My hubby brought my seeds from my canna's, he wants me to plant them. Can you grow canna's from their seeds? If you can,how do you do it.A little advice would be appreciated on this subject!! thank you

I have grown canna plants from seeds. None of them have flowered this season so I am keeping the roots.

To germinate canna seeds: first you need to nick the hard seed coat. I hold the seed in pliers and use a toenail cutter to nick them.
Or rub them on sand paper until you see a white patch (hard on fingers I find).

Then soak them until they swell. I use diluted hydrogen peroxide solution.
They should swell in a day or two.

Then plant them in sterilized soil and keep warm until they sprout----about one or two weeks depending on temperature.

Good luck! It is well worth doing. Many commercial roots and/or plants are infected with a virus so seeds are better.

THANKS

I may be back with questions!! when do you try to get them in soil to have them ready in time? told you questions!!!

A March or early April start gives plants for outdoors in June.
Could be faster if I kept them under lights.

I should mention that here in zone 3 shorter season:
none of the seed started cannas gave flowers this first summer.
Saving the roots and will hope for flowers next season.

Good to know, Caroline! I've never tried cannas from seed before. I just bought Bengal Tiger yesterday at a garden conference in TX. I've been wanting one for quite a while. Happy gardening! I'm new to the site and am enjoying it already.

Good idea on the pliers and cutter, Caroline. In a pinch, is an emery board sufficiently sandpapery to get through the coat?

Like that flower photo.

sarahbugw said:Good to know, Caroline! I've never tried cannas from seed before. I just bought Bengal Tiger yesterday at a garden conference in TX. I've been wanting one for quite a while. Happy gardening! I'm new to the site and am enjoying it already.

That's a beautiful one Sarah, I've been wanting a yellow.

I am so jealous,around here i can't find anything but just the regular green or purple leaves with red blooms.

But i enjoy looking at all the beautiful canna's yall are posting pictures of!!!

have a lovely weekend

Any help would be much appreciated...How do I store my Canna`s...successfully...I have them dug up waiting for them to dry a bit,they got rained on .I need to separate them,they are HUGE I mean huge ?? They got watered all summer...I also have dahlias and amarillis bulbs . Yes I grew the Am`s outside..OH and Cladium corms. Whats the Ideal temp to store them at in what medium you use to store them in...? Thank you

Hi Tamara, I wouldn't divide til spring. Here's what I did last winter, my first, successfully overwintering Canna (see comments).
Canna Tropicanna®

Here is my experience with growing canna from seeds that I posted in the Tropical Forum. In the thread I posted a website I followed to start mine. I also read where you can use hot water to speed up the germination process.
The thread "Canna Seedling" in Tropicals forum

Website with great instructions
http://www.cooltropicalplants....

Storing Cannas for the winter. Last year was a mess. This year, much easier.
The thread "Canna - Northern garden" in Tropicals forum

Good luck.

Sarah, is that photo of 'bengal tiger'? Bengal tiger is a variegated canna.

Evan, I have the tall yellow with speckled throat, I think it's 'Richard Wallace', if you are interested. I will have to move some before they start on the foundation.

Hi Betsy! That's not Bengal Tiger. I don't know the name of my yellow one. It was a pass-along from a friend. I look forward to seeing how Bengal Tiger performs in the spring.

Happy Friday everyone!


I love zinnias too!

Evan ,Thank you ...I had just read gardnerdetective...and reread yours and it... Im assuming the Dahlias and Caladiums might be treated the same way somewhat...Here is to successful overwintering

Sarah,Dont get me started on zinnias..... They are my favorites,after Pansy,violets,larkspur,columbine...

Wow Tamara! That's an awesome picture. I love it! I've never tried pansies from seed.

thank you Sarah another passion..point and shoot.. I really didnt realize what a beautiful photo it was,until I posted it... its just a point an shoot Panisonic,it does good for me...i will try to start anything from seed at least 1 time..wel maybe 2 times.. did some Black Pansy this year...I do tons of winter Sowing 50 gal jugs and I can do up 27 flats under lights. I love it.. im probly gonna have to try Cannas Now..I did Iris,hoping for blooms in 2013'

Going to get my cannas around today get them all tucked in,along with my amarillis,caladiums,dahalias..Looks like a beautiful day here today...its been rather wet an grey

It was a beautiful day here too. Sunny and in the 70s! I worked on moving around cannas and daffodils (erlicheer and sugar cups), and am thinking about growing some spinach.

Here are my Canna HOGS...wow...got them all tucked in..fingers crossed

I have to add this photo...I was chasing him all around this mum sunday

I'm sure that your cannas will perform beautifully in their new spots. I'll be sharing mine with my mom in a few weeks.

Those Canna rhizomes are huge, ... and beautiful! I hope you put them in the DB.