I have read about musa basjoo. Apparently, in climates such as zone 6 they cut to a couple of feet near the ground (in fall) and insulate really well and the plant survives winter. I take it as long as the ground doesn't freeze around the roots it survives and the plant seems to get bigger and better each year. Another way to go about it, according to the banana forum, is to cut off some of the leaves and dig up the plant and store in a cold room or crawlspace. It has a corm that can be stored similar to cannas or other bulbs (but you keep the stem attached).

Anyways, last spring I started musa esete (Ethiopian Banana) from seed. Grew it in a pot on the deck all summer, and overwintered it in a window indoors. Ideally it should be a sunny window but for me it was a bright north window. I watered very sparingly, in fact it's amazing it didn't droop from lack of water. Now I am trying to adjust the plant back to outdoors on warm days, which are few and far between.

As for musa basjoo. I have a couple of plants started from seed. I think this one is more suited for storing in cold storage, but if worse comes to worse I may just grow as a houseplant for the winter. I think providing as good light as you can and watering sparingly goes a long ways.

The advantage to overwintering each year as oppose to starting new plants from seed is that they get larger and larger as they mature.

Glen

P.S. apparently musa esete and musa basjoo are more suited to cold climates as well. They keep growing longer into the fall despite cool weather.

I grew a red banana for a few years (abyssinian). It was only about 6 inches high when I got it, like a piece of grass but it grew very very quickly. I put it outside in the summer and in the winter I brought it indoors. First couple of years I put it in a shed with a small heater and just watered very sparingly, enough so it wouldn't die. The last year we moved so that winter I had it in my living room which has huge south facing windows and 12 1/2 foot vaulted ceiling. It went crazy and was touching the ceiling, the leaves were enormous. I put it back out in spring and didn't bring it in again (long story). It was very beautiful. I'm ordering another one!