Storing banana plants in winter: Garden Detective
The Japanese hardy banana (Musa basjoo) -- also called fiber banana -- is the hardiest of all bananas. Credit: BriansBotanicals.net
Hardy banana plants reach 12-18 feet tall with ample water and fertilizer, but its fruit, if produced at all, isn't edible. Still, the plant has considerable value in the landscape as an attention-grabbing specimen.
Because your plant is growing in a pot, you should bring it indoors over the winter, because the limited amount of soil in the container won't provide adequate insulation to protect its rhizomes from freezing. It can be kept as a houseplant in a sunny location or under grow lights, as you've done in the past, with reduced water and fertilizer. Or you can opt to store the potted plant in a cool but frost-free basement, occasionally watering only slightly to prevent the soil from completely drying out. If you lack sufficient space to do that, you can cut the foliage off after the first frost, remove roots from the pot and replant them in a container with moist sand. Don't add additional water, and allow the plant to go dormant at about 50 degrees. Good luck!
My second suggestion is to find the nest and spray it with a pesticide, after dark, when all the yellow jackets have gone home for the night.
Finally, depending on the size of your tree, you might be able to wrap it in shade cloth material, which will allow water and sunlight to reach the plant but will keep birds and larger insects, like yellow jackets, out. Look for a product with no more than 30 percent protection to avoid blocking out too much sunlight.
DEAR CEL: Some hydrangeas have been bred to remain whatever color they happen to be, regardless of soil conditions. But many hydrangeas change color depending on the soil's pH, much to the dismay of some gardeners who buy pink-blossomed plants at the nursery only to have them turn blue after they've planted them at home, or vice versa.
Acidic soil, indicated by a pH reading lower than 7, will turn hydrangeas blue. Alkaline soil, with a pH above 7, will turn them pink.
It's a lot harder to turn alkaline soil acidic than the other way around, so you're in luck: To make acidic soil more alkaline -- to make blue blooms turn pink -- all you have to do is raise the pH level of the soil by adding lime. It works pretty quickly and may not have to be repeated for a few years.
To make soil more acidic and encourage blue blooms, however, sulfur must be added. The problem is that applications must be repeated regularly to maintain the lower pH level. Those wishing to attempt this should follow package instructions very closely and carefully.
