Our of readers, Marge, asked, “Our banana trees froze for the first time here in sunny Orlando, Florida. What can we do? Cut them back? Can they be saved?”

It all depends how cold it got and for how long.  If your trees are a good sized clump and it wasn’t cold for that long, there may be enough for the plant to insulate itself.  In that case, let it be and simply clip any dead materials as they develop.  On the other hand, if it got really cold you’ll  need  to cut down the stalk (if the tree survives, new plants will come from the root system, not from the  stalk).  You’ll also need to mulch it heavily.  Placing bales of hay around the plant is a good idea.  Cut the plant half way down the trunk or level to the bales of hay.  If you have pups near the bottom, cut their leaves off and cover the plant with another bale of hay. The banana plant will go into dormancy. In the spring check for growth when night temperatures are above freezing.  Afterwards, remove the bales or unravel them around the plant to decompose as a compost mulch to retain soil moisture for the rest of the year.

In these tough economic times, the banana is proving to be a winner with consumers and investors alike.

“Bananas are a staple and a great value compared with other food items,” said Chiquita CEO Fernando Aguirre, who described the fruit as “recession resistant.”  “A banana sells on average for only 30 cents. Nowhere else in the grocery store can consumers find such a great value.”

Market analysts agreed: “Bananas are a low-cost item for consumers, “said Carla Caselle, analyst with J.P. Morgan, New York.   “People don’t consider not buying bananas.” 

Generally speaking, Ms. Caselle said a recession environment means food sold in supermarkets performs better than food sold in restaurants.

And it appears that the banana may be outselling all of them.

Chiquita Brands International (CQB) stock has rebounded strongly from a low of $8.58 on November 14, 2008 and is currently trading at $14.65 – a rise of 70%.