- Plant out or cultivate in a pot?
- Overwinter and care for the Japanese fiber banana properly in the pot
The Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo) is commonly considered the "hardiest" of all banana plants. However, this attribution should be treated with caution, because even for this relatively easy-care banana species, temperatures below minus 15 degrees Celsius can quickly become critical.
Larger fiber bananas can be overwintered outside in mild areas, but young plants are better off not
Plant out or cultivate in a pot?
In some regions of Central Europe you can actually admire stately specimens of this banana species outdoors. As a rule, however, these are Japanese fiber bananas, which are spared from strong winter night frosts in coastal regions or in the mild wine-growing climate. However, in most mountainous and cooler regions, pot planting is preferable if you want to be on the safe side. Even in warmer locations, young plants should be overwintered indoors for the first few years and only planted out when they are a certain age. However, specimens that overwinter outdoors should be protected from:
- waterlogging
- severe freezing temperatures
- strong temperature fluctuations
Overwinter and care for the Japanese fiber banana properly in the pot
A warm and sunny location is important for every banana plant from spring to autumn so that the plant can develop well. The pot should be large enough and filled with suitable plant substrate every year. Before moving to the winter quarters, the withered leaves of the Japanese fiber banana should also be cut off. A few weeks beforehand, the water supply and fertilizer are reduced and finally stopped altogether. To avoid an infestation with spider mites, the cool winter quarters should have the highest possible humidity.
tips
Specimens of the Japanese fiber banana that come in over the winter do not always suffer exclusively from unsuitable temperature conditions. Unfortunately, waterlogging in cool winter quarters can very quickly lead to a dangerously advanced degree of root rot. Therefore, plant pots for the Japanese fiber banana should be provided with a suitable drainage layer.