Request for new forum...CANNA (pretty please?)

thanks for the info, Anita, and welcome. i have my card number memorized! LOL

Welcome NYVOICES 99 /Anita, Glad to have you. You'e going to fit in just fine.......You've already given me one more source to drool over, and have wasted no time in joining us in whining for a new Canna Forum! LOL

The only requirement for joining is to share pictures!!
Pati

I was actually very suprised not to see one already up & going, Before I found this post, I found a post from Trish over on the Hosta forum, I am going to be sending her some Hosta & I asked her if she like's Canna's, as I would send her some if she does, Waiting on her answer,
Thanks for the welcomes, This place sure does make you feel at home :)Anita

pati, let's have some cheese with that whine. LOL debi

Just saw this thread.

I would love to have a canna forum. I was on the canna seeds forum, but it turned into a chat group so I dropped out. Daves forums are much better. LOL

Hope we get the new forum!!

Susan
=^..^=

EmmaGrace wants it too
Quote from a dmail
Oh yes, we definitely need a Canna Forum on Daves.
I have several named Cannas that I need an ID on too.

She is having major computer problems but managed to send a d-mail. otherwise she herself would sign up
Janett

c'mon Dave, Trish, Terry, let's have a Canna Forum, please!!!

Wooohooo...I'll second that!!!

Do you guys think it would be appropriate to post this on some other forums, to get others that may be interested to notice this over here?, I don't want to do anything not allowed,
Or maybe one you more knowledgeable ones could do it & post the link, I don't know how to do that here yet, If this is not allowed, I'm sorry & never mind, If it is, I bet we could spark some interest over on the Daylily & Hosta forums, & I'm sure others as well, :)Anita

Hello NY,

I sure can't see how we could get into trouble with inviting DG members to
a DG thread, but if we can, I'm already there, but I'm taking Brinda with me,
(heh heh heh!)

I've posted a few invitations here and there, as well as a few other members.

Heck, I'm even willing to wash windows, run the Hoover, whatever it takes.

:-)

i'll run it by the Rose Forum, which is where i spend most of my online life now. LOL debi

Whoaaaaa Wuvie!!!!! Hang on for a bit on the washing windows and running the Hoover!!!! LOL Don't go that far before you have to!!! LOLOLOL I'm far from a domestic goddess, just remember I'm behind you but I'm not sure I'm in line with you about the cleaning! (Always remember, never commit until you HAVE TO)

Oh, I forgot to respond to you Wuvie about the Pretoria. I have it from a couple of years ago. It is just gorgeous!!!

I used to have Stuttgart, but I let it freeze! I sure didn't know it needed to be brought in before cold weather. Hmmm....just think if we had a Canna Forum I might have thought to ask! LOL

Brinda....do you have a pic of your pretoria? I ordered one last year, but wonder if what's coming up is really one(?) and what I ordered.
MerryMary

Hi Mary, I'll have to search for a pic of it.....I'm sure I have one somewhere. I'm on my way out the door to the hospital (my Mother had a lung biopsy last Monday) so I'll look for one later tonight. Here is a link for a good pic. http://www.cannas.net/shop/product_image.asp?pid=22&catid=2&pic=fixed_21pretorialr.JPG

Oh, I would love a canna forum, too!!
Dee

how many posts does it take to get a new forum? we have to be getting close!

LOL...When I read that, all I could think about was
"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?"

Did anyone ever figure that out? How many licks DOES it take?

Well, you can finally find out:

http://www.tootsie.com/memoriesLicksMachine.html

(photo is property of Tootsie Roll)

This message was edited Mar 10, 2006 5:06 PM

here is a picture of dwarf canna Lucifer from Touch of Nature, just popping up!!!

Ok you guys. I just spent WAY too much money at Eflower garden.....and it's all your fault! Just HAD to have Stuttgart! I love the foliage. That should have been enough, but then I saw some day lilies, begonias, and tuberose that were just too tempting. As if I don't have enough flowers already. :>}
Seriously, tho, one of the great things I love about the Garden Watchdog and all the great "Posters" to these threads, is that we get to learn from their personal experience with growers and shippers.
And, Pleeeease, Dave, can we have a Canna Forum, canwe, huh,huh,huh???!
Deanna

I am a novice to Cannas, so could use a Canna Forum.
Please can we have one! LOL
Dawna
My new babies

I've invited these folks over to this thread as well, but you might
want to visit this thread, too:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/578364/

Great group of posts concerning Canna leaves yellowing.

Very good link regarding Canna virus, though
it appears to be UK, it is still good info for all to know.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0704/canna_viruses.asp

Collection of Cannas:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/iankcooke/Hello.html

Please, Dave?? I'd love to have a forum entirely dedicated to these guys--cannas are INCREDIBLE for any garden. =D

I went to Home Depot this morning to get one package of Caladium bulbs and they had just put out flats of 10 that were already already big, cheaper than the bulbs! It was my favorite, Candidum, so I got two flats. They really make a statement in a shade garden.

BUT, THE BEST BUY were the Cannas!!!!! Just in, in full bloom, marked Canna Tropicana, and were awesome! HUGE plants with many new shoots..........can you tell I'm excited? They were $12.95 and I got two. I would have paid twice as much just for the leaf color alone, even if they never bloomed!

Getting a little giddy here, guess I'll go out and dance around the new plants.
Pati

P.S. Any news from the head honchos on the new forum?

Hiya, folks!

I have an interesting seed germination technique. Rather, I should not say I
have it, as it was a technique on an instruction sheet with some seeds I bought.

I've never heard of this one, tell me whatcha think.

According to this sheet, you pour boiling water on the seeds and allow them to
soak. At first I thought this was rather odd, and might possibly kill the embryo, but
then I remembered that Lotus are often sprouted much the same way, which I
have actually tried with Lotus. I run the Lotus over a disc sander and drop them into
the boiling water. A few days later, shoots.

The man stated one could hear the seeds pop or crack open like the sound
of crystal breaking, though I haven't heard such a noise.

Has anyone tried this method?

I have what appears to be a laboratory going here, LOL. This method on this
shelf, that method over here, another method on that shelf.

Hmm.

Just checking by to see if anybody from the Adm. has noticed us yet. (sigh)
Pati

I cheat on the canna seeds too. LOL I sand a hole in them with my Nail Genie then toss them in peroxide water. Within a couple of days nubs are sticking out and I throw them in a butter or ice cream bowl until they get crowded, then move them to their own pots.

COUNT ME IN for a Canna forum!

My new husband has those ugly purple Cannas growing on the side of the garage, and took a truckload of then over my house I moved out of. I was LIVID! because I think they are just plain UGLY!

And then....I saw STUTTGART...and my heart skipped a beat!

Never have I reacted to a plant this way! I'm in for the forum. Dave -- you're taking too long on this one. Hurry please.

P.S. Gang, I'm in Zone 8b Houston, Tx. I bought boxes of Canna bulbs at Sam's Club last month and have yet to put them in the dirt. I'm doing container gardening on the east facing patio at my new home. I do have a beds on the south and north. Where's the best place to put the cannas? You've sold me on pots. How big a pot? Sam's has the 20" lightweight concrete look pots for 15$. I have several of the 19" already ($10). How much soil? Drainage holes or not? What kind of soil? I've got vide 40 lb. bags of potting mix and natural compost that I've harvested from his patio. It's loaded with earthworms and doodlebugs, and is ground to a rich, dark coffee grind consistency already. Should I mix some of this with the potting soil or use it exclusively to put the bulbs in? Should I soak the bulbs first? ETC. ETC. ETC. I WANT STUTTGART!!!! AND PRETORIA IN MY YARD!!!!! I HAVE ARRIVED!!!!

P.S. I'm totally NEW to gardening.....

Pilgrim

Pati, my fingers have been crossed since day one.

Since I last posted about the soaking method
I've decided to go back to my original
method of sprouting, and it has worked wonders.

(I should never have thought there was a better mouse trap, LOL)

If you don't own a pair of Robo-Grips, you MUST get a pair. These things
were made for scarifying Canna seeds, I swear.

I just hold onto the seed with the grips, turn on the sander and give it a gentle
push or tap until the white appears. Soak them in a glass jar sitting on my heated
germination mat, and two days later, wa-la.

Currently have a full tray of Marabout coming up, I'm so excited!

I thought Cannas came from bulbs? What's this about seeds?

Steady there Pilgram! LOL New husband, new plant obsession, your life is GOOD!

I too am longing for a Stugartt. I have been reading up on it and find it needs shade, unlike most Cannas. Can you tell I'm new to gardening too? I just bought two magnificent "Tropicana" in full bloom at Home Depot last week. They are sitting on either side of a big yellow and white stripped Ginger. Amazing!

Since I'm new I buy plants for their leaves, mostly varigated, so if I can never get anything to bloom, I still have color!

WUVIE, if I ever see a Canna seed I'll know what to do with it with all your good experiments! Do you think my Tropicanna blooms will produce seeds? What do they look like? Can you keep them or do you have to start them at once? So many questions (sigh)
Pati

I am glad that you CAN start Cannas from seeds, otherwise I have a lot less to choose from. And yes you can save the seeds. I sanded the big seeds with a fine sandpaper a little because they would have taken forever to get soft and to germinate. the smaller ones I couldnt sand so they are slower.
Got two kinds of Cannas from EmmaGrace and she dont know wich ones it is, so its going to be a surprise and I need a Canna forum so I can learn more.

hint hint Dave :0))

Here are the sedlings I started from seeds a couple of weeks ago.
Janett

Pilgrim, here you have two kinds of canna seeds they are black as the night and hard as stone.
Janett

I'm think of getting a couple new canna varieties this year. I'd like Pink Sunburst and Stuttgart, but I have a concern about each of them.

First, I've read that Pink Sunburst is slow to reproduce, so I'm wondering if it will even have time to flower in my zone. Actually I think its nice enough to not worry about the flowers but if it's such a slow grower will it stay healthy with only about 4 months of growing?

Second is a comment on Brent and Becky's website about Stuttgart, "This item requires special care." It says its needs are very specific (fertile site and lots of moisture). Does that mean this is an aquatic canna? Can I grow this successfully in my Illinois yard?

How about keeping them in a pot and bringing them indoors for the winter. Will room lighting be enough?


This message was edited Mar 22, 2006 6:18 PM

Hi Benjamin,

Here's a quick run-down on growing Canna from seeds. Someone else may very well come along and chime in the way they do it, which would be great, that way we will have different methods on this thread for newbies to try.

Please note there are many ways to germinate Canna. This version is how I do it
with great results. You may need to experiment with varied methods to find what works best for you.

Canna produce very hard coated seeds which strongly resemble rabbit or goat droppings. Don’t ask me how I realized this comparison. This coating will need to be scarified, or nicked, in order for the seedling to emerge. Sure, it happens in nature, but not all of us are so patient. Sanding the seed coating just a bit speeds up the process, and if started early enough, you will see blooms from that very seed the same year! Or you can just soak them and wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Okay, so we're going to need a bit of sanding. As you hold a Canna seed between your fingers and look closely, you may notice one end has a dark and / or flat spot. Don't see it? Look closer. Use a pair of Robo-Grips or other tool to firmly hold the seed, but not so strong that you break it. Just make sure it doesn’t get away from you while sanding.

You can now scrape the seed on a piece of coarse sandpaper or use a belt sander, disc sander, etc. to get the job done smoothly and quickly.

***Word of caution if using an electric sander*** Gently sand, just barely pressing the seed to the sandpaper. You don’t want to cremate the poor thing. Even a palm sander will work for this.

You can also use the Robo-Grips to hold the seed while you scuff the end with an emery board; which come in differing coarseness as well. Use a strong file. It always helps to have a gander through the toolbox.

Sand just enough so you see a white spot begin to show. If you sand a bit more, you will end up with something like the image below. Sorry for the blurry photo. Keep in mind that while most will look just like that, don’t be alarmed if you only see one white spot. You can either keep sanding or leave it as is, it will just take a bit longer to emerge than the others.

Place all of your seeds into a coffee cup, fill it with water and microwave it for 20 seconds. Our microwave is pretty potent, so I don’t leave it in there too long. After the time is up, transfer your cup of seeds to a heated germination mat, put the cover on and leave them there. Clarification, leave the seeds and the water in the cup.

Don't have a germination mat? Get one if you can. They are worth their weight in gold. A very warm closet will work, the top of the refrigerator can be warm, the top of the dryer while using it, a waterbed heater, an aquarium heater, all sorts of warmth sources can be found about the house if you are a bit creative.

Resist the temptation to check them every ten minutes. Okay, you're allowed one peek before bed, I suppose.

If you sanded enough and the water was warm enough but not too hot, they will sprout. The next day, have a peek. You may very well see a little white nub emerging from some of your seeds. This is a very good sign. Wait until the next day, or even a few days after that to transfer the little fella to a pre-soaked peat pellet. Remember to keep the little guys warm and moist. I keep my Canna newborns on the heated germination tray until they are at least an inch tall. Remaining on the heat mat with a good misting each day, you will be amazed at how fast they grow. That little white nub will become a little white worm. Suddenly it is putting out little roots, and the next thing you know, that little white worm develops a crack from which emerges a pointy little head. And guess what? It's a girl!

After that, I move them to little pots until spring. If it is already summer or well past any danger of frost, go ahead and plant the little dear, be sure to mark the spot and don’t forget you have children growing.

Canna from hybrids may or will look different from their parents, but those from species will remain true. One can readily find species seeds on the internet.

Have fun!






This message was edited Mar 23, 2006 1:12 PM

Looks like Brians is out of Stuttgart. : P
bummer!!!!!!!!

Cricket

Cheryl, I haven't grown 'Stuttgart' yet but I ordered one from Brent and Becky's. I also ordered 'Pink Sunburst' for the foliage - I don't mind if it doesn't bloom although I think it will. You can always start them ahead of time in pots to stretch your growing season.

From what I read about 'Stuttgart' the primary special care it needs is part shade or its foliage will burn and turn brown.

I dig up my cannas and store them in pet litter (shavings) in a cardboard box in my cool garage over the winter. I don't know if they have to have a rest period or not but I don't have enough room in my house to keep them going through the winter.

Since most cannas like full sun I don't think ordinary room lighting would be bright enough.

Hopefully someone with more experience will jump in to answer your questions. LOL

Crickett: I ordered 10 Stuttgarts ($3.50/per) from eflowergarden.com. They shipped on the 22nd and will arrive on the 25th! I'm planning on growing them in containers on my east facing patio. There's overhead moderate sun for about 3-4 hours daily, then dappled?? shade thereafter. I think this will work for the Stuttgarts. If not there, I can move the containers to the south bed which is flanked by the garage. It's definitely shady most of the day.

Wuvie you're Wunderful! Thanks for the method to my madness!

I have my Stuttgarts in full shade, and some of the white still turns brown. I was told this would happen anyway (on one of the other forums, I can't find it, which again is why we need a separate Canna forum) even if I kept them shaded, and it proved to be true. They're still too pretty to NOT grow, even with a few brown spots her and there. I leave mine in the ground year round down here, so I don't think they need too much of a resting period. A January frost burns some of the leaves every year, I trim them back to about 6 inches, and they pop up like crazy again within a few weeks.
MerryMary

MerryMary,
I just received my Stuttgart bulbs yesterday(via FedEx) from
eflowergarden.com and I couldn't be happier with them. Nice size, very firm, nice color.Also great price!!!
It will really seem strange planting cannas in the shade! I have always planted them in full sun.
I'm just wondering since I'm zone five, as compared to your 9b, if I'll have as much problem with the browning.
Would you recommend some morning sun?
Something else I thought I'd share. I have several little canna plants pop up every year, close to where cannas were planted the year before. They have to be coming up from seeds that fell off the mama plants. The point I'm trying to get at is this: Why couldn't canna seeds be winter sown-in areas that get extended below freezing temps? It works here (natures way), as I have volunteers every year. There's no way I can leave the bulbs in the ground, even with heavy mulch- but the seeds don't seem to mind it a bit.
Deanna