Care and Remedy for a Frozen Banana Plant

Cold Tolerance

• Frost will kill the leaves of a banana plant and temperatures that fall below the mid 20s Fahrenheit may kill a banana plant. The roots may be killed at 22 degrees. The extent of the damage will depend on how cold it gets and the length of the cold period. A banana plant may be frost nipped and regrow its leaves in the spring. Even plants completely frozen to the ground may renew in the spring. Established banana plants weather cold snaps easier than a young banana plant. Take particular care to protect a banana plant from cold during its first year.

Care for Cold-Damaged Plants

• If a hard freeze damages the banana plant, cut the trunk to the ground and apply mulch over it 6 to 10 inches deep. Use leaves, shredded bark, wood chips or straw. For further insulation, cover the mulch with plastic or a tarp. Remove the plastic or tarp in the spring. The banana plant will re-grow if the roots have not been killed by the freezing temperatures.

Freeze Protection

• To protect a banana plant from freezing temperatures, build a cage constructed of mesh wire around it to provide insulation. Make the cage slightly taller than the banana plant by a few inches. Fill the cage with insulating material, such as mulch. Wrap the cage with plastic. Open the plastic at the top of the cage to allow for air circulation during periods of milder temperatures during winter.

Ensuring Survival

• In areas where the winters routinely experience freezing temperatures, it may be best to dig up the entire plant, including the rhizome, and store it in a dry, heated area over winter. Remove the banana plant’s leaves before doing so. Remove the small suckers from the plant and pot them indoors in peat for overwintering, as well. They can be replanted outdoors in the spring.