Has anyone brought their Cannas out of their winter storage yet?

19 years ago

I was wondering who, if any, have brought their cannas out of their winter storage yet? I checked mine the other day, and they were all fine ( even though I wrapped them loosely in recycled plastic shopping bags, wrapped those in paper bags, and put those into cardboard boxes. We had quite a controversy over that on last fall).

It will soon be time to start getting the tubers under light, and beginning to grow if we want to make cuttings.

Has anyone started yet?

If not, when will you start?

I am particularly interested in zone 5 gardening, but others are encouraged to respond as well. That way, we all learn.....together.

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Comments (14)

Bexz_Dopey
19 years ago
I just baught some canna seed and am soaking them now. I will start them inside in a couple of days. As far as winter storage i live in the mohave desert of Arizona, so I am not sure about that. This is my first time owning cannas and I am excited. If anyone thinks it is too early please let me know.
aachenelf z5 Mpls
19 years ago
Zone 4-5 here. Last year, I started mine around the 25th of March and they were perfect size when I finally put them out in the garden. I start them out on top of a radiator (with a board underneath so they don't cook) and then move them to a south window. About two weeks before I transplant outside, I move them to an enclosed porch where they receive more sun. I've been using this method for a few years now.

Kevin
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These comments on overwintering roses may or may not be helpful: [Roses should]...ideally, be provided by a bright, cool location. This is not what is usually available in our homes. A garage that is constantly held in the 20FÂs to high 30F degree range will work. Even though it will probably be dark the plant will be dormant at these temperatures and not need light because the leaves are probably off anyway. The soil should be moist (not wet) to begin this storage period. Check once in awhile to see if a little water should be added to moisten the soil, but since the rose is at a very slow respiration rate in these cool temperatures, over watering can easily rot the roots. I am over simplifying a lot of this for brevity. If you would like to enjoy the rose with any buds that it now has in the house, place it in a sunny location and water and feed it until it is done blooming and/or exhausted and then toss it into your compost bin. This is basically treating a perennial like an annual, which I how many people treat hybrid tea roses and other plants that can make it through some winters, but struggle the following year to put on much of a show. Cutting back roses depends on what type of rose you have and what you plan to do with it. Hardy roses left outside over winter should not be pruned at all in the fall - with damaged and dead stems trimmed in spring. The rest depends on the size of the space you have to over winter. If you have lots of space for your roses, then leave them tall which retains more of the carbohydrates for over wintering energy and trim in the spring. Oh, did I mention letting the roses experience several frosts to help it get the message to shut down, drop leaves, and move water in the proper places in the plants tissues before they are stored? This is a bit tricky too, because to frost too hard all at once is too much, too. Having the leaves drop off naturally is the idea, but you can also hand pick them off to keep things tidier and shut the plant down that way, also. Again, I am over simplifying and hope to give you the idea of what happens in a few words. --Debbie Hinchey, Alaska Rose Society President. Here is a link that might be useful: Comments on overwintering in cold climates
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My cannas shriveled up sitting in plastic bags sitting in a proper root cellar over the winter. I grabbed them all filled up the laundry tub with semi warm cold water and threw them in the tub for a week to saok( I think this is good especially for the water loving cannas). After that I pulled them out and threw them on a piece of cardboard on the basement floor - They are still sitting there waiting for me to pot them up. After the soak the tubers came to life again showing nice healthy white eyes - I do recommend this to anyone thinking their Canna may have bit the dust. I will probably pot them up in the coming week as we are having a bit of a cold spell this week and have no place to put them. Next year I will try to find large paper bags - I think plastic bags hold to much moisture with the possibility of rotting the tuber especially with the dampness of the cellar. I may try the bark mulch idea. Cheers Jeff
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Linda, Thank you for asking. Yes, I confess. I love cannas. In my climate, there are only a few people I know that can leave them in the ground year round and I consider them magicians with microclimates. The rest of us must store them over winter somehow. I prefer not to dig mostly out of laziness. You are exactly right about the bubble pack and brown paper. Brown paper for darkness and bubble pack to provide some insulation since my garage is not heated. Once they all green up, I will pull out all the brown dead leaves from last year and clean them up. In late May, they will be able to stay outside all day. For now, the canna trolley it is. I also gave them some kelp water about every 3rd water. And this year, I gave them a sprinkle of milorganite because I read that it can give you huge cannas. I don't know all the variety names that I have. I never really kept track. I do know that I have Bengal Tiger which I bought last year and a yellow one called Harvest Yellow. I actually found that out by posting on this forum which was so fun! I have a red one, a hot pink one, and I have a dwarf variety as well. The pots are pretty full and I should probably divide. I did divide the yellow one last fall so I'm waiting to see how that turned out before dividing others. I don't have the best pictures of mine, but promise to try to get better photos this year. Harvest Yellow - photo taken August 2016 (this one blooms really late)
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cantstopgardening
19 years ago
I brought mine in last fall in their pots, after the foliage got nipped by some light frost. They went in a partially heated 'sort-of sunroom' that stays above freezing in the winter. The space has southern exposure, but the cannas were tucked underneath the workbench with our rabbits cages on it.

A week or so, we noticed new growth sprouting up. I haven't watered or anything yet, but I intend to bring them up from under the workbench and water them this week. The sprouts are about six inches long. This was my first year growing cannas, and I grew them in large pots, so they could be moved around as decorations for my daughter's luau birthday party.

I think I'm hooked.
Gwyn
19 years ago
I had intended to plant mine right after Christmas however did not get around to it. Did this weekend past in a big pot and have put near a sunny window.
However this will be my last try - these particular rhizomes have not flowered for me for the last 2 years.
SO hopefully this year.
nansgarden
19 years ago
I started mine today in pots, I saw a container using canna and I have to try it.I am not sure if this will work. My plan was to start them in the greenhouse so I will have blooms . I live in zone 4.They get beautiful foliage but we get a frost before they actually bloom.
Do they need light or dark to force them to start? Any feedback would be much appreciated.
jroot
Original Author
19 years ago
My understanding, nansgarden, is that they need HEAT.

A number of my friends have started their cannas already here in Zone 5, Ontario, Canada. I haven't taken mine out yet, but today did start my dahlia plants. If I can figure out WHERE I can put them, I'll start them soon here. I guess that I should be maybe putting them into my wife's studio. I'm sure she'll love that. LOL
prairie_love
19 years ago
Hi,

I am in zone 4 (3 in bad years). Last year I started my canna tubers indoors March 1. That was too early - they were a bit bigger than I'd like when I finally got to put them outdoors (last weekend of May). This year I will be starting them *tomorrow*! (Mar 19). I start them in big pans under grow lights. When they get too big to fit under the lights I move them to a sunny window. Seems to work just fine.

Nansgarden - you should be able to grow them in Colorado unless you're in the mountains. Even then, it should work. Our last frost date here is May 31, and we usually have our first frost mid-Sept to early Oct. Cannas flower great for me. They don't get as tall as in southern gardens, but still, they do well.
peatpod
19 years ago
Hi Jroot .. we seem to have alot of the same types of plants :o) I took my cannas out of their winter beds this week. I too have an issue with lighting but in the past I have started them under lights and then moved them to the floor and keep them close to the grow lights. I needed to keep turning them to ensure they grew fairly straight but they all came up and did very well for me all year. I am finding that the more tropical I get in my gardening .. the less room I have in my house :o)

Laura
wyndyacre
19 years ago
I took my cannas out of their winter storage around the beginning of the month and put them in my greenhouse (heated to 55* at night and gets quite warm during the day-75* plus depending on the sun). I store them in a dark, cool room in my basement. Just left them in clumps with some earth still attached, in a wooden tray. I cut them up into pieces when potting up and got 2 dozen, 6" pots of Peoria and Tropicana. Several weeks later, they are all growing shoots and some have leaves of 6".
vickster257
19 years ago
Since I have been procrastinating lately and just glancing at a sign stating "Plant cannas today"; that was about 2 weeks ago, maybe tomorrow. But this is what I tried last year: Since I have two cartonfuls of mixed cannas, Tropicana, Inferno, a shorter salmon pink type and yellow, layered with peatmoss and a few dahlias, calla lilies and elephant ear. Each canna was set into a large plastic baggie (freezer type) with some soil and watered lightly. They are lined up in the garage on a cardboard lid. When the weather begins to warm up I will bring them out for a couple hours and then back into the garage daily. It seems like much work but it is definitely worth it. And then they are planted into large containers, urns and into the garden as the weather is more canna-friendly. They are gorgeous and make me feel like I am in the Tropics!!

Vicki
ptmax
19 years ago
Hello Jroot
I checked my cannas two weeks ago and they are still dormant in the garage.I stored them 3 to a box in peat.I plan on potting them up in shallow plastic pots in the greenhouse.The night-time temps are still too cold dropping into the low 30's and daytime temp in greenhouse 80*plus.Maybe another week or so.
PTMAX
peatpod
19 years ago
Well .. Ive started!! Now I need more room and light!!!!! I have already potted up 68 and still have tons more to go. Geeze louise!!! I really have to wonder about this obsession I have for tropicals :o) I need a greenhouse!!!

Laura
jroot
Original Author
19 years ago
I know the feeling, Laura. Brugmansia all over the place, Dahlia all over the place, Elephant ears taking up valuable window space, not to mention my oleander, ... and no room for Canna. Today, I took out to the garage, most of my Brugs, and the dahlias that were up and sprouting. I think this week some time, I'll start on the canna. I checked my several boxes the other day, and they weren't sprouting yet, but looked like they could any day now.

Oh, for a green house ! sigh !
peatpod
19 years ago
Last night I potted up another 18 and ran out of appropriate sized pots. So now Im up to 86 .. and I still have more!! I have resorted to cutting water jugs in half to use as pots :o)
The moral of the story .. make sure you mark all of your cannas and plant only one kind in one area!!! Once I know whats what I will be trading like a mad woman!!! Heck I think a canna plant sale is in order!!! And to think I have ordered MORE!!!

Laura

Has anyone brought their Cannas out of their winter storage yet?

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Bexz_Dopey

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Has anyone brought their Cannas out of their winter storage yet?

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