Trouble with Cannas

Hi

Last year I bought some Canna rhizomes to grow in a large pot. I potted them in normal potting compost and fed them a general liquid feed. They seemed to thrive, producing loads of foliage but... not even a hint of a flower.

I stored the rhizomes for this year (now enough for 3 pots) and I would like some flowers this year - any suggestions as to what I might have done wrong and what I need to do differently this time?

Thanks

 

Hello, richarb, and welcome to GC!

Lots of foliage with no flowers is often a sign of overfeeding, although Cannas do like humous-rich soil and feeding. They also require a sunny, sheltered position which would induce flowering.

I don't have to lift mine and must admit I don't think I've ever fed them and have red clay soil, so guess I'm just lucky.

There are several folk here who have Cannas as may be able to help you a bit better than me.

Enjoy the site!

 

Hi I have loads of cannas, most I leave in the ground all year, some I dig up dry off and re-pot in March which I have just done, they do not need feeding till the summer, favourite food for flowering is Tomato feed cos its high in nitrogen and potassium. Plant the pot grown ones out in late May then if you want dig them up again in October, or just leave them in the ground, they will come to life again in June the following year. Good look

 

Thanks for the ideas! I kept them in the pot all year last year - do they need planting out to flower?

 

Hi, again, richardb (sorry, misspelt your name above).

I have one flowering in a pot now and may not plant it in the ground as I've run out of space ... I may transplant it into a larger pot though.

If you keep them in pots, place them in a nice sunny spot and keep well watered.

 

My Dad's got some which hadn't flowered before, he moved them to a very sunny spot in the garden last year and they flowered well - so it seems like position is important, as others have said!