Canna's on the move

Pete, your lovely Cleopatra has started to flower for me. Just red at the moment, but there are several more buds to open yet.

Exactly how do you overwinter the rhizomes? I was anticipating cutting all the growth back and burying the rhizome is a pot of slightly moist compost - frost free of course. But under those circumstances there would be no question of aphids. So you must be doing something different.

 

Peter, if the plant is pot grown, I just allow to dry out, then cut back the main stems, I often leave small new shoots if only a foot or so high.
They then take off quickly in the spring.

If its lifted from the ground, I like to get they just before the frost, unlike dahlias, dig the plant up with top growth and allow to dry out.
I then cut back similar to pot grown plants and pot up in just damp peat.

They are not fussy, you can do it all kinds of ways, but although they stop growing, I would not say they go as dormant as dahlias, there are always new shoots lurking under the surface or just above.
A bit nearer to gingers in that respect.

 

Thanks Pete - thats very helpful. I assumed that they wouldn't like any frost at all - as you say unlike dahlias. The topgrowth and not going dormant bit implies that they will want some light.

 

As altensteinnii is the only canna I have grown for a number of years its the only one I can really comment on but it has always freely produced ample seed for me; so fingers crossed I'll get plenty this time too, the first seed pods are resembling small conkers :D so things are looking good :thumb:

 

Forgot to say, congrats on getting the Cleopatra flowering.

Well I keep them in a frost free greenhouse, too much heat and they try to grow, as you know, thats not good in the winter.
They will overwinter outside given a good mulch, but rot and slugs can be a problem.
Of course outside you lose all top growth, but the underground shoots must survive.

 

I have not read this whole thread yet, but just to mention that many people on other forums are reporting that their canna's are infected with a virus, and that some garden centres and stores are selling virused canna's knowingly

herewith a link explaining what to look out for:
Hart Canna

 

Cleopatra (courtesy of Pete). Even without the flowers - the foliage is glorious.




This is from seed sold as C. tuerckheimii. It looks slightly different from Bilbo's altensteinnii - much more floppy and banana like. It may just be the conditions. But its still a lovely plant - but no real height on it - perhaps 5 foot. Its in a big pot, which is raised up a bit which makes it appear more.

 

Thanks pete , I will lift the rhizomes in November and store in the garage with my begonia tubers , as you said in a post above. How would I split the rhizomes ?

 

Like little conkers :D.....the seed pods are swelling fast and looking good :thumb:

 

Harry, in early spring depending on how much heat you have you can either clean the rhizome off a bit and cut between shoots, making sure you still have some older rhizome attached to each.

OR

Another way is to get it into growth, and once new shoots start coming up and are about 6ins tall, cut them off below soil level with a sharp knife.
Its best to know that the new piece has its own roots before doing this, so a little bit of careful excavation is a good idea.

 

pete thanks for the advice on how to split the Rhizomes.

Peters ,how many C. tuerckheimii do you have planted there ? It does look like a banana plant , huge leaves !

 

Harry - there are two plants from seed.

 

Thanks Peter , I am compiling my short list of cannas for next year. The controlling factor is going to be the logictics of how much room I have in the house before they can go into my potting shed. And then how much room I have in there until they can go outside. They do take a bit of room up !

 

Well the weather may be going down hill but these beauties are still growing well and they have a few more flower buds coming; at the same time the seed pods are very fat, one has started to split and I can just see some lovely big seeds inside, not quite ready yet though...:thumb:

Height wise they are just about the same height as the conifer hedge behind them which is somewhere between 9 & 10ft...

Interestingly the clump in the picture is made up of the ones in the ground and the ones in pots that I had to move along side them for more shelter when we had some strong winds last week - there's now no difference between the two...:thumb:

 

That must be a very sheltered place Bilbo. I can't believe how intact and perfect your leaves are. Mine is great fun and I love it to bits - but there is no sign of a flower let alone seeds.