Canna

Family. Cannaceae.

Origin. Central and South America.

Description. Large, perennial, herbaceous plants.

The leaves are wide, flat, green, dark burgundy or brownish, sometimes striped, from 20 to 80 cm long. Young leaves are rolled into tight rolls.

The flowers are large, attractive, in all shades of red, orange, yellow, less often two-colored, reminiscent of gladioli, there are male and female, up to 8 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences - panicles on the tops of tall leafless peduncles.

Height. Peduncles reach 3 m. in height. Varieties that are more modest in size are grown indoors.

Care and storage

Keeping in open ground

Planting in open ground is possible both with rhizomes and seedlings - small plants that were previously grown in a nursery or at home.

Canna seedlings must first be hardened off - the bushes are kept in a cool place, at a temperature of about 16 ° C.

Before planting in open ground, the plants are taken outside for several hours a day, gradually increasing the time spent in the fresh air.

The rhizomes can be planted outside or in the garden, both with and without new growth. If the rhizomes have not been pre-sprouted, the first buds should be expected at a later date. If cannas are grown in a cool climate, flowering may not occur at all.

Planting is carried out in the second half of May - when the last spring frosts have receded in the regions.

As a location, you should choose an area where the flowers will be protected from strong gusts of wind, and also where there is no groundwater close to the surface. The canna planting area should receive direct sunlight for several hours a day.

It is advisable to plant plants on the southern, southeastern side of buildings - such specimens will additionally receive heat from the walls at night.

The area for growing cannas is first dug up and weeds are removed from it, and planting holes about 60 cm deep and wide are prepared. 

The placement scheme will depend on the height of a particular variety and the growing method - low-growing species can be placed at a distance The distance between plants should be 30-50 cm, and between tall cannas - 60-90 cm.

The flower can be used both in group plantings and grown as single plants.

Before planting, the rhizomes are inspected, diseased and rotten areas are removed, the wound surfaces are lubricated with brilliant green or sprinkled with charcoal and slightly dried. You can soak the roots for 30 minutes in a weak fungicide.

First of all, a layer of expanded clay, crushed stone or river pebbles is placed on the bottom of the planting holes. Broken clay pots or simply broken bricks can also be used as a drainage layer.

A substrate that is too heavy is pre-mixed with river sand to improve moisture permeability. Soils poor in nutrients are enriched with the addition of humus and humus or well-rotted cow or horse manure. A good amount of nutritious organic matter (manure) is placed on the drainage layer, in the holes.

Manure will not only nourish the plants during the growth and flowering period, but will also provide the roots with additional warmth.

The nutrient layer is sprinkled with earth - approximately a layer 20-25 cm thick. Rhizomes are placed at a depth of 6 - 9 cm. from the surface of the soil, depending on their size, and sprinkled with earth.

After planting, the soil around the plant is thoroughly compacted and the flowers are watered. 

Further care of the plants will consist of timely watering and fertilizing, loosening the soil and weeding.

Remember that insufficient watering can inhibit the formation of buds, and the bushes obtained in drought conditions will be much smaller in size.

Cannas are fed 2-3 times from spring to autumn with mineral fertilizers. The first feeding is done immediately after planting, the second - before flowering, and the last - immediately after flowering, to prepare the rhizome for winter - so that they have a supply of nutrients.

Wintering in the middle zone can end with the death of the flower, so cannas are dug up in the fall, dried and stored until spring in a cool and dry room.

Plants in the garden can face the first frosts, but before the onset of frost, the plants should be protected by covering the roots with an additional layer of soil.

Before digging, the entire above-ground part is cut off with a sharp and sterile pruner at a height of 15 - 20 cm.

The rhizomes are dug up, cleared of soil, soaked in a weak solution of a fungicide for a day and dried, placed in cardboard boxes or wooden crates, allowing the roots of the flower to breathe.

A small amount of a mixture of coarse river sand, sawdust, peat and garden soil is poured between the rhizomes. From time to time, the soil is moistened, keeping it slightly damp and not allowing it to dry out completely.

The storage room should have a temperature within 6 - 8  ° C. From time to time, the rhizomes are removed from the box, carefully examined for the presence of rot and treated, if necessary, with fungicidal preparations.

You can use the vegetable rack in the refrigerator as storage space. 

In regions with frost-free climates, before the onset of winter, the roots of the canna are additionally sprinkled with a layer of soil and covered with spruce branches or fallen leaves to protect them from frost.

Temperature

This heat-loving plant can be kept during the growing season and budding at normal room temperature.  Indoor cannas thrive in the summer heat.

In general, the growth rate in this case will greatly depend on the temperature of the content - the higher it is, the faster the plant develops.

During the flowering period, the temperature can be slightly lowered to 18 - 20 ° C to prolong the life of the buds. During the dormant period, the tubers are stored in a cool place with a temperature of 7 - 12 ° C.

Plants do not like sudden temperature changes - cold weather can lead to a slowdown in development and the absence of flower stalks.

The flower can withstand short-term frosts, but you should not subject it to such tests.

Reproduction

Canna is often propagated by dividing the rhizomes of adult plants. This method is carried out in the spring - in March.

1. The rhizomes are cleaned of old soil and cut into several parts with a sharp sterile knife or pruning shears.
2. The wound surface resulting from this division is treated with finely crushed charcoal powder.
3. As a result of division, each part should receive its growth buds and a fairly well-developed root system.
4. The cuttings are planted in a plastic container, positioned very close to each other so that the renewal buds are horizontal in the substrate. 
5. When planting, the soil around the plant should be compacted a little so that there are no air pockets. 
6.  These sections are sprinkled with simple river sand on top and watered with well-settled water at room temperature.
7. The top of the container is covered with a transparent plastic lid or glass to maintain a uniformly high level of air humidity and create a greenhouse effect.
8. Plants should germinate in a warm place at a temperature of 22 - 25 ° C; using bottom heating will increase the chances of germination.
9. When the first signs of development appear, the rhizomes are dug out of the ground and transplanted into separate pots.
10. Seedlings are hardened by placing them in a cool place with a temperature of 15 - 17 ° C.
11. When each plant forms sufficient green mass, the cannas can be taken outside and accustomed to new living conditions. 

Around the rhizomes of adult plants, small children often appear - small daughter rhizomes, which are also separated and planted. 

It is also possible to grow canna from seeds, however, germination takes a long period of time. 

The planting material is large and covered with a black, very dense shell, so it will require pre-sowing treatment for germination. The seeds are scalded with boiling water, which will help soften the shell, then placed in a thermos or thermos with warm water and kept there for several more hours.

It is interesting that instead of scalding, cold or warm stratification can also be used to increase germination - with this method of preparation, the seeds are kept either on a strong heat source for 10-12 hours, or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Scarification gives good results - intentional damage to the outer shell of the seeds with files or sandpaper.

Sowing is carried out at the end of winter - in February.

1. For planting, take a plastic container with drainage holes and a lid.
2. A drainage 1 - 2 cm high is placed at the bottom of the container.
3. Fill the container with nutritious, loose substrate.
4. The soil in the container is moistened using a fine sprayer with water at room temperature.
5. The seeds are sown, covering them on top with a substrate about 1 cm thick. The crops are also sprayed on top with water at room temperature.
6. Seedlings must be placed in a warm room with a temperature of 23 - 25° C.
7. The location should be brightly lit, but not exposed to direct sunlight.

The first signs of growth can be seen within 3-4 weeks. All this time, the substrate in containers and cups is kept evenly moist.

If necessary, plants are planted in their own pots with the appearance of 3 - 4 leaves. 

You can plant them in small individual cups, and when the first true leaves appear, there will be no need to transplant the bushes from the common container into different containers.

The first feeding of small bushes is carried out when 10 - 14 days have passed since the picking. For feeding, use mineral fertilizer for flowering plants, heavily diluted with water. 

Remember that specimens obtained from seeds may not inherit all the varietal attractiveness of the parent samples.

The strongest and largest bushes can bloom in the first year of life, but the bulk of the bushes will form buds the following year.

To prevent young plants from wasting energy on forming buds, and instead become owners of a powerful root system, it is recommended to remove the first emerging flower stalks.

To form buds in the current season, canna seeds must be sown in January, and the seedlings must develop under good artificial lighting.

Seed germination can be carried out not only in soil, but also in simple damp gauze or between damp cotton pads soaked in water.

Transplant 

Plants prefer spacious containers, so repot them before the container becomes cramped. 

Since many varieties of cannas are impressive in size and can topple under their own weight, stable containers are needed for planting them.

Planting of rhizomes in a fresh substrate and a new pot is carried out in the spring, with the appearance of the first signs of growth in the rhizomes or even before it. 

1. Select a pot for planting with large drainage holes.
2. A good drainage layer of expanded clay or river pebbles is poured into the pot.
3. The drainage layer is sprinkled with nutritious soil on top and the rhizome of the plant is placed in the center of the pot.
4. The flower is sprinkled with earth so that there is a distance of 1 - 2 cm to the top edge of the pot.
5. After planting, the substrate is lightly compacted and the plant is watered.

Small sprouts will appear above the soil surface within 20 days after planting.

Repeated watering should be done sparingly, often only after the first shoots appear above the soil surface.

Transplanted plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight - this will only add stress to them.

Feeding such flowers can be postponed for 2 - 3 weeks, since fresh soil already has enough nutrients.

Flowering time

June - October. The buds open sequentially and can remain open for several weeks on one stem.

Each bush can bloom for 2 months and form 3-4 flower stalks.

When grown in open ground, flowering can only be interrupted by the onset of frost.

Canna can be used for forcing and with proper care and sufficient lighting, flower stalks can be obtained by the desired date. When forcing, the rhizomes are planted in the ground 6 - 8 weeks before the desired start of flowering.

Soil 

Well-drained, nutrient-rich, loose soil with a high organic content. Cannas can grow in almost any soil provided they are well fertilized and moistened. 

The maintenance mixture can be made on the basis of leaf and turf soil, peat and humus with the addition of perlite or coarse river sand to improve drainage.

Mixing a small amount of charcoal into the soil can add nutrients and sanitize the soil.

The planting substrate must have a neutral pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5. 

Watering

The plant requires regular watering during the period of active growth. In winter, the tubers are kept almost completely dry.

The first waterings are carried out after planting in the ground and they should be moderate, since large leaves have not yet formed that evaporate a sufficient amount of water.

As the leaf blades grow, the volume of water for irrigation also increases.

Before flowering, canna is watered abundantly until the soil is completely saturated, but excess moisture that appears in the tray after watering must be drained.

After the buds wither, the frequency of watering and the amount of water are gradually reduced again.

As the above-ground green part dies off, the soil becomes increasingly drier - as a result, the rhizomes should remain in an almost dry substrate.

You can water only with warm and well-settled tap water. Young bushes require careful and regular watering, and adult specimens can tolerate short-term drought.

Feeding cannas 

Potted plants have a very limited feeding area and require additional nutrients to be added to the soil. Canna reacts extremely positively to fertilizers and rewards gardeners with lush flowering.

When new growth begins, fertilize weekly with complex liquid fertilizers for flowering plants with sufficient amounts of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Stop fertilizing during the dormant period.

It is advisable to fertilize with a weak solution, diluting mineral fertilizers to half the dose recommended on the package.

Fertilizers are applied only after abundant watering, in moist soil. If a too concentrated solution gets on the roots of plants in dry soil, it can cause a chemical burn.

Diseases and pests 

Plants that receive good care rarely suffer from pests and diseases. 

• Tubers can rot if the soil is over-watered and there is stagnant water - in this case, the flowers and buds will turn black and die. When the first signs of rotting appear, the rhizomes are removed from the ground, inspected and all areas affected by rot are removed, cutting them down to healthy tissue. The cut sites are treated with disinfectants, sprinkled with carbon powder and slightly dried. Planting of such plants is carried out only in fresh soil, since pathogens can remain in the old substrate. After planting, watering is stopped for several days, allowing the root system to heal the wounds.
• Gray rot can be caused by fungal diseases, and plants can be affected by rust , leaf spot and mosaic.
• Sometimes bacteriosis occurs.
• Canna will not bloom in pots that are too small, where the rhizomes have no room to develop, or if kept in too cool conditions, without a rest period and with insufficient lighting.

Of the harmful insects, the plant is liked by nematodes, scale insects, aphids, and spider mites. When grown in open ground, the flower can be attacked by slugs and snails, caterpillars of various butterflies, and wireworms.

Conditions of maintenance, pruning 

In general, the plant is relatively unpretentious, resistant to various diseases and forgives some mistakes in care, however, this flower also requires compliance with certain agricultural techniques.

If possible, take the canna plant outside in early summer. Place the bush in a place out of direct sunlight and protected from strong gusts of wind and rain.

Remove fading flower stalks - this will prolong the flowering period and keep the plant looking neat. After flowering, the leaves turn yellow and then black - at this time, all above-ground parts of the plant should be removed. Do not trim slightly yellowed leaves - they continue to supply the plant's rhizome with nutrients.

Provide support for tall flower stalks, as sometimes they cannot withstand the weight of the buds and break off.

The dormant period of these flowers is short and lasts only a couple of months, after which growth begins again.

If the plant is on a too cool windowsill, then its root system will suffer from extreme cold and a sheet of insulation should be placed under the flower pot.

Wipe large leaves from dust with a damp sponge from time to time.

Lighting

Abundant flowering is possible only with bright lighting and direct sunlight for 6 hours every day. In too hot spring and summer daytime hours, you should slightly shade the canna with a light tulle curtain.

If there is insufficient natural light in autumn and winter, it is possible to illuminate it with fluorescent lamps or phytolamps.

When grown in partial shade, the stems of the plant lengthen and the leaves turn pale; the bush does not bloom.

The most suitable places for growing will be the windowsills of south-west and south-east windows. Growing on the north side without additional lighting is impossible.

Spraying 

Spray the plants in the morning, once or twice a day with warm water, being careful not to get it on the buds and flowers. The moisture must have time to evaporate before dark, otherwise rot may occur.

Ensure good air circulation, avoiding drafts.

Do not place the pot near heat sources in autumn and winter or under an air conditioner in summer.

Purpose

When grown at home, cannas can be used both as decorative foliage and as flowering plants. Currently, varieties have been bred with brightly colored striped or burgundy leaf blades.

In landscape design, this flower will also not go unnoticed and will become a bright accent in any flower bed or flower garden.

Flower stalks can be used in bouquets and for cutting.

Note - interesting facts

Interestingly, the large rhizomes of canna contain a large amount of starch and are considered edible - it was eaten by the indigenous peoples of America.

Sometimes plants “cry” - droplets of moisture appear on the leaf blades if the flower is in a room with high atmospheric humidity or the weather is cloudy and rainy outside.