most cannas are hardy here. but I've got a problem with some new cannas, getting them through the winter. can anyone help me? all the details are over in my thread on the Canna forum.
can anyone help me over in the Canna forum?
I don't have any fancy instructions. I have a few varieties of cannas -- most have been given to me from local friends in the Raleigh area. I generally let them die back and mulch 'em good, and they come back a hellin' each year so far. If you have special/sensitive varieties, they may require more winter care than that. I'm not sure. Do you have pictures of the ones you have to help ID them? Might make it easier to know what they need.
If you want to swap some, since we're local, let me know. I don't know what variety mine are, but they're yellow with orange speckles, peach colored ones (Futurity Pink from Atlantic Ave nursery), and some tropicanna black ones I got from Plant Delights a couple years ago.
Good luck!
I have what may be Tropicana - that sounds like it might have been the name, but the tag blew away in a windstorm. the foliage is deep bronze burgundy and the flower is hot redorange.
what my question is: what to do if they were not allowed to die back? I can't plant them within 30 days. cannas can be dry stored for winter, but they are supposed to be allowed to die back first, and these were already dug and cut off. So I'm looking for anyone that can tell me if these will survive without dieback.
That describes almost exactly my tropicana black cannas. Most of mine were "adopted" from friends in the area who've had them for years. When I ask them about how to care for them, they always say, "just put them in the ground; they're hard to kill!". And they're right. I've actually transplanted some of mine a couple times, and they were just fine after doing so (after a couple days and a bit of water to help them adjust). I've always left mine in the ground over winter vs. taking them out.
What type of dry storage were you going to do with them? Put them under your house, in some sort of container ... ? I think they're fairly resilient, and will be fine for planting next year without having died back the old fashioned way. Besides, I think that what they're doing is just a modified dying back. They came out of the ground a little early, but they're drying out/dying back anyway. I think the fact that the foliage was cut back would mean more energy can go into the roots/tuber/bulb (I'm bad with the terminology, sorry) and strengthen it for dormancy. I could be wrong though, as I'm certainly no expert. But I'd imagine if you were storing them say under the house on a dirt floor, and the roots are not completely dry, the might start attaching themselves into that dirt. Can you toss them in pots for now with some dirt until next spring when you'd transplant them to their "forever" home?
I can toss them into pots here shortly. but not for another two weeks or so. these were free and are for a charity sale next spring, and I've just received an order of over $600 of irises that I'm still working on. have another 250 to go.
although my doc is trying, he's just put me on a new thyroid med to see if my energy level improves, I ususally can only work an hour, maybe two in the mornings and that again in the evenings. I'm working until I drop both times.
editted to add - no under the house available - slab foundation. when I received cannas in last year's co-op, they were plastic bagged in peat. sender said to get them out of the plastic. had read somewhere to put them in cardboard in peat and then in dry cool place to overwinter them.
This message was edited Oct 30, 2009 8:22 AM
Sorry to hear of the health challenges. That definitely makes things difficult. Best of luck with the canna storage and survivability. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead. I wish I had more free time in the coming weeks that I could come help you out. I may have time next weekend. Will dmail you if that happens to see what/when I may be able to help. I love any opportunity to get my hands dirty, especially when for a good cause! :-)
sure. thanks for the offer.
where in Raleigh do you live? I love meeting local DGers. I'm not far from intersection of Strickland Rd. and Falls of Neuse Rd. have you met tggfisk? She's in Garner area.
DH just got back in town, and DD has the day off school today, so they are both going to pitch in and pot these over the weekend while I'm "irising." don't have enough soil, but think we'll pot 'em in a combo of sand and decayed mulch and compost, all of which I do have. I'll dmail if they don't finish.
I should have enough 3 gal pots for all. but I'm precariously low on 1 gal. we may put them in 3 gal for now and divide them when we get more 1 gal. most of these have divided nicely so far.
Sheesh, we're practically neighbors! I'm just south of Spring Forest off Falls of Neuse. My daughter is off school today as well; I should've sent her up to help! LOL
Definitely keep me posted on progress and I'll see what I can do for next weekend. :-)
sure thing. if we're not done I'll be glad of the help. I'm one block north of Strickland and about 3 to 4 blocks west of the Kroger, in a 1970's era little neighborhood sandwiched between two newer fancy neighborhoods.
My parents just moved from North Hills (48 years) into the Heritage there at the corner of Carlos and Falls of Neuse. We were one of the very first IBM families into the Triangle back in 1966. would you believe back then northerners (damn yankees) were an oddity? most of my 8th grade classmates were natives to the area.
Definitely keep me posted. How old is/are your child/ren? Mine is 11; goes to Carroll Middle.
I went to Carroll! from our house it was only a couple blocks walk. It was a grand school then. Looks a little worse for time on the outside, and twice as big now.
mine are 30 and 27 (1st marriage) and 17. Ruth is a senior at Sanderson (my alma mater). Bevin works at Blue Ridge Pharmacy, and Danny is living in NYC (Queens) NY.
Gotta go, got soccer tournament today out at the Soccer Center.
Be sure to take an umbrella!