: Went to dollar general store yesterday and bought a clear plastic box (biggest they had) and covered the entire area of my banana mush...sunshine today and greenhouse temps inside the box brought up 3 starts off to the side of the 2 bulbs (corms)...I assume these are pups...has anyone else ever jump started them like this??

That's worth a try, Wilson.

Here's my banana tree last year. (Its first year)

AND....

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:405992}}

... my banana tree now. Doesn't look too good, does it? :-(

(The green sprouts around it are crocus.)

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:405993}}

I live in zone 8a, and I covered my Musa Basjoo with this pipe isulation, and it worked again this year. I have a new leaf growing out of the top. I wrapped this pipe insulation around the trunk....{{gwi:405995}} I haven't taken this isulation off yet, but I will soon, as the temertures are warming up here. Diana55

checked this morning at 8:00am, 3 more starts, 3 on each corm now... thats 6 in 36 hours...

Here is a photo showing what my 2 year old musa basjoo looks like. Last fall I cut it down to about a foot tall. Then I covered it with leaves for the winter. About two weeks ago I pulled the wet leaf mess off and here is what they look like. I live in Northern Virginia and we really haven't had much warm weather yet. Today was in the 70's, but it still gets in the lower 40's most nights.

{{gwi:405996}}

Those look great compared to mine....

Here is what they looked like when I uncovered them. I covered the area with a clear plastic box purchased at a dollar store and within 4 days I have 6 sprouts coming up off to the side of both stumps.

I noticed some mole tunnel holes going into my leaf protection hopefully they have not destroyed my banana

Jeff

ok, trying once again to post a photo...

ok, here it is...

Here is a link that might be useful:

Well I think tomorrow is the big day of uncovering. I took the day off from work and it's is going to be in mid 70's.
I'll keep a trash can handy to put over the top if it gets too cold. Wish me luck !!
Linda

Almost 80 here today, planted windmill palm, have 8 banana sprouts and planted 13 elephant ears, tomorrow bringing out the 75 year old cactus for the year...it's planted in a wheel barrel...lol.

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll121/wilson1963/Musa%20Basjoo/

Update..... Uncovered the bananas. I don't have any stem left but the roots are very solid. I think they made it. Now all we need is some hot weather.
Hey Wilson, Are you leaving that box on only at night, or leaving it on all day?

I went out this morning to check to see if anything was coming up and yes they made it. I did nothing to protect them this winter, no plastic no mulch,nothing I did not even cut the old stacks down, like I had in the past two winters. They are tuff. I did not protect my Windmill palms either they did get some burning but they made it.

I left the box on for a few days and nights, then took it off during the day and now it's off completely unless iit gets below 40. Took more photos last night, will post them tonight. Pups around 4" now...

I just received my new banana's in the mail today. They look good - about a foot or more tall. I would love to plant them as we've been having such great weather. But, next week it's supposed to get down to 35 one night. The days will still be in the 60s. Should I hold off or will they be okay in the ground? What about covering them if I do plant them? Thanks for any advice.

You could plant them (cover them when it gets cold). They might get sunburned... Mine sat for a month last year before they started growing. Don't expect instant results. There seems to be a transplant shock or something.

plant them cover them on cold nights, they should be just fine. Watered mine good last night w/ fertalizer, seemed they grew 2' in 24 hrs.

Here is a link that might be useful: wilson1963's photos.