Canna help

Not plastic pots. These Cannas are badly congested and the root ball is above the compost so cannot wash the compost out.

I have had success with Cannas not being hit from frost. I made the big mistake last year by using compost as a mulch, but what happened this formed at the top, so the compost was level with the lip of the pot, so when I watered the water would just run off and not get soaked into the pot, hence why I used bark this year, which I can just move off and put into the compost bin.

One advantage of cutting an old canna up into four bits, I could put them deeper into pots, so gives better frost protection, if my other 3 ones do die. Time will now tell, but think they have had it and then I see green shoots appear, which is a glorious sight.

It is tight to get the Cannas out, the pots they're in are inexpensive, think they come from Morrisons, but still I do not want to break the pot, if the pots is going to break I might as well leave them where they are.

 

I do like the Indica Canna may give that one a go!!!

I have just looked on the J Parker website, I also like the Canna Tropicanna Black, if I buy 2 I get the 3rd free, which sounds a good offer, so £7 each or 3 for £14, but then get charged £5 postage, it seems expensive, is this a expensive way to buy? Would these be virused as Caroline above states, would these be cheaper in a Garden Centre/Nursery are these also virused?

 

@GreenFingeredPete I may be being pessimistic! But I know that a few years ago, virus was a bit of a problem. Maybe the suppliers are better now. If you want to see a range of coloured foliage, then specialists will have them eg king humbert

 

Personally if you dont want to buy from a reputable supplier like Hart Canna who specify their plants are virus free I would wait and buy from a garden centre around May time, when they have potted plants in growth and you can check the leaves for virus.
Of course you wouldn't get quite such a range of varieties to choose from.

Regarding potting, I think you need to bite the bullet and get your existing plants out of those pot this spring, one way or the other, they have been in the pots too long already, if left they might even break the pots themselves, it does happen.
Treat it as a lesson learnt, and to move on to bigger pots or split up each year before they get that pot bound.

Who can say if they will be virused, your guess is as good as anybodies unless they state virus free.
No, its not overly expensive IMO.
But wouldn't you prefer 3 different varieties? I would, as you know they bulk up quickly and next year you will have pot fulls of three different varieties to split up.

 

I have to checkout the Hart Canna website, think someone mentioned it upthread and I forgot about it.

 

I've just looked, looks like they have closed down????

 

Not sure? They have 2024 catalogue. Probably worth phoning to check. The chap who runs it stopped for a while when he was Nottingham university nurseryman, then reatarted

 

Others seem to have covered most of your points but,
you claim to be an apprentice gardener so,
Consider the option of inverting your pots and soak with hose through the hole in the bottom. It may let you poke with hose or a suitable cane to eject the plants.
Always be on the lookout for pots, from retired gardeners, boot sales,skips, house clearance dealers even your local tip/recycling centre. A pound saved is a pound earned, and can quench the guilt of spending when all else fails !

 

Does look like Hart Canna have closed . I did see recently a large supplier saying they sold virus free stock but I can't for the life of me remember where.

Anyway I've been buying virus free canna off Acre meadow plants , I had to research that I forgot that name as well now I've had a look at their stock now I want some canna's

 

Cannas do suffer from virus problems. Jungle Seeds did have had a good selection, but they've changed hands in the past couple of years and no longer offer them.
Hart Cannas web site is still there and there is a link to an article on the virus there Canna by mail order might be worth a call or an email to find out if they still supply.
Todd Botanics Canna's for sale - Todd's Botanics
Cannas, Aeoniums and other plants for sale
I wouldn't buy from a supplier who didn't specifically say they offer virus free plants.

 

Now let me tell you, my mum bought me a pot about 10 years ago, with a petunia to go in it, this soon turned to annual weeds that self seeded, the came lockdown and because I was classed as vulnerable I had to shield and stay home, when we all had to stand on the doorstep and clap, whilst singing Happy Birthday, I couldn’t see family or friends, so picked up a pair of secateurs and never looked back, that one pot with weeds turned into 80 pots highly curated and choreographed (sorry a euphemism) I am a nightmare for buying pots. I have been known to buy plants just to justify buying another pot to stick them in. I don’t need any excuse to buy a pot and hate breaking them too!!! Turning the pot upside down and watering from bottom is a good one. The only issue now is when I get 1 canna out, I’m going to cut it into 4, so got 3 cannas to come out, so potential of 12 new cannas and 9 new pots.

Saying I hate to throw anything away, so thinking of sticking them in old plastic pots, from plants I have purchased and see if they come back, then stick it on the Close whatsapp group. I just know I won’t be throwing them away.

I probably end up buying 9 new pots!!!

 

I had a few spare cannas and some potted banana plants left over last year, I sold them on my local Facebook page last spring, went like hot cakes.

 

There you go Pete, not only your more advanced gardener than me, you are more advanced on the internet!

Plan to repot my Cannas next week, do you think it is not too early?

 

I'd say its too early unless you have a heated greenhouse, think tropics.

 

Just saying about buying different Cannas, I don’t want to spend a lot on it, as I cannot overwinter them, so they have to remain in the pot and take their chances. The four Cannas I have always survived the winter.