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.