At first glance, the canna flower looks like a hybrid of a banana with a gladiolus or orchid. The plant has only two disadvantages: in our latitudes it does not winter well in open ground and there is no smell at all. All other characteristics are pure advantages. The main thing is that the plant is almost never sick, so growing canna will not cause any trouble even for a novice gardener. Canna, for all its beauty and decorativeness, is generally unpretentious, drought-resistant, and decorates the garden with flowering from the end of June until frost.
The canna rhizome branches, growing in breadth. Flowering stems are erect, thick, tall (from 0.6 to 3 m). The leaves are large, powerful, pointed, oblong or elliptical in shape, reaching a length of 25-80 cm and a width of 10-30 cm. The shape and color of the leaves makes the plant attractive even without flowers, but only when the canna blooms, you will understand that such beauty and harmony.
Canna flowers are sharply asymmetrical, bisexual, 4-8 cm in size, the original color is red, but today, thanks to the work of breeders, varieties of yellow, pink, orange flowers have been developed, there are bicolors, with a border and even speckled. White elands are the least common species. The flowers are collected in paniculate or racemose inflorescences. The fruit is a three-lobed capsule.
Cannas growing from seeds
Canna seeds often do not retain varietal characteristics, and not all varieties set seeds, so best way breeding cannas - dividing the rhizome. But if you are passionate about breeding, you can also try propagation by seeds. Canna seeds have a very hard shell, which must be softened before sowing. Scald the seeds with boiling water and keep them in a thermos in warm water for 3-4 hours. Or for 12 hours on a hot battery. Or freeze for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
You need to sow the seeds in February, the soil should be light, the temperature should be 22-23 ºC, the room should be in partial shade. Shoots appear in 3-4 weeks, and when they have 3-4 leaves, plant them in separate pots, in which they will be kept at a temperature of 16 ºC before planting in the ground. Some seedlings may bloom this year, while others will bloom only next year.
Cannes planting in open ground
Canna loves sunny areas protected from drafts, fertile, organic-rich and warm soil. The needs of canna are the same as those of the popular vegetable crop cucumber. The optimal soil composition is: humus, leaf soil, coarse sand and peat in equal parts. Good drainage is a must!
When to plant cannas
In the second half of May, when the risk of frost no longer threatens the life of the plants, cannes are planted in open ground. Due to a possible sharp change in temperature, which sometimes occurs in the spring, the canna in the garden will lag behind in growth for a long time, and in the best case, the flowering period will be delayed, and in the worst case, the canna will not bloom at all.
If you want to get the most out of your canna, make a hot “bedding” for it: a 20-centimeter layer of fresh manure is placed at the bottom of a planting hole with a diameter of 50-60 cm, which will give heat to the roots of the canna and provoke it to intensive growth and vigorous flowering, then cover the manure with a 25 cm layer of soil, moisten it well, and only after that place the canna rhizome in the hole and dig it in.
If the canna bulb has not had time to germinate, then the planting depth should be no more than 6-9 cm. The distance between plants, as well as between rows, should be half a meter. From the moment of planting in the ground until the moment of flowering, it takes from one and a half to two months.
Cannes outdoor care
During the growing season, cannas need to be fed with mineral fertilizers two or three times: granules after watering are scattered around the plants, and then the soil is loosened. For 1 m2 you will need 40-50 g of mixture (10 g potash fertilizer, 12 g nitrogen and 25 g phosphorus). Otherwise, caring for the canna is very simple. Watering is necessary regularly, but moderately, until shoots appear.
Don't forget to cut off faded inflorescences. During the first half of the growing season, watch for the appearance of weeds and remove them in a timely manner. At the end of flowering and before the first frost, cannas need to be hilled very high to protect the root collars from possible freezing.
Canna care after flowering
Cannas also do not need a lot of water after flowering, so watering should be gradually reduced and then stopped altogether. Before the first frosts, the cannas need to be hilled up high to protect the root collars from freezing, otherwise they may rot in winter, and immediately after the first frosts, the canna stems should be cut at a height of 15-20 cm, and the rhizomes should be removed along with a lump of earth.
Cannes breeding
The most reliable way to get cannas that bloom in summer is to divide the canna tubers in early March so that each section has one large bud or several weak ones, sprinkle the sections with crushed coal and dry them. Place the cuttings tightly together in a greenhouse container on the ground (sand), placing the bud horizontally, sprinkle sand on top and spray with warm water from time to time.
Germination is carried out at a temperature of 20-24 ºC; it would be good to slightly heat the container from below. When the plants that have released leaves become crowded, plant them in small pots and move them to a bright room with a temperature no higher than 16 ºC so that they grow and become stronger before planting in the ground, watering them once a decade with a solution of potassium permanganate (2 g per 10 liters of water). You can do without growing at home, but refusing it will greatly delay the flowering period: if you plant ungerminated tubers in the ground, the canna may not have time to bloom at all.
Storing canna in winter
At the end of September and beginning of October, the cannas are carefully dug out of the ground along with a lump of earth and transferred to a place where they will be stored until spring. It is best to store cannas in winter in a cool room with moderate humidity and diffused light. The rhizomes are placed in boxes and sprinkled with peat, sand and earth with sawdust from non-coniferous trees. The humidity of the substrate is preferably fifty percent, and the temperature is 6-8 degrees Celsius. Storing cannas requires regular inspection of the rhizomes for decay: if you find a tuber damaged by rot, cut the affected area to healthy tissue and treat the cut with iodine. Monitor the humidity level and provide rhizomes with protection from sudden temperature changes.
If you are unable to store cannas indoors, you can keep them in the refrigerator until spring. In the fall, the tubers are dug up, washed from the ground under running water, soak for a day in a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate, then dry, wrap each tuber in paper and place it in a container for storing vegetables, checking from time to time whether any of the tubers have become rotten. Some gardeners store dried canna tubers on the balcony in a plastic bucket, sprinkled with dry soil. If it gets very cold, the bucket should be brought into the apartment and placed on the floor under the balcony door.
You can store rhizomes in a pot in the ground at a temperature not exceeding 15 ºC. A glazed loggia, attic or veranda is suitable for this. In this case, the soil needs to be moistened a couple of times a month. If you don’t have frosty winters in your region, the dug up canna rhizomes can be stored directly in an area that is not flooded with water, in a place protected from the wind. You just need to cover the tubers with a twenty-centimeter layer of dry sawdust.
Canna diseases and pests
When the canna blooms, watering should become more abundant, but do not overdo it: overwatering can cause fungal or bacterial diseases, leading to blackening and death of the buds. Sometimes canna leaves are damaged by butterfly caterpillars, and the roots are damaged by nematodes. Use insecticides to control them.
Cannes types and varieties
The ancestor of almost all types of cannas popular today is Indian canna(Canna indica). Cultivated varieties of Indian canna, obtained as a result of many years of selection, are called garden canna. Flower growers divide these hybrids into three groups:
Cannes Crozy
A low-growing species (60-160 cm), the flowers of which resemble gladioli. The leaves, covered with a white coating, have a dark green or purple-bronze tint, and the flower petals are bent. The first hybrid was created by the French breeder Crozy in 1868, and this garden canna was called Canna Crozy or French canna. The best varieties of Cannes Crozy: "Livadia"(up to 1 m high, red-crimson inflorescences 25-30 cm long, purple leaves, blooms from July), "America"(120-140 cm tall, cinnabar-red flowers 12 cm in diameter, inflorescence length 30-35 cm, purple leaves, blooms from July), "President"(up to 1 m tall, bright red flowers in inflorescences about 30 cm long, green leaves, blooms from July), etc.
Cannes orchidaceae
The shape of the flower resembles a cattleya. These are tall varieties (1-2 m) with large flowers (12.5-17.5 cm), the petals of which have corrugated edges. The leaves are green or violet-green. Popular varieties: Andenken an Pfitzer (110-140 cm, inflorescences up to 30 cm long consist of bright orange flowers with red strokes, leaves are brown-purple, blooms from July), Suevia (height up to 1 m, lemon flowers, inflorescence 12x15 cm, green leaves, blooms at the end of June), Richard Wallace (up to 1 m tall, light yellow flowers with red dots in an inflorescence 20-23 cm long, green leaves, blooms from July), etc.
Deciduous cannas
Deciduous (small-flowered) cannas grow up to 3 m in height, have very beautiful leaves of green, purple and violet-green colors, but the flowers of these cannas are small, the size does not exceed 6 cm, and they are rarely found in cultivation. The most famous variety of small-flowered canna is the Durban variety: the flower is yellow-orange, the leaves are striped, pink-bronze-yellow-green - a real decoration for any garden.
Where to buy canna bulbs
The scientific and production association “Gardens of Russia” has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the widespread practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. The association uses the most modern technologies, a unique laboratory for microclonal propagation of plants has been created. The main tasks of the NPO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material of popular varieties of various garden plants and new products of world selection. Delivery planting material(seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian Post. We are waiting for you to shop:
“You, darling, look good in all your outfits” - these words can rightly be attributed to the beautiful flowering plant - canna. Its decorativeness lies not only in beautiful flowers, but also in luxurious leaves.
Kanna is a heat-loving creature that needs full life conditions similar to those in which it grows in nature are necessary. But this does not mean that caring for her is difficult. Knowing the intricacies of growing canna, you can get a wonderful decoration personal plot for the entire summer and autumn period.
Canna comes from countries with a tropical climate - Central and Latin America, Indonesia, Hawaii. In Europe, it began to be cultivated in the 17th century.
Description of colors
Canna is the only representative of the Cannaceae family and has more than 50 species. It is a tall plant – from 0.5 to 2.5 m – with a straight, non-branching stem. It is densely covered with leaves - large, oblong with a pointed tip. They themselves are its decoration. Their color can vary depending on the variety - from dark green to purple, violet and bronze-red. Due to the size and number of leaves on the stem, it is sometimes called a miniature palm. Indeed, the size is quite impressive - from 25 to 80 cm in length and from 10 to 30 cm in width.
The canna peduncle is very strong, so even with high growth they do not require support. The flowers are large (10-25 cm), asymmetrical, the original color is red. But the bred varieties and hybrids today are full of all shades of yellow, orange, and crimson. The least common canna is the one with white flowers.
Canna is a rhizomatous plant. Despite the fact that it is a perennial plant, in our conditions it does not overwinter outside. The main condition for its flowering next year is proper storage of the rhizome during the winter.
Where canna grows in natural conditions, it is used not only as ornamental plant. Its rhizome serves as a source of starch, and the upper green part is an excellent vitamin supplement for livestock.
The most popular types and varieties of cannes and their photographs
Breeders could not ignore such fertile material and, thanks to their efforts, today we have many canna hybrids. They differ in the color of the flower. It is not uncommon now for cannas to have spotted, speckled, or even striped flowers.
Cannas are divided into types, which, in turn, have their own varieties:
- Indian canna - the source material for many years of selection, which resulted in a species called garden canna;
- Canna crosi is a type of low-growing canna that resembles gladioli in appearance;
- orchid cannas - reminiscent of cattleyas. They have large flowers, sometimes with a corrugated edge, and a high stem (1-2 m);
- deciduous or small-flowered cannas. They are very tall - up to 3 m, their main decoration is the leaves. The flowers, on the contrary, are small. But they are rarely bred.
Canna varieties
Photo. Kanna Durban
Andenken an Pfitzer. Canna is 110-140 cm high, the flowers are bright orange with red streaks. The leaves are dark purple. Blooms in July.
Durban. Refers to the small-flowered canna species. Its flowers are yellow-orange in color. Its main decoration is the leaves. They are striped with several shades of pink, bronze and yellow-green.
Livadia. Red-crimson flowers harmonize with purple leaves, plant height is up to 1 m, blooms in July.
Richard Wallace. A flower up to 1 m high with light yellow flowers speckled with red. The leaves are green. The beginning of flowering is July.
America. It can grow up to almost one and a half meters, cinnabar-colored flowers with a diameter of up to 12 cm. The leaves are purple. The beginning of flowering is July.
Suevia. Canna with flowers lemon color in inflorescence 12 x 15 cm, green leaves, grows up to 1 m.
Place for planting cannas in open ground
Growing conditions for cannas should be similar to their native conditions. Of course the tropics middle lane It is impossible to create outdoors, but some conditions can be met.
The choice of location must be approached from the point of view of its illumination, the presence of a spacious free area and the absence of drafts.
Canna not only loves light, it needs direct sunlight. Therefore, the place should be such that there will be no shadow from buildings and trees.
Since canna is an ornamental plant, it needs to be planted where it will be clearly visible. Most often it is used in flower arrangements. As neighbors for it, you need to select those flowers that are not afraid of shadow - after all, canna is a tall and bushy plant and can deprive its neighbors of light.
By autumn, the canna grows greatly, and especially its rhizome, which grows not in depth, but in breadth. Therefore, when determining a place for a flower, you need to ensure a good approach to it in order to dig it up in the fall without hindrance and without damaging neighboring flowers.
The place must be protected from strong winds, but a light breeze won't hurt the eland.
Canna flowers are propagated both by seeds and by dividing the rhizomes.
Cannas are propagated in two ways - by seeds and by dividing the rhizome. The first method does not guarantee the preservation of varietal qualities; it is rarely used, mainly by those who are interested in breeding.
Propagation by dividing the rhizome is the usual method used by all gardeners. It allows you to preserve the properties of the mother plant and is quite simple.
Propagation by seeds
Canna seeds are hard capsules with three nests. Before planting them, the hard shell of the seeds must be softened. You can do this in two ways:
- Scald the seeds with boiling water and keep them in warm water for 3-4 hours. Or put it on the battery for 12 hours.
- Keep the seeds in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
Canna seeds are sown in February in light soil. The container with seedlings is placed in a shaded place with an air temperature of 22-23°C. The seeds will sprout in 25-30 days. When 3-4 leaves appear, the sprouts need to be planted in separate pots and kept at a lower temperature - 16°C. Some may bloom this year, others will bloom only next year.
Rhizome division
In early March, cannas can be propagated by dividing the rhizomes.
If you want to be guaranteed to get a new flowering plant this summer, then propagate canna by dividing the rhizomes. This needs to be done at the beginning of March. A tuber that has overwintered in storage should be inspected for diseases. If it is healthy, it must be cut so that on each section there remains one large or several small, even weak buds. Sprinkle the cut areas with crushed charcoal and dry.
Pour wet sand into the container and place the separated parts on them horizontally with the kidney facing up. Sprinkle sand on top and germinate at a temperature no higher than 24°C. From time to time, plantings need to be sprayed with warm water ( room temperature). Bottom heating of the container will improve germination. When the leaves appear and the sprouts become cramped in one container, they need to be planted. Small pots are suitable for this. They need to be placed in a bright, cool room (about 16°C). There they will grow up and gain strength before planting in the flowerbed. In order to prevent diseases, it is recommended to water them once every 10 days with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Planting in open ground
The time for planting is determined by the cessation of return frosts - this is approximately mid-May. But the ground for them should be prepared a little earlier. It needs to be dug up and sprinkled with fertilizers - humus, phosphorus and nitrogen.
The holes for the plant are made deep - up to half a meter. Cannas are large plants, so the distance between holes should be at least 60 cm. These flowers, like cucumbers, love to keep their roots warm. Therefore, each hole is insulated with a 1 cm layer of manure. It is covered with a layer of soil of at least 25 cm on top and only then are the seedlings planted. Before planting, the hole is well watered. The rhizome must be buried at least 7 cm.
Before planting, the canna needs to be grown. If this is not done, then in our temperate latitudes it simply will not have time to bloom. For this, the rhizome is prepared in the same way as for propagation.
If you grow cannas in open ground, be sure to weed and loosen the soil around them
The main condition for the lush and long flowering of cannas is considered to be proper watering. Immediately after planting, the plant is watered very generously - 1 bucket per 1 sprout. Then you need to make sure that the ground underneath is constantly moist. To reduce liquid evaporation, you can mulch the soil around the canna. But there is no need to create swamps, otherwise the roots of the flower will rot and it will die.
Weeding and loosening when growing canna in open ground are mandatory procedures. Roots need oxygen and nutrition just as much as high humidity.
It is enough to fertilize 2-3 times a season, provided that the soil has been fertilized before planting. In general, canna prefers more phosphorus fertilizers and less nitrogen fertilizers. Can be carried out foliar feeding spraying the leaves with a solution mineral fertilizers, you can use liquid ones - watering the plant at the root. An infusion of chicken manure works well.
Growing methods
As already mentioned, cannas are perennial plants and can be grown and preserved in three ways.
- Dig up the rhizome in the fall and store it for the winter in complete peace in the usual way. From mid-February you can begin the growing process. To do this, the rhizomes are removed from storage, divided into parts with buds, but not cut. They need to be divided into freely detachable parts and planted in a substrate of humus, garden soil and sand. Sprinkle a little on top and water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. The buds awaken in about a week and in the third decade of May they can be planted in a flowerbed.
- Dig up the canna in the fall after frosts, cut the stem and transplant it directly into the pot with a lump of earth. From the dacha you can take her into the apartment and provide her with complete peace by placing the pot in a cool place. In order not to wake the plant ahead of time, you need to water the canna no more than 1-2 times a month. The flower will give its first leaves in about three months, then it needs to be moved closer to the light. The plant begins to grow quickly and by the time it is planted in the ground it is already of decent size. Before planting, it is better to harden the canna for 10 days. The landing is the same, after May 20th.
- When digging canna in the fall, cut off only the peduncle, but leave the leaves. With a lump of earth, transplant it into a pot and place it in a bright place in the apartment. That is, do not artificially create a dormant period for the plant. Watering during the winter should be moderate. Starting in March, canna can be fed with an infusion of wood ash and humus. The plant begins to form a peduncle. By the time of planting, buds will already be formed on it.
In the Russian Federation, cannas begin to bloom from June, July until frost
In nature, cannas do not have a dormant period; they bloom all year round. In our temperate latitudes, this time lasts from June-July until the onset of frost, on average from 3 to 4 months. The duration of flowering depends on the variety of cannas and their care. Flowering may be reduced due to the fact that the flower lacks moisture and light.
When the first peduncle appears, it needs to be cut off, then the flowering will be more luxuriant and longer. As the flowers fade, they must be removed so that new buds grow in their place and so that the seeds do not begin to ripen.
Winter storage
Canna tubers are dug up at the end of September, when flowering has ended and the stem has begun to turn black. The stem is cut off, and the rhizomes, together with a lump of earth, are sent to winter storage. The storage area should be cool, with dim light and moderate humidity. They are placed in boxes or boxes, sprinkled with sand or peat. You can use soil mixed with sawdust from deciduous trees.
The desired storage temperature is 6-8°C. A sharp temperature change is undesirable. From time to time, tubers need to be inspected for rotting. If you come across a sick one, you need to throw it away. If it is only slightly affected by rot, you need to cut off this area and treat the cut with iodine.
If there is no such room - a cellar or a barn - you can keep the tubers in the refrigerator until spring. Some gardeners store tubers in the ground (in pots), as described in the "planting methods" section.
In southern regions where there are no severe frosts, canna tubers can be left in the ground, covering them with leaves, sawdust or spruce branches.
Diseases, pests and control methods
Gardeners value cannas for their good disease resistance. But garden pests sometimes attack the tropical beauty. Most often it is aphids, cabbage whites or red mites. There is only one way to combat them - insecticides. Moreover, they should be used at the first signs of damage. You can take preventive measures - dip the tubers in Aktara solution before planting. Then pests will not attack your pet.
Cannes in landscape design
They are so beautiful that they can easily be a single decoration in certain corners of the garden. Cannas do not lose in combination with other flowers. A good environment for tall flowers would be dahlias, crimson asters, rudbeckias and heleniums. You can experiment with creating flower arrangements because cannas grow well next to any of them.
Cannes, the flowers are unusual and very beautiful. If relatively recently they could only be seen in a botanical garden or on the plot of an advanced amateur gardener, now they are an integral part of many city and garden flower beds. Among other flowers grown in open ground, cannas are true giants. A flower whose height is less than a meter is considered undersized!
Canna flowers - a little about the plant
Canna is a tropical plant that came to us from South America and Asia. Due to its tropical, heat-loving nature, it does not tolerate our harsh winters very well and needs to be dug up for the winter. But this is a small thing compared to the pleasure of growing such a miracle in your flower garden. And the canna is really good. At the same time, it is remarkable not only for its magnificent flowers, which resemble a kind of symbiosis of gladioli, irises and orchids. But even without flowers, cannas attract attention. Its tall stem is covered with magnificent wide leaves of rich green, burgundy or soft emerald color with a waxy coating. They are very similar in shape and size to banana leaves. To date, many varieties and hybrids of cannas have been bred. They differ not only in the height of the stem - from half a meter to three meters, but in the variety of shapes and colors of flowers. The traditional color of canna flowers is red. They are the ones that can most often be found in city flower beds. But it is no longer uncommon for cannas to be pink, yellow, orange flowers. There are also two-tone and speckled colors. The beauty of this plant is that it can be grown with equal success both in open ground and in a pot as a houseplant. True, mostly low-growing varieties are grown. Orchid cannas, which got their name from the similarity of the flowers to those of the Cattleya orchid, are best suited for this. They are only a little over a meter tall and won't take up too much space.
Growing canna in open ground
Canna from seeds
This method is not particularly popular among amateur gardeners. Firstly, seed germination is not very high. Secondly, the varietal characteristics of the plant are very rarely preserved. Thirdly, not all varieties can produce seeds. But for selection lovers, you can try this method. The main difficulty in growing canna from seeds is their pre-sowing preparation. The fact is that they have a very hard outer shell, like date or persimmon seeds, for example. Therefore, you should first carry out scarification, violating the integrity of this very shell. Seeds suitable for sowing must be ripe and large (6-10 millimeters in diameter). Canna seeds are sown at the end of winter. The soil for their germination should be light and nutritious. The most acceptable temperature for their germination is +22-25 degrees. Do not place the container with seeds in a highly lit place. Place it in a slightly shaded area. In about a month, the first shoots should appear. With the appearance of three to four leaves, the seedlings can be planted in separate pots and grown at moderate (+16-18 degrees) temperatures. When the ground outside has warmed up well, young cannas can be planted in open ground. Flowering can be expected as early as this year, but it is most likely that cannas grown from seeds will bloom only next year.
Cannas propagation by division
This method is the most reliable and is practiced much more often. But to use it, you need to have an adult plant, or rather, its rhizome. Division is carried out in early spring. A canna rhizome intended for division must necessarily have several living buds, so that when divided, each part has at least one large bud or two or three small ones. After separation, the sections must be treated with a fungicide or crushed activated carbon. Then the divisions should be placed for germination in containers with light peat soil, wet sawdust, coarse sand or perlite. They should not be deeply buried. It is enough if parts of the canna rhizome are slightly covered on top with a planting substrate. Ideally, if you can provide them with bottom heating. The temperature for germination should be within +20-25 degrees. Periodically spray the soil surface with a spray bottle. When the young shoots have developed well, they can be planted and placed in a cool (+15-16 degrees), bright place.
Planting canna
Cannas are planted in open ground after stable heat has established. If there are sudden temperature changes, characteristic of spring, the flower will stop growing, which will significantly delay flowering. Therefore, it is better not to plant it before the second ten days of May.
To obtain the best results, you need to carefully prepare the place for planting cannas. For each plant, prepare a planting hole with a diameter of half a meter and a depth of forty centimeters. Place a layer of manure (15-20 centimeters) at the bottom of the hole, which will serve as a “warmer” for the canna roots. Place a layer of soil on top, planning to plant the rhizomes. Planting depth will depend on the size of the roots. Young specimens that have not had time to develop sufficiently should be planted to a depth not exceeding 10 centimeters. Considering the considerable dimensions of these flowers, the distance between planted cannas should be at least half a meter.
Canna garden care
Caring for this plant is not difficult. You should pay attention to the frequency of watering and the volume of water. Large canna leaves evaporate moisture intensively, so watering must be regular. But when watering, you should not get too carried away. Although the soil dries out quickly and can harm the plant, excess moisture causes various problems in the form of fungal diseases. Also during the season it must be fed three times with mineral fertilizer for flowering plants. Otherwise, caring for cannas is limited to removing faded flowers, weeding, and controlling possible pests.
Canna at home
The resting period of canna is short, no more than a couple of months. Thanks to this, it is possible to dig it out of the ground, place it in a pot and make indoor plant. Caring for canna at home is easy. Care will mainly consist only of watering and wiping the leaves with a damp cloth. Choose a spacious, well-lit place for it and it will delight you with flowering.
Storing canna in winter
This plant does not tolerate our winters, therefore, it needs to be dug up and overwintered. Canna is dug in the fall (late September - early October). First cut off the ground part of the plant, leaving 20-30 centimeter shoots. You can dig up and store canna rhizomes together with a lump of earth. To prevent them from drying out, they can be placed in a large plastic bag with sawdust and moistened periodically. You can place it in a box and cover it with peat. It is preferable to store them in the cellar. But in the absence of one, you can store cannas in winter in an ordinary cool room, and if they are small, then in the refrigerator.
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Lidiya Saltykova 02/13/2014 | 6770
If you know the secrets of plant care, then cannas can be grown in open ground even in Siberian conditions.
Read our article about what you especially need to pay attention to.
First way
In mid-February (early March), I bring the rhizomes into the apartment and I share them according to the number of freely detachable offspring. I never cut healthy rhizomes with a knife, as I have had cases where sections that were disinfected and sprinkled with ash did not become overgrown, but rotted away.
Then I'm planting divisions in a container with a substrate consisting of garden soil, humus and sand (2:1:1). I sprinkle only 1-2 cm on top. Planting watering a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a slightly bluish solution of copper sulfate. After 7-10 days, the dormant buds wake up.
On the 20th of May, plants that were previously hardened and accustomed to the open sun I plant it in the ground. For the night I cover cardboard boxes or lutrasil.
In autumn, after the first frosts, cannas I'm digging from the ground, I trim ground part up to 10-15 cm and together with a lump of earth I lower it in storage. In winter, I repeatedly check the condition of the rhizomes, if necessary, lightly moisten them (they must not be allowed to dry out).
Second way
Cannes in autumn I dig it up and trim it(as in the first case) and with a lump of earth replanting in pots. Then with summer cottage I move them to an apartment and create conditions forced rest, placing it in the cool place. Occasionally (1-2 times a month) I lightly moisten the soil. And when the first leaves appear (after about 3 months), I place the pots near the window. From this moment on, cannes begin to grow rapidly. At the beginning of May I am taking them to garden plot, and at night I put it away garden house or a greenhouse. And already in the 3rd decade of May planted in open ground.
Third way
Cannes I'm digging until the first frost, I cut it out I plant the flower stalks, leaving the leaves, and with a lump of earth in pots. I bring it into the apartment and put it by the window. They feel comfortable throughout the off-season. I'm watering moderately. And in mid-March I already give the first feeding mixed infusion of wood ash and humus extracts. At this time, cannas begin to form flower stalks. After two weeks, I repeat the fertilizing and continue this until planting in the ground. In early May, I take the cannes (already with buds) to the garden plot. I gradually accustom him to fresh air and cover him at night. And at the end of May planted in open ground.
To be on the safe side, I try to protect all cannas from sudden frosts before mid-June.
Planting and care
The plant prefers a sunny area protected from cold winds. When planting, I leave a distance of 40-50 cm between the seedlings. I plant them in fertile soil filled with humus or compost. I water it. Then I mulch the soil surface with chopped and dried grass clippings.
Cannes needs plenty of watering, and with water heated in the sun, since they are very sensitive to cold. I feed it with infusions of mullein, chicken droppings or extracts from humus and compost. I add 1 tbsp. infusion of ash into a bucket of fertilizer.
Follow our tips and you will have no problems growing cannas on your property.
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Heat-loving Canna flower - how to grow it correctly at home and in the garden
When you see a blooming canna for the first time, it is difficult to remain indifferent. Large bright inflorescences on tall peduncles, framed by large, juicy leaves, immediately attract the eye and remind you of lush tropical vegetation. Despite its exotic appearance and southern origin, the plant is quite unpretentious, and an inexperienced gardener can grow it at home or in the garden.
Description of the flower and its preferences
The genus Canna is the only one in the Cannaceae family. This herbaceous plant, a perennial that grows in the tropical and temperate climates of India, China, South America, and Mexico.
Canna is a tall plant, reaching 2 m under favorable conditions. The powerful hollow stem is covered with sessile, smooth, ovoid leaves, up to half a meter in size. Their color varies from emerald to purple.
The flower is similar in shape to an iris, its color can be scarlet, yellow, pink, white, or have a light border or spots. Canna flowering begins in June and lasts all summer, until the arrival of cold weather.
Important! Canna is easily damaged by frost. It, like the dahlia, must be dug up in the fall and stored until spring in a dry and cool place.
Varieties
In nature, today, there are fifty species of eland. In gardening and indoor floriculture, no more than 8 are grown. The most famous varieties of cannas.
- Indian.
The flower grows up to one and a half meters. Stem saturated green covered with elongated leaves. Pink flowers are collected in a raceme inflorescence at the tip of the stem. Blooms continuously from early summer until cold weather.
- Cochineal.
Large plant, up to 200 cm in height. The flowers are a bright red-orange hue, more than 5 cm long. Blooms all summer.
- Garden (hybrid).
A group of hybrid plants obtained from crossing different types cann. Some varieties do not produce seeds. Varieties:
- Lucifer(scarlet flowers with a yellow border), bush height 50 - 60 cm;
- Picasso(petals are yellow with red “freckles”), height about a meter;
- America(pure red color), plant height 130 - 150 cm;
- Sunny beauty(yellow flowers), canna height 100 cm.
Correct fit
As a resident of warm and humid places, the sunniest area in the garden is chosen for canna.
The flower must be reliably sheltered from gusts of wind, otherwise the tall peduncles may break. For especially tall varieties, it will be necessary to install durable stakes for peduncles.
Loose soil rich in humus with good moisture holding capacity is suitable for the plant. These can be fertile loams and even sandy loams, provided there is sufficient moisture. Before planting cannas, at least 5 kg of good fatty humus (not fresh manure!) and about 4 kg of coarse sand are added to the site. The soil is dug up to a depth of 35 cm, so the plant has a large branched rhizome.
Advice. The flower responds positively to the creation of a “warm bed” when fresh mullein is placed on the bottom of the planting holes. The manure is poured with hot water, covered with soil in a layer of 25 cm, and only then the canna rhizome is planted. Burning manure releases heat, which warms the roots of the flower.
The flower is planted in May, when the threat of frost has passed. The distance between bushes is maintained at 50 - 90 cm, depending on the size of the variety. The canna rhizome is immersed 10 cm into the soil.
Prerequisites
As soon as flower sprouts appear on the surface of the soil, it is useful to mulch the ground with straw, high-moor peat, and mown grass. This measure will allow moisture to be better retained in the soil. And eland loves to “drink.”
You only need to water the plant warm water, abundantly, but without allowing the soil to become waterlogged.
Stagnation of water at the roots of the canna, combined with cool weather, is especially dangerous. Fungal diseases will not keep you waiting. During the flowering period, the need for moisture increases. In autumn, watering is reduced, giving the rhizomes the opportunity to ripen.
Canna is not demanding on the subcortex; it is enough to water the plant with a fertilizer solution during the period of bud formation, and again during flowering. Phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers are used for flowering garden plants.
Kanna - home care
The substrate for growing canna is prepared from a mixture of peat, leaf humus and river sand. A full complex of mineral fertilizers is added to the mixture for indoor flowers(Kemira, Agricola, Pokon), in doses according to the instructions.
For home grown You should choose low-growing varieties of cannas, but they also need a pot with a volume of at least 3 - 5 liters.
The plant is placed on the lightest windowsills, protecting it from drafts.
How to care for Canna flowers at home? Flower care consists of regular watering and fertilizing during flowering.
Attention! Once a year, it is necessary to give the flower a rest for 50-60 days, artificially putting it to sleep. To do this, after flowering, gradually reduce watering and fertilizing. The foliage and peduncle are cut at a height of 5 - 7 cm above the ground. The pot with the flower is transferred to a dry place, with a temperature no higher than +10 degrees.
Reproduction
Most gardeners propagate canna by dividing the rhizome, although there is also a seed method. The vegetative method is simple and effective.
In the spring, after the plant's dormant period, it is carefully removed from the container and the soil is removed from the roots. Places of roots covered with rot are cut off, the sections are dusted with coal or sifted ash.
Using a sharp knife, cut the rhizome so that on each part of the root there is a well-developed growth bud. The cuttings are placed in calcined wet sand and kept warm until roots appear.
Advice. It is convenient to use transparent plastic pots as containers. The process of root formation is clearly visible in them.
Seedlings with well-developed roots are transplanted into a nutrient substrate or open ground.
How does Canna survive winter outdoors?
In Russian conditions, eland can winter only in the southernmost regions of the country. In the rest of the territory, the flower is dug up for the winter and stored in a dry basement.
Preparation for winter begins in September, when the base of the canna stem is covered with soil to a depth of 15 - 20 cm. This measure will protect the roots from rotting.
The plant is dug up after the first serious frost, which will kill the above-ground part. The stem and foliage of the canna are cut off, and the root is dug up and placed in a pot or bucket.
Important! The root is dug up, along with a large lump of earth. The rhizome should not be allowed to be exposed before wintering.
Canna storage temperature is + 5 + 10 degrees. During the winter, the earthen ball is periodically sprinkled with water. The humidity of the soil in which the tubers are located should be about 50%.
Growing a flower in the garden
A fast-growing large flower is used to decorate unsightly places in the garden (ugly hedges, compost heaps). Canna looks great in a mixborder in the background. It is also good in the front area, planted in a flowerbed or flowerpot.
Diseases and their elimination
Canna greens are enjoyed by slugs, caterpillars, spider mite, aphids In the garden, the flower is sprayed with any insecticide (Aktellik, Inta-Vir, Aktara). At home, canna leaves are wiped with cotton wool dipped in soapy water.
Gray rot develops on the flower in cool and rainy summers. For prevention, it is useful to spray the bushes with Fitosporin.
Mosaic virus rarely affects cannas. Having noticed spots on the foliage of the plant characteristic of the virus, it is immediately removed from the flower garden, along with the roots. It is useful to shed the soil with a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate.
Video: how to care for Kanna?