Canna ~2013~

I saw this Canna being sold in Wilko's on sale for £2.50 last week, might have to have a look and see if there's any left

 

Sounds interesting, but most of my Canna have now set seed, however they are all grown together so is it conceivable that some that were flowering at the same time may have hybridised?

 

Bilbo shame i didn`t had the idea early .....I will have a go with what I have , mine are all late ..my garden is facing north so no much of sunshine and all the flower are always late .

 

I've still got a couple coming into flower, I suppose the key will be getting to them before the insects when they open and manually pollinate them??

 

Hybidisers usually remove the male parts from from the seed bearing flower as soon as it opens, before it can produce pollen.
I'm pretty sure, although not certain, that most species plants are self fertile, which is why they produce so much seed.
Some but not all of the hybrids are sterile.

 

I will have a go , of course we don`t know if it will work , it doesn`t cost anything try
I`ll do mine tmw

 

You have shown us cracking display this summer bilbo
Pete,your Kreta is lovelyx

Can i ask..When are the seeds ready for collecting?

 

Hi Joolz, thanks for the kind comment

The seed pods are ready for picking when they turn dark brown, almost black, something which they can do very quickly after seemingly being green for a long time, so best to keep an eye on them. Once they turn colour they will naturally split after a few days and drop the seed so you need to get them before that happens.

Once picked I pop them on a windowsill for a day to dry them out and then pop them in the fridge, labelled of course

 

The seeds are large, so if you can cover the seed head with something (old stocking?) that will catch any that fall.

 

Just a side line, but I found a self sown seedling on the alotment this June, it was a couple of inches high and I noticed it while weeding the onions.
I think it is C. speciosa, as I grew them last year and seed was abundant.

 

I was trying to make my first cannas hybrid .........funny but I can find the stigma

anyone have any idea? how how to make a canna hybrid?

 

Its that flat blade like part inside the flower.

 

Ok , just the part I`ve cutted off , beliving that it was the anther ....

overall that can be a problem , all of my stigma where already covered in pollen , when they are closed they touch each other . ..... any solutions?

 

I think that was what I have found.
In effect the flower seems to have self pollinated before it even opens.
I'm sure a hybridiser would take the flower apart before it even opened and remove the stamens before they form pollen, leaving only the stigma, the petals are not needed.

 

Took a chance on buying my 2 canna Australia's from the local shop, I think it may have the virus.
It's growth seems to be stunted and nowhere near as tall as some on here.
They are about 2 foot
On closer inspection the leaves have loads of yellow spots on them, lets see what you wise people think?