Planting, growing and caring for cannas in open ground

Cannas are distinguished by their attractive appearance; planting and caring for plants in open ground is not difficult. It is enough just to follow the recommendations, water and feed the plant in a timely manner. The crop does not tolerate low temperatures well, so proper care of flowers in the fall will keep the plant healthy the next year.

Features of canna garden

The culture has unique external characteristics and can decorate any garden plot. Cannes has the following features:

• The roots of the culture are large. They grow not only in depth, but also in width, so this criterion must be taken into account when planting.
• The stems are tall and can reach up to 3 meters.
• The stems are strong and fleshy.
• The leaves have the shape of an oblong oval.
• The stems and leaves are very nutritious and can be used as feed raw materials.
• The inflorescences are large, bisexual, and can be red, orange, pink or white.

The flowers can have a two-color color, which is popular among modern gardeners. When planting a plant, it is necessary to take into account that cannas prefer open areas and a large amount of space.

Requirements for growing conditions

In order for the plant to delight with its flowering, it is necessary to properly follow the care and methods of growing the crop.

Illumination

The plant prefers sunny places. With a lack of sun, the plant reduces its development and does not bloom. The crop should not be planted near large buildings that may block sunlight. When planting seedlings on window sills, preference should be given to the south side.

Temperature

The plant does not tolerate low temperatures and may die. The flower begins to develop only after the air temperature reaches 22 degrees.

Required soil composition

The flower prefers nutritious soil. In order for the flower to develop well and bloom profusely, it is necessary to mix two parts of soil with one part of humus, wood ash, peat and sand. This composition will accelerate the development of the root and will saturate the plant with the necessary components throughout the season.

Growing canna in the garden

In order for a flower to be grown in open ground and to decorate garden plots, it is necessary to follow the specific care requirements.

Sowing canna seeds

In order to use seeds as planting material, you must first perform the following steps:

• Treat the seeds with boiling water and place in a thermos. This will soften the hard shell and speed up the germination process.
• The material is planted in mid-February in a container for seedlings, seedlings appear in 20-25 days.
• After germination, the pots must be placed in partial shade and in a cool place no more than 16 degrees.

Flowers are left in a cool place until planted in open ground.

When to plant cannas in open ground

It is necessary to plant flowers in open ground after there is no risk of frost. Planting the crop in open ground is carried out on May 6-9, when the soil has completely warmed up. If weather conditions are favorable, planting can be done in mid-April, but such beds are covered with plastic wrap at night.

How to care for culture

Caring for cannas requires compliance with certain features that will allow the flower to grow properly and healthy.

How to water cannes correctly

The plant requires moderate watering; excessive moisture can lead to the formation of pests and diseases. To prevent water from accumulating when planting flowers in open ground, drainage is used. The plant should be watered every two days in small quantities.

Important. The plant may react negatively to watering with cold water. Therefore, the crop is irrigated with warm water heated in the sun..

Fertilizer and feeding of cannas

The appearance of flowers depends on the amount of nutrients in the soil, so fertilizing is carried out regularly. After transplanting seedlings into open ground, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers; before the formation of inflorescences, potassium and phosphorus are used, such substances increase the duration and abundance of flowering. Organic fertilizers can also be used mid-season. Most often it is humus or bird droppings, which is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:5.

Canna trimming

In order for the crop to maintain its decorative appearance, it is necessary to regularly prune. All faded inflorescences and damaged leaves are removed from the plants. After the crop has completely faded, the stems are removed and the flowers are prepared for winter storage.

Preparing cannes for winter

The crop does not tolerate low temperatures well, so it is necessary to carry out proper harvesting before the onset of frost. To ensure that planting material is preserved throughout the winter:

• From mid-August, the watering schedule is reduced to once a week.
• In September, humus is added to saturate the roots with the necessary minerals for further storage.
• The bushes are earthed up as the temperature begins to drop, this will reduce the risk of damage to the plant.
• At the end of September, the stems are cut at a height of 15 cm from the ground.

It is not recommended to leave the stems; they additionally consume nutritional components and lead to depletion of the roots.

Timing for digging up bulbs

Digging up canna roots is carried out in the fall before the onset of severe frosts. The period of digging roots from the ground depends on weather conditions. Most often, the procedure is carried out in early October. The plant, along with a lump of earth, is removed from the soil and placed in a previously prepared container.

How to store canna bulbs in winter?

After the roots are dug out of the ground, they need to be dried in the shade for several days. During this time, it is necessary to prepare the storage location and container where the plant roots will be placed. After the containers are prepared, you need to carefully examine the roots for rot. Residues of soil are not removed, and it is also not recommended to wash planting material.

In room

At home, canna is stored in a cool room; for this, the plant is dug out of the ground and dried for 2-3 days, after which the root is sprayed with a manganese solution and placed in a box. The planting material is sprinkled with peat on top and left until spring.

We save the plant with germination until spring

It is recommended to store cannas in pots until spring. The dug up plant along with a lump of earth is placed in a pot and brought into a cool room. For example, on a veranda, a crop overwinters in its usual conditions. You can also store the plant on a windowsill, periodically moistening the soil. The air temperature in the room should not exceed 13 degrees. Gradually, buds will form on the root, which will sprout in the spring.

In a refrigerator

Wintering of the crop can be carried out in the refrigerator in the vegetable department.To do this, canna roots are dug up and washed with water. After which the planting material is dipped in a manganese solution for 5 minutes and laid out in a warm room to dry. After the roots are dry, they are placed on damp paper and wrapped. The bundle is placed in a bag and sent to the refrigerator until spring.

In the basement or cellar

You can properly store tubers using a basement. To do this, you need to properly prepare the room:

• remove everything unnecessary from the basement;
• remove mold from walls;
• treat the room with an antifungal drug.

The dug up plants are dried for several days, after which the remaining soil is removed from them. The tubers are placed in a wooden box and sprinkled with peat or humus. The top of the boxes must be covered with cloth or paper.

Storage in pots

This type of indoor storage allows you to admire the flower throughout the entire time. In order to use this technique, you need to prepare a pot of appropriate size. In mid-September, the plant is dug up along with the stem and transplanted into a pot. The pot with the culture is placed indoors on the sunny side.

To prevent the flower from dying, it is necessary to regularly take care of it, watering and fertilizing. Most often, cannas bloom until December, after which they go dormant; in this case, it is necessary to reduce the watering regime of the flower.

Nuances of care depending on the region of cultivation

The landing period in the Moscow region is mid-May. The culture sprouts much faster and adapts to the new growth location. Seeds can be planted in the ground without prior germination.

Planting and caring for cannas in Siberia and the Urals require more careful efforts.The plant is recommended to be grown at home and planted in open ground only in mid-June. However, even with such a late planting date, regular covering of the seedlings at night is required.

Classic flower problems and treatment

Like all types of flowers, cannas have a large number of diseases that can lead to a lack of color and complete death of the plant.

Viral diseases

Diseases of the viral type rarely form on the plant, however, in the absence of proper care and low amounts of nutrients, the plant weakens and can be attacked by viruses.

The most common types of viral infections that can occur on a plant are:

• Cucumber mosaic. This type of disease is carried by harmful insects. Also, improper care and the presence of weeds contribute to the transmission of the virus. The virus quickly spreads through healthy plants and leads to infection of the entire area. To combat a viral infection, it is necessary to take preventive measures. Once infected, the disease cannot be treated, and the damaged crop is eliminated. In order to prevent the virus from manifesting itself, it is necessary to promptly combat aphids and disinfect all garden tools before processing the crop.
• Variegation - the virus appears as black spots that form on the leaves and stems. In the absence of timely treatment, it slows down plant growth and leads to a decrease in the formation of buds. To remove this type of disease, it is necessary to remove damaged leaves and sprinkle the cutting area with charcoal or ash.

Viral diseases are very difficult to treat, so after planting in the ground it is necessary to take preventive measures.

Getting rid of fungus

Among fungal diseases it is necessary to highlight the following:

• Rust fungus - appears with frequent watering. Appears in the form of spots on brown leaves. The affected plant quickly dries out and dies. To prevent disease, it is necessary to maintain proper watering and regularly loosen the soil.
• Gray rot - manifests itself in the form of plaque on the root and stem. The reason for the formation of this type of disease is soil moisture. The infected plant becomes covered with brown spots, the leaves quickly turn yellow and fall off. To reduce fungus, it is necessary to maintain a distance between plants and water directly under the root.

Phytoplasma disease

The disease most often manifests itself after an attack by harmful insects, leafhoppers. It manifests itself as yellowing of leaves and deformation of leaves and inflorescences. Once the disease appears, it cannot be completely cured, but the use of chemicals with chlorothalonil prevents the problem from forming.

Leafrollers

The pest very often attacks the plant. Small larvae can be observed on canna leaves, which cause holes to appear in the leaves. Pests feed on the leaves and cause them to turn yellow.

The presence of pests is manifested by the following symptoms:

• the appearance of black spots on the plant;
• the presence of butterflies and small larvae;
• the leaves become limp and curl into a tube.

To remove the pest, you can use special chemicals, such as Fitoverm.

Thrips

Pests are small in size and immediately invisible on the plant. Insects and their larvae feed on leaves and stems. When there is a large concentration of pests, the plant withers and dies. To remove thrips, it is necessary to plant marigolds around the perimeter, and also spray the plant with preparations such as Actellik and Vertimek.

Spider mite

The pest feeds on plant sap and affects not only the leaves, but also the stems of the crop. When attacked by a mite, a web appears and the plant becomes weak. Places affected by ticks have a large number of holes and gradually die off. To remove the pest, it is necessary to remove the damaged areas and treat the plant with the following preparations: Fitoverm, Actofit.

Important. To prevent the plant from being exposed to this type of disease, it is necessary to use phosphorus and sulfur fertilizers.

Prevention

To prevent the plant from being exposed to diseases, the following prevention methods should be followed:

• promptly remove weeds that can act as a source of infection;
• regularly loosen the soil for air circulation;
• when the first symptoms of pests appear, it is necessary to use chemicals;
• Before planting, treat the roots with an antiseptic.

The best way against diseases is to follow proper crop care. Timely and proper watering will preserve the plant and promote long-term flowering.

Flower propagation methods

The plant can reproduce in several ways. The choice of propagation method depends on the personal preferences of the gardener.

Rhizome division

One of the simplest methods of culture propagation. To use it is necessary to prepare a root on which there will be shoots. The root is divided into several pieces. Each segment must have at least 2 buds. After the root is divided, the cut areas should be treated with manganese or wood ash.

Parts of the rhizome are placed in a warm place to awaken. Once every 2-3 days, the roots are sprayed with warm water. Parts of the root must be placed in a mixture of peat and sand for two weeks.This period is enough for additional root shoots to develop and the bud to sprout. The sprouted root parts are placed in open ground and covered with plastic film. To ensure that the flower does not have to be replanted, when planting in the ground, a distance of at least 60 cm is maintained between the holes.

Seeds

Propagation of cannas by seeds is very rarely used and can contribute to the appearance of new colors and forms of the plant. In order to plant a flower in open ground in spring, the seeds should be germinated. Seeds can be purchased at a special store or collected yourself. The seeds are collected after the plant has completely flowered and formed a seed pod. The seeds are large in size and have a hard shell. Without pre-soaking, they rarely sprout.

After the planting material is treated with boiling water and placed in the ground, it is necessary to regularly water the holes. Seeds are planted in pots and only after seedlings appear, they are planted in open ground.

Cannas are one of the unique flowers that can be used to decorate the garden. The plant requires compliance with certain rules of care, otherwise it is often affected by diseases and pests. Cannas can be grown not only in open ground, but also at home. The care process is no different, but the flower is large and takes up a lot of space, which often causes discomfort.