| What is the proper care for canna rhizomes at the end of the season and what is the best time to plant for the next year? |
| Cannas are quite tender and you should dig and store the roots after the foliage withers and dies back. (Frost will blacken the tops and then it will be time.) Shake the excess soil off the roots and store them in dry sand, peatmoss or sawdust. The roots will be dormant and won't require water, but should be protected from complete dessication. Check the stored roots during the winter and add a little moisture to the peatmoss if the roots begin to shrink or shrivel up. You can store them in a garage or cool, dark basement or wherever the temperature is above freezing, but below average household temperatures. Plant them in rich, moist soil in the spring after danger of frost and they'll bloom again next summer. For a jump start, you can pot them up and keep them in a very bright sunny location for transplanting into the garden when the weather has settled and the ground ahs warmed a bit -- but make sure they are not frosted as they will not tolerate it. |
