Canna protection

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This area is for Reference and discussion of plant hardiness, overwintering methods and tips, and planr protection.
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Malmsey

Canna protection

Post by Malmsey »

Planted my first Canna this year, and it's been spectacular. Was even flowering in early November!

Seeing as we're getting icy soon, should I cut it down now or wait for the frost?
kata

Re: Canna protection

Post by kata »

Malmsey

Re: Canna protection

Post by Malmsey »

Thanks for that. icon_thumleft

Suggests I can mulch if I've got 'well-drained sandy soil' ... LOL it's London clay thick enough to make pots with.

BUT, I also have Hedychium in the garden which survived last winter completely unprotected. So maybe.

Has anyone ever tried plastic roofing sheets just laid over top of soil as protection? Will keep snow off ... could it give a couple of extra degrees leeway?
pdid

Re: Canna protection

Post by pdid »

I would dig them up and store in a frost free shed or garage if I were you. I looked in earlier but your location says Madeira and I thought it would be a fair bit warmer there :lol:

As a side note I left both hedychium and canna out last year, hedychium came through canna died.
kata

Re: Canna protection

Post by kata »

Heck, I hardly ever look at a posters country, Sorry Malmsey!

icon_cheers
Malmsey

Re: Canna protection

Post by Malmsey »

Ah no, I'm in London at the moment. Soz for the confusion.

My little London garden is a frost trap, north-facing, full of slugs and snails and solid clay soil. I do my best with it!

The Canna's been brilliant this year, definitely going to plant more next year. Seems slug resistant, which is an essential requirement.
Malmsey

Re: Canna protection

Post by Malmsey »

pdid wrote:I would dig them up and store in a frost free shed or garage if I were you. I looked in earlier but your location says Madeira and I thought it would be a fair bit warmer there :lol:

As a side note I left both hedychium and canna out last year, hedychium came through canna died.
Good advice, thanks.
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Canna protection

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Malmsey wrote:
pdid wrote:I would dig them up and store in a frost free shed or garage if I were you. I looked in earlier but your location says Madeira and I thought it would be a fair bit warmer there :lol:

As a side note I left both hedychium and canna out last year, hedychium came through canna died.
Good advice, thanks.

Cannas are less hardy than many Hedychiums and Dahlias.
GREVILLE

Re: Canna protection

Post by GREVILLE »

Welcome to the forum, Malmsey.

Cannas are so easy to lift and store. Starting them off again potted in a warm spot before planting them out will give you much better results than waiting for them to resprout from cold ground in the Spring.
otorongo
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:12 pm
Location: sub-subtropical London

Re: Canna protection

Post by otorongo »

I don't have a warm spot to start them off in. Don't want them to take up the indoor space.

I've got 2 cannas, one is a Wyoming which is one of the hardiest supposedly, the other one is a Pretoria.
I'm going to leave the Wyoming in the ground, mulched with leaves, and to give it an early start in the spring I can put a bell cloche over it.
The Pretoria is in a pot, I've moved it to the blowaway GH and buried the pot in the ground, and I hope it survives there, if not the top then at least the rhizome or whatever it's called.
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