Cathy,

Most
gardeners that germinate cannas from seed typically need to delay the process
until late winter or early spring due to cold weather issues. I think you will
find a wealth of information if you use the Houzz “search the Garden Web”
search box for general or specific questions regarding your question. (Top of page)

You may find
the following outside link helpful: http://cannanews.blogspot.com/2010/02/planting-canna-seeds.html

If you need
further assistance please ask.

Kent

Thanks. That blog was very informative. Now I'll google how to store the seeds.

Well I nicked soaked and planted my seeds to no avail. They soaked for about a week. Only swelled a little and they are in soil but no seedlings yet. What have I done wrong? I tried more and used an electric nail file on them until it saw white then I put them in water in a covered plastic container for over a week. Now they are still not germinating. Help.

Cathy, you
may not have done anything wrong but you are experiencing a delay in
germination for some reason:

Soaking
seeds in water for over a week if not changed often or not containing a
fungicide such as Captan can allow a fungal infection to kill the seed embryo.
This is not typically necessary (fungicide) but is more of a preventative
choice.

If your
seeds are soaking in water it is not necessary to keep it covered but it is
important to keep them warm. I am assuming none of the seeds were floating.
Seeds that flow in water are nearly always bad and should be discarded.

We typically
plant the soaked seeds in a shallow tray and cover them with a very moist
sterile soilless medium. We keep this tray covered and damp until signs of
growth (emergence) takes place. We then remove the cover and allow seedlings to
grow until a decent root system is present.

Is there a way
for you to post a photo here of what you actually have?

Kent

I can't post a pic until I refill my phone next week. However, I do change the water every other day. All of the seeds go to the bottom. I'll take the lid off of the cup that's in the cabinet over my stove for heat.

Just an update. No germination yet. Will post pic on Thursday. Changing water. Used warm water. All seeds at the bottom.

Visual update on canna seeds. No germination yet. I'm trying to let these continue to soak. The others (presoaked) I put in soil hasn't done anything yet either. Are my seeds good?

Cathy, I do
not see anything wrong with your canna seeds and assume they were filed sufficiently
to permit water penetration.

This photo
shows what we are expecting.

Good luck,

Kent

Well I won't try any more until I see some type of germination from these two sets. The ones I have planted is still not moving but I will keep them moist and the others in water until something happens.

Finally, one seed has broken and there is a little white coming from it. See it on the top one.

Looks like almost all of them are germinating, Cathy!

I think I will give up on these seeds and start anew. They still look the same. One sprouted a little and after two days of not changing the water they became clamy. I rinsed them off and still nothing. I'll just bury them in one of my plants outside.

Cathy, I sometimes leave the seeds in a cup of water for a month before they all push out the first root! Hang on unless you see that it's moldy

Ok. I'll hang on. They did get clamy because I was out for two days. I have forgotten about them sometimes but I try to change the water every day.

Hello Cathy, I was wondering if your cannas ever sprouted, and wanted to give my 2 cents having started them a few times, I hold them in a pair of pliers and rub them on concrete untill a small bit of the white is showing, about 1/8 inch, then I sow them one each in a gallon pot and water like something is already growing in it. With fresh collected seed Its worked everytime. They come up in less than two weeks with warm soil temperature.

No. They never came up in the water. I still have them in there but I stopped changing the water every day. I have about three more of the same seed to try. I used an electric fingernail and pliers until I saw white. I'll try it again tomorrow your way. I'll keep you posted. I'm also on the lookout in my neighborhood for a different kind of seed. May these aren't good seeds.

Plantman224, Do they bloom the first year? I bought a gallon pot form a local nursery and split them up. I'll take pictures later to show you.

They can if grown in ideal conditions, I usually assume 2 years one to grow into a decent plant, then flower the next from the rhizome. You'll want the be vary carefull about any cannas you buy or rhizomes most commercial ones are virused look up images of what to look out for. Yellow strips and stripes along the leaf vein, white break in the petals. It is spread by sap sucking insects and dividing the rhizome, it's been my understanding that no viral, bacterial or fungal infection is spread via seed but I could be mistaken.

I'd leave them in the pot, just feed them decently. They'll jump after a little fertilizer. They should bloom this year, my previous answer was in regards to the seedlings taking two years. I use regular potting soil and haven't had any issues with them.

Ok thanks. I'll try my other seeds tomorrow (rained today). I'll keep you posted.

Plsntman224, Are you still here?

Yes why yes I am. Just slow in checking my email. Whats up?

I'm collecting seeds again and hoping my aunts have some. Have you any yet?

Yes. Ive got a ton of the robert kemps. (Red ones pictured above, collected before the hurricane) Also got some of the native yellow water ones, as well as some tiny flowered red/yellow ones from a botanical garden I visted in july. If you'd like me to send you some you can email me your mailing address. My email is my username + @gmail.com Or private message me? I haven't set up a swap/sent seeds in a while (from before houzz got gardenweb)

Those are beautiful!! Do they come true from seed?

I just sent you an email.

Im not sure, the native yellows should as they are just a species variety. Ive never seen the tiny flowerd ones before. ( havent gotten around to starting any to see if true) but i like to think that for the most part the cannas self pollante and they were rather isolated.