Q How should I overwinter my banana outdoors?
ANNE SAYS This is a fine specimen of Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’, the red Abyssinian banana, and yes it does need winter protection. I would obtain a roll of hessian and, when temperatures drop, but before the first frosts, cut away the leaves and create a frame of stakes or canes around the main stems. Secure a cage of chicken wire around the stakes and pack straw in the gaps between plant and wire. Finish with a wrap of hessian, securing fast with pins to withstand wind. Some gardeners also put a ‘cap’ of polythene over the top. With luck and not too bad a winter, the plant will return to growth after the covers are removed in late spring. Failing that, it will probably sprout from the base. If this all seems like hard work, young plants are not costly and grow quickly.