The last time we had a hard freeze in baton rouge for a couple days, my banana plants in the ground (5’-8’ varying from plant to plant) all collapsed and a couple weeks later I cut them about 3” above the ground with a machete. They came back and grew to the same height this year, which is good. My question is, for best growth in the spring, should I leave them as is and have them grow back naturally, should I hack them before the freeze, or should I do just like last time and hack after the freeze? I’d like to keep them growing each year.
TIA

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Posted by Zappas Stache

Utility Muffin Research Kitchen

Member since Apr 2009

38788 posts

Posted on 1/13/24 at 4:22 pm to TronWall

Cut back after freeze like you did before.

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Posted by cgrand

HAMMOND

Member since Oct 2009

38955 posts

Posted on 1/13/24 at 10:48 pm to Zappas Stache

and don’t discard the cut stems and leaves that shite is gold. Feed it back to the bed

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Posted by Thecoz

Member since Dec 2018

2558 posts

Posted on 1/13/24 at 11:13 pm to cgrand

This is my first year with banana plants.
I read to trim the dead leaves but leave the trunk. The new growth will come from inside the trunk and that is the growth that will produce the fruit.. you cut it down after they produce fruit because the stem is spent and you need another pup ( offshoot) to sprout out and grown to get new banana .. they need at least one winter survival to produce fruit.

Am I misunderstanding something.. I am hoping to get my plants to produce fruit..

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Posted by Hankg

Member since Feb 2011

631 posts

Posted on 1/14/24 at 1:18 pm to Thecoz

When it gets in the 20’s at my house there is no saving the trunk on mine it seems. They start to sour and rot. I usually just cut them back to the ground after the freeze is over. Seems like one time I was lazy and took a while to cut them back and they just started to fall over / “melt down “ if I remember right.

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