Canna sowing

[adam f]

When does everyone start to sow there canna's ? I'm biting at the bit to start ha

[ianmck]

From seed, january and I always regret it, but I am impatient This year I intend to stagger it from late january onwards. I find they have close to 100% germination within a few days if you file the seed coat then soak in water.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Early March I found to be best. Any earlier and they grow too big, too early.

[adam f]

Haha to big to early ha is that the biggest issue ? Or are there others ?

If the size is a problem staggering them sounds like a plan

[Mowgley]

End of January this year and mine are going under some new led grow lights it got from ebay

[adam f]

Grow light doesn't sound like a bad idea

[Yorkshire Kris]

Haha to big to early ha is that the biggest issue ? Or are there others ?

If the size is a problem staggering them sounds like a plan

They just demand a lot of light then warmth and space. Much easier to start later so that they can be potted on once then go outside in May. One wouldn't dream of starting runner beans yet and cannas grow almost as fast.

[adam f]

Good point well made

But I do have Canna tuerckheimii seed want it to have
a good start I understand they like a good long season

[Yorkshire Kris]

Good point well made

But I do have Canna tuerckheimii seed want it to have
a good start I understand they like a good long season

I sowed canna seed in Jan, Feb, March and April a few years back. The ones sowed in Feb and March did the best because they didn't get held back. Those sowed in Jan struggled in small pots without adequate light and those sowed in April took too long to establish. Remember canna seeds germinate fast so if you sow them today you'll have plants by next week.

[fern Rob]

I sowed my Canna seeds back at the start of December. The only difference is i have them in a heated and lit propagator. They should be a great size by March.

[adam f]

Cheers for the advise

[sanatic1234]

Early March I found to be best. Any earlier and they grow too big, too early.

March for me sometimes end of February but march mostly i go with, as any sooner and i get WEAK plants.

[sanatic1234]

If you sow any earlier than February then you will need grow lights the suns UV levels are just to weak to match the temps inside of a propagator. They will stretch up to high and not have the light to make the cells in the plant strong and your plants will suffer for it, either be it in size, growth later in the season or flowering. I have two plants that have woken up in my storage room but i am now trying very hard to put them back to sleep again.

[Kristen]

Not sure that Tube or LED lighting will do for Cannas. It will certainly be enough at the seedling stage (and maybe that will be all that is required before natural daylight takes over in the Spring), but for anything bigger I don't think those lights give enough canopy penetration once there is significant foliage.

A few years ago there was a piece on Gardeners World about sowing Cannas in Autumn resulting in them flowering in the first year, but that you needed grow-lights to achieve that. I went on the Cannabis forums, researched indoor growing , and bought a 600W Metal Halide light. I sowed the seeds in September (from memory), they were about 4' high and flowered in December (they were right about 1st year flowering!) and set seed in January!!


21 Oct


27 November - 5 weeks later!


11 December - flowering!

[sanatic1234]

I think it is safe to say that Gardeners world got that horribly wrong, every year that i have sown canna from seed i have had them flower the same year and that was from feb or march sowing, they would then flower in july. I personally think the key is feed and plenty of it and plenty of water and as much sun as you can give them.

EDIT: I don't see what advantage you would have by sowing canna seeds in the winter when canna plants are feed/water/sun dependant in terms of good growth. One thing you can not do in the winter months?

This is a plant early in the season. That reached over 6ft before lifting for storage.