9 Ideas for Storing Canna Lily Bulbs This Winter

Canna lilies are such a pleasure within the backyard. With their lush, tropical foliage and large, brightly coloured flowers, they affect the panorama in a approach that few vegetation are able to. Sadly, canna bulbs usually are not particularly cold-tolerant for these of us residing in cooler climates.

Luckily, they are often saved for the winter for those who dig them up and provides them the appropriate atmosphere to overwinter in. Listed here are some suggestions for storing your canna lilies over the winter. When you do it proper, you need to have stunning cannas as soon as once more subsequent 12 months with out the expense of buying new vegetation.

Monitor the Climate

A close-up reveals a stunning canna lily plant, its large, vibrant orange flower glistening with tiny water droplets that enhance its beauty. — Ready till frost naturally withers the foliage makes the duty extra manageable and simpler on the plant.

Canna lilies are comparatively cold-tolerant vegetation, surviving temperatures right down to 0°F. Which means that for those who stay in zones 7-11, you don’t have to fret about your cannas at all around the winter. A thick blanket of mulch utilized when the climate shifts to round 50°-60°F will give them a bit of additional insulation.

When you stay north of zone 7, you’ll want to dig up your canna bulbs and retailer them for the winter. This fashion, you may plant them once more to take pleasure in subsequent 12 months. The candy spot for digging up these, and lots of different bulbous and rhizomatic vegetation, is correct after the primary frost.

Canna lilies develop from rhizomes, that are barely totally different from true bulbs. Crops like ginger and turmeric develop from rhizomes, so it ought to be no shock that cannas do as properly for the reason that vegetation are comparable. For our functions, we are going to consult with “bulbs” and “rhizomes” interchangeably.

After the First Frost However Earlier than a Arduous Freeze

Whereas they’ll tolerate colder climate, we wish to go away these vegetation within the floor lengthy sufficient for the chilly to set off dormancy. Ready till a frost kills off the foliage makes the duty simpler and fewer painful. Nobody likes to cut down these fairly tropical leaves earlier than it’s needed.

As a lot as you don’t wish to dig them up too quickly, it’s necessary to not go away them within the floor too lengthy. A tough freeze will be damaging. You wish to harvest them after the foliage dies however earlier than there was a deep frost.

Develop Your Canna Lillies in Containers

In the garden, a colorful array of canna lily flowers flourishes. Their blooms showcase shades of yellow, pink, and red, while their sturdy stems and lush green leaves provide a delightful contrast. Each plant is nestled in black pots filled with rich, dark soil. — Keep your containers in an space with a constant temperature.

Even simpler than digging up your cannas each winter, canna lilies develop very properly in containers. Cannas in containers don’t should be faraway from their pots for the winter. Deliver your cannas in containers indoors, and maintain them in a cool, dry place till spring returns.

When you intend to re-pot your cannas, leaving them of their present containers for the winter is greatest. This fashion, they don’t have to recuperate from the transplant whereas in a dormant state, which implies little development. Try to maintain your containers in an area that stays round 50°-60°F more often than not, and maintain them in darkness as a lot as doable.

Reduce the Foliage

A close-up of canna lily leaves showcases their lush and vibrant greenery. Their broad, elongated shape with white linings add to the plant's overall charm and appeal. — To arrange for bulb extraction, trim away the lifeless leaves utilizing a pointy, clear instrument.

When you’ve skilled your first freeze, your canna’s foliage ought to die again, making the method simpler. Earlier than you dig, trim off the lifeless foliage utilizing a clear, sharp instrument. Trim the foliage again to about 2” above the bottom.

It’s necessary to make use of a clear instrument when making these cuts. You’ll be able to even dip the instrument into an answer of 1 half bleach to 10 components water in between vegetation. This avoids contaminating the susceptible bulbs with fungus and micro organism that might be residual on a instrument that hasn’t been cleaned.

Dig Up the Bulbs

On a brown table, various elements are laid out for inspection and planting. Canna lily bulbs, a small shovel, a box of packaging, and a large pot are all present, with a focus on the bulbs to ensure they are ready for planting. — To reduce root disturbance, use a shovel or gardening fork when excavating canna bulbs.

Cannas are sometimes planted at the very least 4 to 6 inches deep, so it’s best to make use of a instrument to dig them up that may disturb the roots as a lot as doable. A shovel or gardening fork works properly.

Utilizing your instrument, dig down across the plant stalks in a large sufficient circle that you just don’t harm any potential new offshoots. These will be divided later and planted to grow to be new canna vegetation within the spring. Dig down beneath the bulbs, lifting them with the shovel.

As soon as the soil is properly loosened, it’s time to get your arms soiled. Use your arms to loosen the bulbs from the soil. Utilizing your arms will assist protect them and probably susceptible offshoots. You’ll be able to separate your offshoots now or within the spring, however extra about that later.

Clear Them Up

On a white surface, the cleaned canna root bulbs are displayed, free from dirt and debris. Their smooth, firm texture and pale color hint at their vitality. — Be sure to wipe or rinse off any residual filth gently.

Earlier than storing, cleansing off the rhizomes and eradicating any soil is necessary. These bulbs are sometimes very sturdy and might tolerate storage. Nevertheless, any harm inflicted whereas digging will make them extra inclined to sure pathogens. Any small cuts could make them extra susceptible to those damaging forces.

The soil can include fungus, micro organism, or different backyard pests you don’t wish to retailer. Use your arms or a rag to scrub the bulbs, or gently rinse off any filth with a stream of water. When you select to clean the bulbs, it is vitally necessary to not retailer them moist, as this will trigger them to rot.

Remedy the Bulbs

A close-up of cleaned Canna Zantedeschia rhizomes whose appearance reflect their readiness for planting. The rhizomes appear to be stored in a cool, dry place. Their intricate, interconnected structure suggests the potential for new growth. — You should definitely get rid of unhealthy bulbs, as ailments can simply unfold in storage.

After getting cleaned your bulbs, it’s time to allow them to remedy. This course of drastically reduces the danger of rot. It additionally toughens the pores and skin, defending them from mildew or fungus. Most bulbs ought to be cured earlier than storage; cannas can take a bit longer.

Remedy them in a cool, dry, darkish place, permitting them to dry out for a couple of week. You’ll discover the pores and skin begins to wrinkle as they remedy.

As soon as the pores and skin takes on this wrinkled look, they’re able to retailer. Be sure to take away any that seem unhealthy. Ailments unfold rapidly in storage.

Wrap the Bulbs

A packaging box designed with ventilation holes and a flexible material is used to wrap the canna bulbs. It promotes a zero-waste approach to protect and transport them. — To reinforce safety towards potential pathogens, guarantee your bulbs don’t contact one another.

Wrapping your bulbs earlier than you retailer them is one other layer of safety from any potential moisture left over, which may trigger them to rot. Newsprint paper is nice for this objective, as are paper grocery baggage.

One other technique to shield your bulbs whereas in storage, for those who desire to not wrap them, is to bury them in peat moss or vermiculite. Make it possible for no matter medium you employ to wrap or pack is breathable.

Wrapping additionally prevents them from touching one another. The much less contact they’ve with potential pathogens, the higher. In case you are storing them in peat moss or vermiculite, guarantee they aren’t touching and that there’s a layer of the medium on all sides.

Retailer Them Accurately

Nestled in brown soil, a collection of small peat pots awaits their purpose. These pots are filled with dark, nutrient-rich soil, ready to nurture new plant life. — Select a breathable container that’s not hermetic.

Selecting a container and a location ought to come right down to conserving them dormant and on the proper moisture degree. First, determine what sort of container you wish to retailer them in.

Paper grocery baggage work, however this won’t go away your bulbs accessible for mid-season inspection. I prefer to retailer mine in shallow cardboard bins. This enables me to place a single layer in every field, making them accessible whereas insulating them.

When you’ve wrapped your bulbs in paper, you may retailer them in breathable nylon or open-weave cotton baggage. The one concern right here is that they have to be insulated from touching each other, and there ought to be adequate air circulation round every bulb.

Keep away from storing your bulbs in plastic containers. They’ll rot if moisture is current and the container doesn’t breathe, so keep away from utilizing plastic bins or baggage for storage.

Additionally necessary is the storage location. The temperature and humidity of the cupboard space are the 2 principal components concerned in preserving the integrity of your bulbs. You desire a area the place the temperature stays between 35°-50°F. You additionally wish to keep away from fluctuations in humidity, and the area ought to keep pretty dry all through the season.

In case your basement is cool and dry, this is a perfect place for storage. A storage is usually a good selection in case your local weather doesn’t trigger your storage temperature to fall under freezing. Storing bulbs towards the wall the place the storage is joined to the home’s inside will help insulate them barely.

A cool closet or shed is one other chance. In case you have a greenhouse that may keep in that temperature vary, that will even be acceptable, however be certain it doesn’t get too humid.

Verify Up Periodically

A close-up focuses on a vibrant red canna root bulb. It highlights the unique color and shape of the bulbs which are vital part of the plant's growth and development. — Take away any contaminated bulbs to stop ailments from spreading to the opposite bulbs.

Together with your bulbs correctly saved, you have to be good to undergo the winter. Nevertheless, it’s a good observe to test in on them from time to time. As soon as monthly is usually adequate.

Look to guarantee that none are rotting or decaying. If they’re, take away these from the field and get rid of them so they don’t infect the others. Additionally, test the moisture degree. You need them to remain dry however not dry out fully.

When you see that your bulbs have continued to shrivel and darken, they might be too dry. Use a twig bottle to mist the peat moss, vermiculite, or the skin of the paper they’re wrapped in. Don’t saturate something. Just a bit little bit of moisture goes a great distance. After checking in your bulbs, cowl them again up and retailer them.

Closing Ideas

Storing your canna bulbs for the winter doesn’t should be sophisticated. Simply maintain the following tips in thoughts and take a look at to not skip any steps, or you might find yourself with bulbs which can be rotten, dried out, or in any other case broken and will not produce development within the coming season.