How to Plant a Tiger Canna

The Tiger Canna, which is also known as the Canna Pretoria, is a bulb plant that grows into a stalk up to 6 feet tall and flowers into large and striking orange-yellow blooms. The name "Tiger Canna" refers not only to the bright orange color of the flowers, but also to the striped green and yellow leaves. It can be planted inside or outside, and is often seen as a delightful accent in water gardens, as well as in traditional gardens and as a decorative accent in the home. Planting the canna bulb is an easy task, and while it's not exactly a low-care plant, its needs are simple: Just give it lots of sun, water, and love.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tiger canna bulb
• Soil
• Soil-testing kit
• Manure, peat, compost or acidic soil (if needed)
• Gardening trowel

1. Choose a spot in your garden or home where the plant will get full sun exposure for most of the day.

2. Test your soil for acidity with a soil-testing kit (see Resources). Canna plants need slightly acidic soil.

3. Make your soil more acidic if needed by adding manure, peat, compost or store-bought soil specifically created to increase soil acidity.

4. Dig a 3-inch-deep hole in the soil. If you are planting more than one bulb at a time, make sure the holes are around 8 inches apart from each other.

5. Put the bulb on its side in the center of the hole. This should expose the ends of the bulb. Each end of the bulb will produce tendrils, and both ends need to have space to grow upward.

6. Refill the hole with soil so that a 1-inch layer of soil covers the bulbs.

7. Water the bulbs.

Tips & Warnings

• Tiger Cannas need moist soil to thrive, so they need to be watered frequently. Don't let the soil dry out; keep it constantly moist.

Resources

• Soil-Testing Kit at Lowes Hardware