I am housesitting for a home where the gentleman has been deployed. We live on the coast in SC......I would like to prune his banana trees.....all the leaves are dead.......how do I do this.....is it the correct time of year......I do not want to kill them so want to do this correctly.
They are in his front yard........not dwarf b trees.

im still new in the nana world, however i trim mine back when a leaf dies.( my nana trees are in the house, not outside) so this is what you can do...take a pair of sharp scissors and wash them in like an anti- bacterial soap. make sure all the soap is rinsed off. cut the leaf back just to where it meets the stem. dont pull it off, cut it off. you can either throw the dead leaf away or you can start a compost pile with the dead leaves. its shouldnt hurt to trim the leaves back now,but if you leave the leaves on there they are added protection in case you get a freak freeze. i would leave them on till spring is in full swing, then trim back all the dead, but the choice is yours. if you decide to cut the leaves when you are finished, wash the scissors with the anti- bacterial soap to have them ready for the next time. hope this helps.

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I've never used any soap, just pruners, a machete or sometimes a knife from the kitchen.

If they are shredded but green leave them - more green equals more growing.