Most people will protect the pseudostem over the freezes in order to keep the mother plant as large as possible.
I believe that if it keeps dying back to the ground every winter, it is like starting from scratch, and the main plant will not produce any flowers. If you have room you may just want to dig them up for those few weeks and put them in pots, that way you keep all the stem and when you replant, they should take right off.

Posted by Shollie "I believe that if it keeps dying back to the ground every winter, it is like starting from scratch, and the main plant will not produce any flowers"

That's what I had figgered. I am going to grow Dwarf Orinoco and dwarf red (Cuban Red banan tree) next to my garage's south facing wall in a raised bed 14' long and 3' wide, and sheltered by the neighbor's house from winds so I feel that I can overwinter the p-stem in that location with perhaps a bit of wrapping.

I am also going to grow a Goldfinger and Icecream plants out in the open in my yard and a 3' Super dwarf mini plant by my pond. I have Philodendrons and canna by the pond that keep coming back, but die to the ground each winter. I think the frost is what gets them before any freezing temps.

I should be able to protect the 3' plant without problems (along with Philodendrons and canna too) but I will prolly have to dig the taller varieties and store inside unless I can wrap the p-stems on them somehow. I'm thinking burlap, bubble wrap, or Christmas lights.

If I can wrap them, do you think I should cover the ground around them with plastic too so they get little to no water on the roots while overwintering?

Thanks!

Hi Jeff, You have a microclimate going for you, but you have to remember that not all bananas can be overwintered in the ground, most are not cold hardy at all, there are 2 types that are cold hardy and can be saved by wrapping and those are the Lasiocarpa and the basjoo.
I do think the best thing you could do is just to dig them up and pot them, that way your are not just "tossing the dice" so to speak. Maybe someone who knows more than I will chime in.

Thanks! I will plan to put them up overwinter in my shed. I love the look of the plant, but would like to eat the bananas too.

At least 'Ice Cream' and 'Dwarf Orinoco' should be able to survive the winter no problem (they will not truly die). If the soil they are planted in drains well and doesn't stay cold and wet all winter, your banana plants should be fine. If you want to be sure of saving the main stalk of each plant, construct a cage around it and fill it with leaves or wrap frost blanket around the stem. I hope you get fruit and healthy plants!