Canna 2016

Mine are soooo slow this year . Most are up though so that's a plus

 

Planting my Cannas out in the garden this week . Also I collected last years planters from my Daughter in laws to replant them . The cannas had grown to nearly 12" , with no winter protection (C Bengal and C Tropicana ) Got me thinking am I too cautious , would Cannas overwinter in a flower bed with a heavey mulch as protection ?

 

Next year I won't leave them in the garden , a bit too risky . I will try them in my unheated greenhouse . At least this will save having a dozen £1 buckets around the house from March !

 

All cannna experts, I need your help please.

I grew a few cannas from seeds last year and they were taken into our shed over winter. Three of them still have no sign of life.

This morning I took 2 out of their pots to have a look. The rhizomes are firm, no sign of rot but no sign of growth either.

I have put them back in their pots. But the questions are:
Why haven't they started to grow and should I keep on hoping or just send them to compost bin?
Thanks.

 

Think they might be dead, very wet by the looks of it, thinking they have rotted, although there are some parts the rot hasn't reached yet.

By now they should have reasonable sized shoots at the very least without any protection.
I've got one that has been outside all winter, in a pot, and noticed a flower coming already on the new growth.
Its a short variety, but makes me think yours are not going to shoot.

 

My gut feeling is you are right.

Yes, they are quite wet due to all the rain we have had recently. Now this prompts me to ask a following question: when do you start to water them - when they show growth or give them a little bit to help them to wake up? And I take it that the answer would apply to banana plant as well?

 

I usually start to give a small amount of water on mild days in March. It doesn't take much at that time to get them going. A lot depends on how warm the plants are, so given artificial heat you could water slightly earlier, but I dont bother.

Its amazing how plants tend to catch up once the growing season gets going proper.

 

Canna paniculata in bloom today................


It spent the winter outdoors but seems totally unharmed.

 

My first to flower this year, the plant has spent all winter outside in a pot, I thought it was dead until about 6 weeks ago.
Its called "Kreta", really short and good for containers.

 

My Cleos have now succumbed to the Canna virus, they were perfect last year but the purple leaved ones (black) are untouched. The Cleos will have to go unfortunately.

 

Ive just check mine,they seem ok for now,its been so wet and full of flys,midges and bugs i doubt i will dodge the virus another yr.
Some of them are munched up and wind battered bless..