How to Care for a Canna Flower
Although the canna plant is often called the canna lily, it is not a true lily. It is actually a relative of the banana plant, as you might guess by its large furled banana-type leaves. There are hundreds of named cultivars of canna, ranging from 30 inches to more than 8 feet tall. The flowers of the canna come in colors of cream, yellow, orange and red. The canna's leaves also can display variation in coloring and pattern. Whether you grow them as annuals or save them from year to year, cannas are easy to care for. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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When buying canna rhizomes, look for ones that are fresh and plump. You are most likely to find these at the beginning of the growing season.
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Start tubers indoors in containers to make the most of your growing season. Don't set cannas out before the danger of freezing is past, or they may rot.
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Prepare a spot for planting outdoors, adding manure or compost. The soil should be loose, fertile and well-drained.
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Make sure the location has full sun or mostly sun. If placed in too much shade, your cannas will flower less and the colors will not be as bright.
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Plant rhizomes 12 to 18 inches apart, covering with two inches of soil. Place the long part of the rhizome horizontally in the soil. There is no top or bottom of the rhizome, so you needn't worry about planting it upside down.
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Plant canna rhizomes in masses. This will show off their tropical-looking blooms to their best advantage.
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Give cannas a slow, thorough watering each week. Lay down a layer of mulch to conserve moisture.
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Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer if desired. Rose or tomato fertilizer can be used.
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Watch canna stalks after the first spike is done blooming. Another spike may emerge on the same stalk. When you are sure a stalk is done, cut it off at the base since it will not bloom again.
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Treat plants for leaf rolling caterpillars if they damage foliage of your canna. Use BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) or insecticidal soap according to package directions.
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Trim foliage to a few inches above the ground in the fall after the stalks are brown and dry.
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Lift the rhizomes for winter if you live in cold climate (cannas are hardy in zones 8-12). Cannas are marginally cold hardy but will rot if left unprotected in a freezing area.
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Store canna rhizomes in potting medium in a cool, dark place at about 50 degrees. Provide just enough moisture so they stay plump.
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Tips & Warnings
Because cannas are frequently lifted and then replanted, you may want to make a plant label for each variety when you first set them out so you know what colors and heights they are. Two canna varieties with interesting variegated foliage are "Striped Beauty" with green-and-white-striped leaves and "Pretoria" with green-and-yellow-striped leaves.
References
- Photo Credit prolix6x/flickr.com
