Canna indica diary

Canna indica is a annual/perennial plant that has rhizomes and can grow up to 2,5  meters (8,2 ft). It likes rich, soft soil and moderate amounts of water. Drought will slow the development of the plant and it will not reach it`s full potential. The flowers are hermaphrodite so there will always be seeds. 

There are many varieties of canna flower colors in the world. Unfortunately, I only have the red one :( but if luck serves me well there will be some more varieties in my garden.

Canna plant can be planted by simply dividing the rhizome into smaller parts. While doing that it is important that every part has healthy "spike" from which new plant will emerge. Since I plant my canna rhizomes every spring (they overwinter in the basement) I inspect the rhizome for rotten parts. I do not remove rotten parts because I do not want to expose healthy tissue of the plant to the soil in which it will be planted. Cutting rhizomes is only done if there is need for more plants. Canna can be grown from seed also but that part I will explain later. Regarding the light, the plant can be grown in full sunlight or in partial shade. Either way if the soil is good and if you water it plant will grow like crazy.

Rhizome with stem	Healthy bud	Rhizome
New leaves	Emerging flower	Flower

Seed pods

Growing canna from seed is not so complicated thing to do. Seeds itself are very hard and I have read somewhere that they were used as ammunition for guns in India (that information needs to be checked out). They are also used to make necklaces. Seed is big as a pea, black and has a hard coating. When using seeds you must (although you don`t have to but this speeds up the germination) scar the seed. The easiest way to do that is to use nail clipper and simply chop of small piece of a black coating (be careful not to damage the white food reserves too much). After making the hole soak the seeds in a water for day or two and then plant them in the soil. After 3-7 days seed will germinate.

Seeds cut in half

Seed with scaring

Germinated seed

Overwintering

Canna is cold-sensitive and cannot survive harsh winters. Where I live temperatures go down to -15°C (5°F) for a short period of time but never the less, plant cannot survive. So, in november, when weather gets colder and frost destroys the leaves rhizomes should be dug out. Roots attached to the rhizomes do not go deep into the soil so it it very easy to dig up the plant. Rhizomes should be stored in place where they will not freeze. There are several ways rhizomes can be stored; they can be placed in a box and covered with dirt then placed into the basement - this way is a bit risky because of rotting (the dirt can keep too much water and encourage rotting). Other way you can overwinter canna is to clean the rhizomes of dirt, let them dry a little and then put them in box, bucket or something like that and then again store somewhere where it will not freeze. It is important not to put the rhizomes into a plastic bag and then tie it up...plastic bag is OK, but there must be air circulation - same thing is with bucket or box.

First frost

Half month later taking them out

Rhizomes in the box

In November 11th I removed the canna indica from the soil since weather people said that very cold weather is coming. Most of the soil was removed from the root but I didn`t want to divide the rhizomes in order to save space in the basement because I was afraid that they might rot more easily. Basement temperature is between 4 and 8°C (39-46°F) during the winter so the rhizomes should be fine - the most important is that they don`t freeze. One plant was so nice and I couldn`t resist not to plant it in the pot and take it to my room.

When the spring comes I will continue this diary and update the development of the plants.

Canna during the summer

One in my room

Dividing cana rhizome

By dividing canna rhizome you can have more plants. The important thing is that you have at least one alive bud on each rhizome part (they simply look healthy). Plant grown this way will be bigger and stronger than one grown from the seed because seed needs more time to develop. 

Basically you cut the rhizome into parts and leave for a day or two in the open so that cut can heal. If it doesn`t heal (dries out a little) there is possibility that it will rot when you plant it in the ground.

Red line shows where I will make a cut - between two buds. Each of them will develop their own roots and create new plant.

This is divided rhizome.

Now, leave rhizomes to heal 1-2 days. They might cover the cut with sticky liquid, that is normal.

28.03.2012.

Week or two ago I planted canna seeds that traveled half a world to get to me. I was lucky because they geminated in 36 to 48 hours and the germination rate was 100%. Since there was 10 seeds of different canna varaities I was hoping that all of them will germinate..and they did :)...

Soon I will take my old canna rhizomes out of the basement and find a place for them to grow. Weather people say temperatures next week might go down to -1°C (30°F) and that wouldn`t be so good rhizomes. They wouldn`t die but temperature shock could slow down their future growth.  

13.04.2012.
I have repotted canna into a slightly bigger containers few days ago. It is still too cold to plant them outside so I gave them a little more space to develop bigger root.

Except these 10 canna plants I planted more from seed. When they grew a little I transplanted them into the filed and added hay between them in order to retain water and prevent grass from growing. Also, between each canna I planted sugar cane in order to use the space and to provide canna protection from hot summer sun (although they don`t need protection as long as they have enough water).

29.04.2012. Canna seedlings behind banana	14.06.2012. 1.5 months after planting in the field
22.07.2012.	11.09.2012.
17.11.2012. Digging rhizomes out	17.11.2012.
9.12.2012. Drying rhizomes (remove roots before storing them)	9.12.2012. Storing rhizomes.

10.04.2013.

Canna grew very nicely during the year. We did had drought in 2012. but that did`t bother canna much. Unfortunate I lost all my canna due to rotting. In the autumn I dug all rhizomes out of the ground, dried them, packed in the boxes and place in the basement. I should have know better than putting them on the floor of the basement. Well, water came and eventually they died. They were in the shallow water maybe 2 days before I saw what has happened but it was too late. I dried them again and packed and stored them this time on the safer place but they rotted and died. :(

So, this year I`m starting from seed. There are two yellow cannas that were growing in the greenhouse during the winter so they will grow into nice big plants. Red canna seed germinated quickly and has been planted in styrofoam box. There is somewhere around 60 of them so now I am waiting for warmer weather to plant them outside. I also have one big red canna rhizome that my neighbor gave to me (the one I was dividing on photos above) and I`m very grateful to her for that! 

27.03.2013.	05.04.2013.
08.04.2013.	17.04.2013.

09.05.2013.