Bit by the Bug

While visiting RootDoctor's yard I think I got bit by a bug. Not sure which bug - the brug bug or just a plain tropical variety. Stopped by my local Lowe's today and they were tossing plants in the trash, not great types of plants but for a quarter I could invest in a few just for fun. On impulse I asked when they were going to mark down the elephant ears and the cannas. They offered them 1.00 for the regular canna's, 2.00 for the tropical and 5.00 for the elephants.... Hope that was a bargain and I'm hoping you guys can offer some advice on how to overwinter them. I bought a few...........

LOL! Sorry,I did not mean to inflict you!
D. must think you have gone nuts!
Looks like you got some Tropicana Cannas,shoot those went for 25 bucks acouple years ago,you did good.
You may have to baby them to health before storing for winter.otherwise they look pretty good.

Once unloaded...... Do you think I bought to many ...... ? Maybe I've gotten carried away...... ?

Oh my Gosh! What a haul you made! Good going!

Root
You a bad ,bad man
See what you've done????

I can never find deals like that
You got some awesome plants!!!

Wow vs...great haul! And trust me.....you didn't get carried away...LOLOLOL!!!!

Ya done good girl!!! Look at all those Black Ears!!!
Wowser!! I may have to take lessons from you!

Yeah but now what do I do with all of them till next spring...... Will the elephant ears grow all winter if I just leave them in the house or can I cut them off and store them in the basement...... what does one store bulbs in to keep them dry ......... BTW Root.... my brugs and stuff seem to be doing well.... everything is getting moved into the shed tonight........ the basement over the weekend.....

You got a heck of a deal on the Black Magic ears. I bought a pot of them this year at our local greenhouse and paid $19 for them. They multiply like crazy. Wish you lived closer. I could have sent you home with a load of stuff too.

Brugie,
They were 19.96 before they marked them down. IA isn't that far for a day trip ....... any suggestions on how best to store them until next year........ should I just cut them down and store them in the pots they came in or dig them out of the pots and store them in a tub..... do they need to be stored in some type of material.... I wish I had something you and Root didn't have so we could all meet at Roots and trade goodies...... This is really all his fault after visting his wonderful garden how could I not want to create my own little tropical paradise......

I think Eclipse is a good one for telling you how to store them. Seems like he said to just put them in the basement and let them go dry and then water in the spring and they will start growing again. I've grown them in the ground and in pots sitting in saucers of water. They seem to grow the best in the ground for me. I'll see if Kyle will come check this thread and give some advice. Don't know if he is around this weekend or not. Root might be able to tell you how to hold them over too. I've always kept them under lights and with a little moisture, but they didn't grow much for me and the only one I had last winter, didn't make it.

Just keep the cannas and the aers in the pots they came in and put in a cool(not cold) room in the basemet and water just a little each week till spring.Just enough water to keep them from going completely dormant.Too dry and the ears will shrink.Spring comes cut off the tops and start them over again. :-)

wow wow wowwww what a great deal you got!! root is bad bad baaaaad!
I want his BIG ears though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im glad to get some storage info i have some small babies to bring in!!!!

Could I tempt you with something from my journal in trade for a piece of Tropicanna canna rhizome?

dstartz, I'd be glad to share without a tempt.... but I'll go look at your trade be right back...

I'm not sure what any of those are except the coneflower and I have plenty of those. I paid 2.00 a pot for the Tropicannas originally 12.00 I believe, and would be glad to send you a pot for the 2.00 + shipping costs. If you are interested in that send me either here or private email your address and how you'd like them shipped and I'll be glad to send them out next Saturday..... We'll figure something out to get you one of these .......