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Cannas grow seedless pods

5 years ago

My beautiful yellow cannas have been developing huge pods that are either seedless or contain only a small shivered up seed. Any clues about what is going on is appreciated. They were grown from a mail order rhizome supplier in Oklahoma.

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Comments (4)

canna2grow
5 years ago
Do you know the name of the variety?

Kent
jane_comer
Original Author
5 years ago
No Kent. I wish I did. I am a newbie. Had I thought it important at the time, I would've kept this information. This is the second year of having them. Last year, I had the same problem, but not on every single flowering set or every seed pod, (only about 1/2 of the pods were seedless last year). I'm not seeing any bugs but the pods seem to be drying out or browning unevenly. (If that makes sense - sure seems to be the case, but maybe I'm looking too hard. lol)
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OK. Maybe I've got it all wrong. When the pods (which are red--although this may vary-- I suppose) turn brown on the plant, they are full of small black seeds. Once the pod dries up and opens up one can collect the small seeds inside. What I don't have clear yet is...if these are not the seeds, then, which are the seeds? I have grown Castor beans for a couple of years and all I have seen is the red pods full of small black seeds. Wish I knew how to post a picture here to be more explicit. Now I am really confused--maybe that is why I can't germinate them--maybe they are not the seeds after all. Thanks so much for discussing this.
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crsliz, I think there are as many ways people store their Cannas as there are Cannas. I grow most of mine in pots and I bring the pots and all in to the basement after the frost takes the leaves down. I give the soil a good washing with the hose. The Temp in the basement is between 50 -60 degrees. There is very little light. I water my pots about a 8 oz glass of water once a month, Just enough so they do not dry out. They start to sprout in March and I usually can put a good size growing plant outside at the end of May. You have to experiment and see what works for you. I just do not have time to dig up plants so any tender plants I grow are grown in pots and are used on the Patio, and Deck.
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canna2grow
5 years ago
Jane,

Last year, I had the same problem, but
not on every single flowering set or every seed pod.

I think you may
be growing C. Yellow Futurity. This hybrid cultivar does produce viable seed at
times during the average growing season. Depending on environmental factors
often pollen transfer is unsuccessful or the fertilization process is interrupted.
Pollinators may be absent or hot dry weather may affect viability during pollen
transfer. Much of this is out of the grower’s control. Your other observations (drying
pods etc.) are normal and expected. You will likely see more seed production a
little later in the year.

Keep in mind
that any seeds obtained will not produce seedlings identical to your parent
cultivar but a genetically distinct unnamed new hybrid cultivar.

Kent
asclepiad_fan
5 years ago
Is it possible you may have a triploid plant? This is, for instance why bananas are seedless. I read somewhere that the red and green striped canna hybrids are seedless. There was a bunch of them in a nearby garden from which I could never get a single seed.

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