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View Full Version : Canna - Alive or goner?


kstmommy
05-10-2015, 06:35 PM
Hi guys. I left 8 Miss Oklahoma canna's in the ground, barely mulched, in zone 6b/7 near shed foundation. We've had a couple of weeks now of 70's & 80's and they show NO signs of new growth above ground. I got impatient waiting, afraid to be wasting time (bc I have replacements), so I dug them all up today. I can't tell whether they're alive or not. They're firm, and when you cut one apart, it's fairly white inside. I dug up all 8 clumps and omg there are hundreds.

I don't want to waste time waiting on the rest if they're goners, but I don't want to physically dig the rest or disturb them if you guys think they're ok.

Sooo, whatcha think? Alive? Way gone? So so?

http://tinypic.com/r/13yjfci/8

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting (http://tinypic.com/r/13yjfci/8) - sorry pic won't upload

kubali
05-11-2015, 06:43 AM
http://i59.tinypic.com/13yjfci.jpg
it looks good to me from what I can see from this picture.

kstmommy
05-11-2015, 06:58 AM
Thank you so much for putting the pic in there, I could not get the tags to work properly!

Glad to hear you think they look good, that excites me, thank you!

JP
05-11-2015, 08:50 AM
I would wait. They seem fine.

Olafhenny
05-11-2015, 05:18 PM
Cannas are distant and tropical relatives of bananas and behave in similar manner.
If the corm or rhizome or at least part of it, is firm like a potato, then you have a
viable plant. If it feels spongy, then the compost is calling. The one node, about 1/3rd
from the right end looks to me, like it might still be viable. If the section, it is trying
to spout out from is still firm, plant it, - if not tell your compost, it has company coming.
I am speaking from a number of years experience of digging up the rhizomes each fall
here in HZ 6, storing them over winter in peat moss and then starting them indoors, to
plant them outside when all danger of frost has passed. Thus assessing the viability of
Rhizomes is alarge part of my experience with cannas.

My ‘tallest’ achievement was a Canna Australia, which reached a height of 11½ feet
last year. One of this year’s edition is already peaking over a four feet high fence and
is well ahead of last year's. I am shooting for at least 12 feet this year.

Good luck,
Olaf

siege2050
06-14-2015, 01:55 PM
Some cannas start a bit later than others,for example my Canna Musifolia Grande is just now starting to really sprout, and my other cannas are already a few feet high, it also depends on the place where the rhizomes are, in shade, even if the tops of the plants usually aren't, makes a big difference because the ground stays cooler. I have noticed this also decides if they make it in winter. My neighbor lost a lot of cannas on the west side of their house because in winter the ground above the rhizomes is heavily shaded, even though the stems extend into the sun in summer. Their cannas in earth that was in full sun during winter made it no problem. Basically if their feet are shaded they will start later.