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Canna help!.
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:15 pm
by karl66
The house where I've been working today has just donated a massive clump of canna Tropicana, it's 5ft tall & has a rootball that would fill a 25litre pot, is it best to plant it deep & cut it back? my other option is to divide it up & pot them up?, although I've not really got anywhere suitable indoors for them
, if planted deep outside will a wrapping of fleece keep it alive in a normal winter?. karl.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 5:09 pm
by fern Rob
I would divide it.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:37 pm
by GREVILLE
How many stems does it have, Karl?
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:43 pm
by fern Rob
Could you not store it as one plant.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:59 am
by karl66
GREVILLE wrote:How many stems does it have, Karl?
Grev, I have about 10 very thick stem's. karl.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:22 am
by pdid
fern Rob wrote:I would divide it.
fern Rob wrote:Could you not store it as one plant.
Confused?
Firstly, does the plant look ok? It may be worth putting a picture up to make sure it's not virused.
If its ok cut back and either leave as is or change the compost and store somewhere frost free, a dark loft/garage/shed is ideal.
April-ish next year divide and pot into smaller pots to grow on ready for planting out around May time.
Basically the same treatment as dahlia.
I left a few out last year and none came back!
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:11 am
by Kristen
I would divide in the spring too. Stored as-one means less drying out over winter than if stored divided now and stored as smaller, individual, tubers.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:57 am
by fern Rob
pdid wrote:fern Rob wrote:I would divide it.
fern Rob wrote:Could you not store it as one plant.
Confused?
Firstly, does the plant look ok? It may be worth putting a picture up to make sure it's not virused.
If its ok cut back and either leave as is or change the compost and store somewhere frost free, a dark loft/garage/shed is ideal.
April-ish next year divide and pot into smaller pots to grow on ready for planting out around May time.
Basically the same treatment as dahlia.
I left a few out last year and none came back!
I was just mulling over what I would do.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:29 pm
by GREVILLE
If it has that many stems, Karl, I assume it's come through a number of winters successfully. Perhaps you could ask how they have kept it and decide what you would do based on their information.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:31 pm
by Yorkshire Kris
pdid wrote:fern Rob wrote:I would divide it.
fern Rob wrote:Could you not store it as one plant.
Confused?
Firstly, does the plant look ok? It may be worth putting a picture up to make sure it's not virused.
If its ok cut back and either leave as is or change the compost and store somewhere frost free, a dark loft/garage/shed is ideal.
April-ish next year divide and pot into smaller pots to grow on ready for planting out around May time.
Basically the same treatment as dahlia.
I left a few out last year and none came back!
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:12 am
by karl66
Many thanks all, grev the main gardener in the house has deceased & his wife has little knowledge of overwintering plants. There must of been a bed of 20x20ft & at least half was full of these giant canna!!, she briefly told me fred used to sometimes lift them & store them dry?, surely they need some water/soil to survive. karl.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:36 am
by redsquirrel
think about how you buy bulbs/tubers etc from garden centres,all dry in crates.
Re: Canna help!.
Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:38 pm
by Yorkshire Kris
karl66 wrote:Many thanks all, grev the main gardener in the house has deceased & his wife has little knowledge of overwintering plants. There must of been a bed of 20x20ft & at least half was full of these giant canna!!, she briefly told me fred used to sometimes lift them & store them dry?, surely they need some water/soil to survive. karl.
I've done a video discussing various overwintering strategies for cannas. Maybe worth a look?