Banana trees can survive our winters
Steve Chadwick grows banana trees — out of doors.
Yes, out of doors. The City of Toronto gardener has become something of a celebrity in his Beach neighbourhood because of those trees. You can see them every summer, flourishing in his front yard on Southwood Dr. They churn out leaves that are “as big a park bench,” he says with a laugh.
But the really surprising part is what happens now. Unlike the rest of us (who give ourselves hernias hauling heavy pots of tropical specimens indoors for the winter) Chadwick leaves his bananas outside, to brave the elements. Even more surprising, they don’t mind.
Is this is another indication of global warming?
“Yes and no,” says Chadwick. “Mild winters help, for sure. But there are new varieties of bananas called Musa basjoo that adapt well to cooler climates. Mine, for instance, are native to northern Japan. Others even come from the Himalayas.”
Chadwick got interested in bananas nearly a decade ago after reading a book by Ohio-based horticulturist David Francko called: Palms Won’t Grow Here And Other Myths. He reasoned that if Francko could “go bananas,” he could too, because he lives close to Lake Ontario.
“I have a micro-climate in my garden. It’s probably a Zone 6.5 or 7 because of the lake effect. And I’m sheltered from northwest winds, with a lot of sun. Bananas like that,” he explains.
They also need space because their roots spread and keep sending up new shoots, nicknamed “pups.”
“You need at least four feet square to grow Musa basjoos,” he says. “And if the pups stray out of bounds, you have to slice them off the main root mat when they reach about two or three feet high.”
Chadwick now does this at the end of every June and plants a couple of pups in pots. He then brings them indoors in fall as a security measure, in case his outdoor specimens do succumb to cold.
So far, though, they’re thriving. And he recommends these steps to make an outdoor banana tree survive Canadian winters.
In fall, after the first frost, cut all the foliage off. Remove the entire trunk too, right down to the ground.
Spread a tarp over the whole area to make it waterproof. This is necessary, he says, because water staying around the roots during a thaw, then freezing again when cold temperatures return, may damage the roots. (This is a hazard with many perennial plants, too.)
Pile about two feet of mulch all over the tarp. Any kind will do. Chadwick simply recycles his banana leaves.
Cross your fingers for heavy snow cover. It offers added protection.
Finally, the growing season is too short here for bananas to mature in time.
But having this tropical beauty strutting in your front yard may bring you five minutes of fame. After all, it’s happened to Steve Chadwick. Sonia’s latest book, The Untamed Garden, has won Gold from the U.S.-based Garden Writers Association. More at soniaday.com