No plant supply optic impact quite like a canna does ! No matter your case of garden , you may cover the tropic feeling and vivid coloring material of the canna lily . From growing in containers , dividing rhizome , to deadheading the flowers , I ’ve bugger off all the answers to your canna care questions !
Even my showery , peaceable northwest garden can feel like a tropical oasis with the add-on of some canna lilies . These absolute stunners bring incredibleheight and dramatic play to the garden , with lustrous flowers and large leaves both doing a job well done .
Below , I ’ll tell you exactly how I plant my canna lilies and care for them throughout the summer . And yes , you’re able to evenpropagate and store them throughout the winterfor next year ’s garden !
Photo courtesy of Flowerbulbs.com
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Meet the Canna Lily
Do n’t be befool ! While it may have “ lily ” in the name , canna lilies do not belong to thelily family . Canna spp.is a genus with 10 mintage of plant . But like lily , they come in an array of striking coloursincluding red-faced , pink , orangish , sensationalistic , and creamy white , all of which hummingbirds ca n’t get enough of .
What really make the plant stand out is thatthe leaves are equally as gorgeous as the blossom . like to a banana tree industrial plant , they have wide , foresightful farewell that are to a great extent vein . fresh leaves come wrapped up tight before unfurling amongst the soused buds and flower shuck .
And while many gardeners ask for canna lily bulbs , what they ’re really looking for are rhizomes!Canna lilies are not true light bulb and instead grow from rhizomes , modified stems that store nutrients and buck up stem .
Canna lilies aretender perennials , unfearing in zones 7 - 10 . In cold climate , they will demand to be delve up and winter . The plants grow an impressive6 - 8 feet talland bloom in the summer fromJune to October .
Canna Lily Varieties
You ’ll find a wide of the mark array of blossom colouring material and folio pattern when it comes to the canna lily . Here are just a few of the standouts for me .
How to Plant Canna Lilies
While you may plant canna lily seeds , it ’s best to rise them from rhizomes . The seeds have low sprouting rates and require more than the median homework work before you’re able to even embed them . rather , look for potted canna lily or rootstalk .
The more eyes the rootstock has , the bigger the plant will be . The eyes are modest emergence bumps on the rhizome . Look for large , plump , steady rhizomes with at least three eyes .
Plant the rhizomes 2 - 3 in deep . Be careful not to plant them too deep , or you risk stunt their growth . The centre of the plant should point up . Space the rootstock 18 - 24 inches aside . Canna lilies do n’t like to be crowded , so space them out from other plants too . Add mulch on top of the ground if you ’ve planted them outside .
If you survive in a cool climate , you may part your rhizomes indoors 4 - 6 week before the last rime . ensure you do n’t found them until the risk of frost has fully passed . A right formula of thumb is to implant them when you plant yourtomatoes .
After 10 - 12 weeks , you should start to see some of the spectacular blooms . Canna lily will flower their first yr !
Container Planting
Canna lilies also do super well in expectant planters . As reasonably large plants , they should be in containers no smaller than16 inches in diameter .
big , heavier potswill help prevent the plant from getting too top - ponderous and toppling over in the wind . So , if you ’re looking for an self-justification to get the big ceramic skunk of your dreaming , take this chance !
Canna Lily Care
Canna lilies do n’t ask much precaution , but there are still some tricks you may take out out of your sleeve to get some bigger , better flower than others on your block !
Sun Requirements
Canna lily love full sun . While they can also survive in partial nicety , they prosper in full Dominicus . Give your canna lily at least four hour of Dominicus .
If you subsist in a hot environs , endeavor to supply some spook from the raging afternoon Dominicus to annul burning or drying out your canna . Sensitive to cold and hoarfrost , they can hold up temperatures up to 90 ° F .
Soil
In a perfect world , your canna would enjoy acidic soil with a pH from 6 to 6.5 . However , they do well in most acidic or neutral land . The most important aspect of your soil is tonotlet it get too squashy and provide proper drainage if in a container . Otherwise , you may be looking at antecedent rot .
Not sure what your grunge ’s pH is ? Use this simpleat - habitation pH testand discover out .
Water
As a tropic , canna do well in warm and humid conditions . If you ’re experiencing drought conditions or drive less than 1 inch of rainwater per week , give your cannas some watering .
When it ’s really spicy , a proficient soak every other day is a good idea . However , do n’t permit your canna posture in soggy soil .
Fertilizer
With such magnanimous and wonderful blooming , it makes sense thatcannas are big feeders . If your canna is in container on the patio or indoors , prey them monthly with a obtuse - release fertilizer or every other week with aliquid fertilizer .
If planted outside , a good dot ofcompostis all you need to give your canna lily the nutrients it postulate .
Pests and Diseases
With such lovely waxy leaves , the plant life is fairly fungal resistant . The big matter you may see with cannas is caterpillar . The canna leaf roller lays its eggs in the stubble of the flora which can depart a webbing that prevents the leave from unfurling .
Other than the caterpillars , you may also notice grasshoppers , snails , Japanese beetles , and rust fungus .
Deadheading
To get as many blooms as potential , you ’ll need to do somedeadheading . Once the flush have gone , you’re able to abbreviate off the stalk with sharp shears or a tongue . BUT remember that each prime stalk will bring out roughly 2 - 4 capitulum of blooms .
Cut the fagged bloom down until the next side shoot . When the stem no longer produces any more spindle of flowers , you’re able to remove the whole stem .
Most of the time you wo n’t require to back the blooms to keep them upright , but you may want to in visionary region or to keep the plant life tidy attend .
Propagating Canna Lily Rhizomes
Want more cannas ? Canna plants are fantabulous at reproducing by stool plenty of rhizomes . In fact , you should divide your canna every few years to help prevent it from overcrowding .
In other spring or spill , cautiously delve up the entire plant once it has finished blooming for the twelvemonth . Do not wound the rhizomes or female parent plant .
Trim the growth above to 1 inch above where the stems adjoin the rhizomes . Clean off the extra soil from the rhizomes by brushing it off with your hand .
With a sterile tongue , swerve along the spliff between new and old rootstalk . Each firearm require at least 1 heart , though it should ideally have 4 or more .
If you dug up the plant life in other spring , you’re able to plant the raw rhizomes right away . Otherwise , store them for the wintertime .
Storing Canna Lily Rhizomes
Once you ’ve dug up or divide your canna lilies , you want to separate each rhizome from one another . Wrap in paper and some growing medium such as coconut coir or vermiculite . This helps to forestall waste and take in wet .
Store the rhizome in adry location that wo n’t pretermit below 40 ° F.A garage or basement commonly cultivate best ! Every once in a while , check on your rhizomes . Give them a light spray of water to preclude them from incur too juiceless . But do n’t keep them crack moist . Throw out any rootstock with rot . Do n’t interest , not all of them will make it through the wintertime !
Frequently Asked Questions About Canna Lilies
As tall growers , canna lily forge well as a focal power point in the garden or along marvelous borders . In containers , place them either in the center to be look up to from all sides or in the back . make full it in with annuals in complementary colours , going from grandiloquent to shortest . Great annual admit snapdragon , begonias , marigolds , pansies , elephant ears , dahlias , and cringe jenny ass , to name a few .
Canna lily incessantly bloom throughout the summertime from June to October . Typically , you will start to see blooms 10 - 12 weeks after plant the rhizomes .
Canna lily are tender perennial in USD geographical zone 7 - 10 . Any cannas raise in gloomy zones will need to be dug up and winter or grown inside .
agree to the ASPCA , canna lily arenontoxic to dogs and cat . Despite their name , they are not a genuine lily and are dependable to grow in a pet - friendly house .
expend a needlelike tongue or shears to transfer any spend flower spike . Keep in mind that each radical will produce approximately 2 - 4 ear of blooms so be careful not to remove the whole stem until the stem no longer create any more flowers . Until then , simply reduce the flush spindle until the next side shoot .
Canna lily grow well in full sun , needing at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day . They can grow in fond shade , but you ’ll get the most blooms and happy canna lily plants in full sun .
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