Cannes are used not only in landscaping city parks, squares and alleys, but also in home gardens or vegetable gardens. These showy flowers look bright and noticeable, which is why they are becoming increasingly popular. Some are stopped by the fact that in open ground conditions the plant lives only one summer, and most often dies in freezing ground. But for those who know how to properly store the corms of this crop throughout the winter months, this is not a problem, since after one purchase of planting material, you can not only use it for many years, but also gradually propagate it. The main thing that is needed for this is knowledge of when and how to do it correctly.
You need to think about where and how to store cannas in advance. You need to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this matter, determine whether digging in a given region is advisable, and prepare the necessary place for storage.
In what regions are they dug?
Cannas can withstand autumn cold weather, and a slight drop in temperature is not dangerous for them. If a lot of corms are left in the ground for the winter, then in the spring it will most likely be discovered that a few specimens survived the frost. But it’s not worth the risk, especially since the frost resistance of the vast majority of varieties is close to zero.
In the southern regions, where the lowest temperatures in winter do not fall below 0-5°C, these flowers are not dug up, since they overwinter well in the ground. The only preparation for winter is to lay a layer of pine needles or spruce branches on top of the beds, and agrofibre, lutrasil or spunbond is laid out on top to be sure.
In regions where frosts exceed -5°C, digging becomes a mandatory procedure, without which the crop will die.
Description of the species
There are more than fifty species of this plant. It grows in India, and in China, in Central America. If you translate the name “canna” from Greek, it sounds like “reed”. From Latin, as "pipe". This name was not given by chance. According to legend, an Indian chief burned a peace treaty, rolled up in a tube, in a fire. This led to war. At the site of the fire, a beautiful red flower grew - canna. The red color seemed to symbolize the color of blood spilled during the war.
But canna blooms not only with red flowers. Some varieties come in orange, yellow, and pink shades. A distinctive feature of the plant is that its leaves can also be of different colors. You can find specimens with leaves of violet, purple, and dark green.
Preparing for digging
In order for the wintering to be successful, the flowers must be prepared in a certain way at the end of summer and beginning of autumn for the upcoming digging. The basic rules of preparation are:
- Feeding with phosphorus fertilizer during July - the first half of August. This is necessary so that phosphorus contributes to the maturation and final formation of root structures, which, in a mature state, will more easily endure the transition to the dormant period.
- Starting from the second half of September, fertilizing is completely stopped.
- At the end of summer, bushes are slightly earthed up in the tree trunk area to cover all exposed roots.
- In the second half of August, watering becomes less abundant, and the intervals between them increase. Starting in September, moistening is stopped, which is a signal for the plant to enter an inactive state.
- Vegetative parts (stems and flowers) are cut off, leaving only 10-15 cm above the ground. This must be done in dry weather, without rain or fog. The cut sites are immediately treated with a drug to combat fungi - “Mikosan-V”, “Titul-Duo”, “Copper Oxide”, “Chorus”, “Ridomil”, etc. Powder ones can be used in their pure form, sprinkled on the cut sites, and liquid diluted in an aqueous solution with the indicated dosage and sprayed onto the sections. After pruning, the flower should remain in its permanent place for another couple of weeks.
Features of growing cannas
Despite the fact that cannas are an exotic plant, they are unpretentious to grow. The main thing is to follow some growing rules.
- In February, seeds are planted for seedlings. If planting is done with tubers, then in May. Some gardeners prefer to pre-germinate the tubers. Then you can plant them in March.
- Planting is carried out in well-drained and nutritious soil. The landing site should be well lit.
- Plants need regular watering. Cannes need to be watered especially generously during the flowering period. And they begin to bloom in July.
- Mineral fertilizers need to be added to the soil two or three times a season.
- It is necessary to ensure that the plants do not get sick and are not damaged by pests (aphids, spider mites).
- When growing exotic flowers, you need to immediately think about how to store canna bulbs in winter.
In the fall, do not rush to dig up plants. Wait until the first frost. Don't worry, the rhizomes will be fine. At the same time, dahlias are also dug up. The degree of readiness of a plant for digging is determined as follows: after frost, the leaves should turn black, which means it’s time. If you didn’t dig up the rhizomes after the first frost, that’s okay. The main thing is that there are no stable negative temperatures at night.
Deadlines
The main question that worries gardeners when growing cannas is when to dig to preserve the corms until spring. There is often advice to hold this event at the end of September, but you need to focus not on the calendar, but on the weather data of the current year.
The fact is that digging up tubers before a steady cold snap is observed is not rational: after a cold snap, the plant directs all the necessary nutrients into the underground bulbs, which makes it stronger and prepares it for lush flowering next season. If you dig up the roots before the completion of such natural preparation, storage and the growing season of next year will be less successful. But you shouldn’t delay digging too long either, so that frost doesn’t put the tubers under stress.
You should try to do this on the eve of the first frost. In the middle zone, this usually occurs in the second half of September - the first half of October. For northern regions, a convenient time may come as early as the second half of August, and in more southern regions, the dates may shift forward by one and a half to two months, so it is best to pay attention to the weather forecast to determine the timing. Only rhizomes of very rare and whimsical varieties are dug up earlier than required, which cannot tolerate even slight cold snaps.
Reasons for the demand for culture
When choosing which plants are best to plant in a flower garden, you should definitely pay attention to canna. It’s not for nothing that designers always actively use them when decorating city flower beds, planting them both as a separate plant and creating elegant compositions with it. There are main advantages that make gardeners so fond of this plant:
- The flower is considered undemanding and does not require special care. He is almost not susceptible to disease, and is not afraid of many parasites. It easily tolerates temperature changes and is also drought-resistant.
- The flower is very attractive in appearance. Its large form is sure to steal all the attention in the garden.
- Canna blooms for a long time: for about two months the plant will delight the gardener with attractive flowers collected in whole inflorescences.
- The flower looks beautiful in a flowerbed not only because of its inflorescences. Currently, special varieties have been bred that have beautiful decorative leaf shapes and look great in the garden.
- The plant itself is distinguished by its thick stem, which reaches up to two meters. The straight form of the plant looks good in general plantings. The durable stem can withstand strong winds well.
How to dig correctly
You should start digging in dry weather. It is advisable that the ground is not wet. Make indentations on all sides of the bush at a distance of 15 cm from the stem with a shovel, trying not to damage the underground organs of the plant. The recesses are gradually enlarged, and the cut part is carefully begun to loosen. It will not be possible to dig up the rhizome without damaging the roots at all, but you need to make every effort to ensure that the bulbs do not crack or break.
It is not recommended to remove and wash away soil from the bulbs; on the contrary, it is preserved as much as possible. The remaining soil retains all the friendly bacteria and reserves of soil moisture, which help to survive the winter storage period well.
After digging the earthen clod out of the ground, it is dried for several hours in the shade. The roots should not be placed in the open sun at this time to prevent them from drying out.
History of the origin of the flower
Such an unusual and attractive flower simply cannot grow without a beautiful legend. In Latin, the name of the plant is translated as “pipe.” According to legend, this plant, which closely resembles a torch, first grew at the site of the fire. The Indian leader burned the treaty and led the population of his country to a bloody and terrible war. At the site of this fire a plant grew, the flowering of which can be compared to a bright fire. Cannes appeared on Russian soil about 400 years ago and became widely known because of Peter the Great and his gardening office. The place of origin of the culture is the following countries: India, China, and the plant is also widespread in America. Here there are the best climatic conditions for him: a lot of sunlight, warmth and sun.
Despite the rapidly growing belief that it is demanding, the canna flower does not require anything special to grow. You just need to comply with all the conditions and requirements important for its growth, and then the plant will bloom beautifully and grow in the front garden.
Winter storage
Cannas can be stored both in a dormant state and in an active form. The latter is practiced as a last resort, since the plant needs natural rest in the winter months, which serves as the key to normal growing season and active flowering next year.
In the cellar or basement
Not just any basement is suitable for storing cannas. The premises must meet the following requirements:
- the temperature must be constant, jumps below 0°C and above 7°C are not allowed;
- air humidity should be high in the range of 60-85%;
- availability of good ventilation;
- parasites, pests and mold are unacceptable;
- the storage location must be freely accessible for repeated inspections.
First of all, pay attention to the presence of mold, since it will certainly destroy the rhizomes. Before storing, it is recommended to treat the entire interior space of the basement with a solution of copper sulfate, which stops this process.
For storage, select cardboard or wooden boxes, into which tubers are placed and filled with a mixture of stone fruit sawdust, coarse sand and high-moor peat.
Caring for the rhizome consists of periodic inspections and checks of the condition of the tubers. Pay attention to the following points:
- The moisture content of the mixture inside the box. If there is insufficient moisture, you need to moisten the soil by spraying from a spray bottle. The main thing is not to overdo it.
- When areas of rot appear, they need to be cut off with a sharp knife to healthy tissue, and carefully sprinkled with crushed charcoal on top.
Home storage
At home, cannas can be stored both in a dormant state and in an active form.
In a cool place
Before such wintering, not the entire ground part is removed, but only the flowering shoots.
In this case, the following content parameters must be observed:
- good lighting;
- air temperature up to 13°C;
- watering once a month (without waterlogging).
Such conditions in a house or apartment can be on an unheated loggia or closed balcony, on a veranda or in a corridor without radiators. If individual leaves begin to turn yellow, they should be cut off.
Before the end of winter storage, it is advisable to gradually increase the temperature, water more often, and a couple of weeks before planting in the garden, feed the plant with a nitrogen complex.
Like a houseplant
You can overwinter cannas as an indoor flower, but it is convenient to do this only with low-growing varieties that do not take up much space. If the home is spacious, then tall varieties are preserved using the same method until spring.
In this case, there is no need to cut off the ground parts before digging; the flower stalks are left on the bushes. You can transplant them into containers or individual pots in advance, so that before bringing them into the house they have time to adapt to the new container. Boxes or pots should be spacious - this is the main condition for good health with this method of wintering. The soil is a mixture of high-moor peat, vermiculite and sawdust, taken in equal volumes.
After bringing the plants into the house, it is best to place them next to a window where there will be a sufficient level of illumination. All wilted flowers are cut off immediately so that they do not spoil the appearance and do not deprive the plant of the energy needed to ripen the seeds. In order for flowering to continue as long as possible, periodic watering with phosphorus-potassium mineral complexes is needed, which is carried out once every two weeks.
The formation of buds and flowering can continue until the end of December, and, subject to low temperatures (15-17°C), until the end of January. After this, the foliage begins to turn yellow and dry out, and then falls off. The dormant period will last about a month until new leaves appear, after which fertilizing with a weak solution of nitrogen fertilizers for decorative deciduous crops should begin.
In a refrigerator
This option is most often used for winter storage of low-growing varieties, since it requires sufficient space in the refrigerator. Such storage is also suitable for planting material that is purchased in winter.
The preparation of bulbs with this method differs from the standard procedure. After digging, the roots are washed with running water to clear them of soil. Then antifungal treatment is carried out, which consists of daily soaking of the washed tubers in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or any specialized fungicidal agent.
After a day, they are laid out on newsprint and allowed to dry. After this, each rhizome is wrapped in dry newspapers and placed in plastic containers to be placed in the refrigerator. The containers are not sealed with airtight lids to allow free access of air to the roots. Storage is allowed not in newspaper sheets, but in a layer of sand or sawdust. You should not stack the bulbs densely, since crowded spaces contribute to poor air circulation and the spread of lesions.
Caring for such planting material consists of periodic inspection and ventilation, which is carried out once a week. Any parts that raise doubts about absolute health are removed. When the tubers dry out, lightly spray them with water from a spray bottle, but this should be done very rarely - no more than once a month.
In the first half of April, cannas are taken out of the refrigerator and immediately planted in the ground in pots or planting boxes. After the seedlings appear, young plants begin to be fertilized using a complete mineral complex. Until warm weather sets in, the flowers are kept indoors and then planted in open ground.
Of all the existing storage methods, you can choose the most suitable one, based on the existing conditions or space in the basement and refrigerator. Normal maintenance during the winter season guarantees good vegetation and spectacular flowering, which can be observed in the garden as a reward for the time and effort spent.
Where to store cannas in winter
There are not so few places to store cannas in winter. Even if you do not have a specially equipped corner in the underground where non-wintering flowers would wait in the wings, there will certainly be an option.
Storing cannas in the cellar
If you use a subfloor, cellar or garage with a temperature of 5-7°C and a humidity of no more than 60% to store food, you can also store cannas there. Place the rhizomes in a wooden or cardboard box filled with a mixture of peat, sawdust and sand in a 1:1:1 ratio.
Once a month, spray the substrate with water from a spray bottle, inspect the cannas and remove rotten parts. In the spring, inspect them again, moisten them, remove all questionable areas and begin germination.
Storing cannas in the refrigerator
Cannas can be divided into parts both in the fall (immediately after digging) and in the spring (before planting)
Possible problems during cultivation
Gardeners rarely encounter problems when caring for this representative of the flora, but sometimes they still do not ignore the culture.
Sprouts do not hatch
Sometimes the problem for novice gardeners is the lack of seedlings. Sprouts may not appear due to poor quality of planting material, but there are other reasons for this. If no shoots are observed, then carefully examine the tuber. If there are no dark spots or traces of mold on it, then place it halfway in water or a root-forming agent, for example, Zircon. If the material is of high quality, then after 1-2 weeks it will “wake up” and will actively develop.
If the plant has already grown in the garden before and does not want to “wake up” after wintering, then the reason for this may be non-compliance with storage conditions. For example, the rhizome could dry out, freeze or rot. If you notice signs of spoilage on the bulb, cut off the affected fragments and disinfect the tuber. When dry, soak the rhizome in water. If the tuber is frozen, then it will not be possible to restore it.
After treating the spoiled rhizome, try germinating it in peat. Keep the substrate moist and keep the planting container in a warm room, regularly feeding the crop or adding Zircon solution. After 2-4 weeks, the bulb should awaken.
Another reason for the lack of sprouts may be a lack of heat. In this case, it is enough to transfer the specimen to a greenhouse or place it on a lighted windowsill.
The plant does not bloom
A frequent problem is the lack of flowering in a crop. Even a gardener who has followed all the rules for caring for and storing planting material may encounter this. Usually the source of this problem is the harsh climate of the region. For example, this phenomenon is characteristic of plants planted in Siberia. In such conditions, tubers that are taken out after storage definitely need the awakening procedure described above.
If the rhizomes have not been awakened and flowering has not occurred, then in the fall, before the first cold weather, remove the non-flowering bush from the garden bed and replant it in a container. Place the plant in the apartment and follow all the care rules mentioned above. Most likely, in indoor conditions, the culture will delight its owner with flowers.
Sometimes there is no flowering even when kept at home. The reason for this situation cannot be explained by climate, so it can be assumed that the culture lacks heat, water and air humidity.
Having created favorable conditions for the life of a green pet, the gardener can enjoy lush and long-lasting flowering on his window.
