Things Needed
Canna lilies are n’t part of the lily family , but their exotic , colorful bloom of youth are reminiscent of members of the true lily family . Cannas also have cosmetic foliage that is variegate in hue of royal , light-green and sometimes bloodless . As a legal tender perennial , canna can not be left in the garden bottom in orbit that have wintertime frost . Even in mild mood , some winterizing procedures must be followed to ascertain that the canna lilies survive to bloom another twelvemonth .
Cold Climate Winterization
Step 1
Dig up the canna bulbs after the first fall Robert Lee Frost make the foliage to yellow and die . delve around the canna electric-light bulb with a hired man - deem garden fork , loosening the root word from the soil gently as you excavate . Slide the fork under the bulb , and lift it out of the garden bed .
Step 2
Cut the foliation back to within 3 in of the bulb . Use a pair of uninfected shears or a sharp knife .
Step 3
Rinse the excess soil off the bulbs with a garden hose . visit the gargle electric light for cutting or soft spots that betoken buncombe , and discard any that are damaged .
Step 4
position the bulbs in a ardent , well - ventilated way by from direct sunlight . Leave the bulbs to dry out for one to three days .
Step 5
meet a box seat with slimly moist peat moss . Set the canna bulbs in the moss , and store at 40 to 50 degrees F until you are quick to replant after the last spring Robert Frost .
Mild Climate Winterization
feed the canna seam a last meter for the time of year in former fall . practice 2 pounds of 5 - 10 - 5 fertilizer per 100 solid feet of canna bed . Fall fertilisation promote healthy root growth , which helps the cannas live over wintertime .
Cut off the foliation after it yellow and dies back on its own . Cut the foliage off to within 3 inches of the soil surface .
irrigate the bottom good , so it feels moist to a 6 - column inch depth . adhere your digit or a trowel into the soil to check the moisture amount .
Lay a 3 - column inch layer of winter mulch , such as shuck , over the canna bottom and plants . Mulching continue grime wet and protect the cannas from winter temperature fluctuations .
Water the layer as necessary throughout wintertime to keep the soil moist . Do not water if a frost is carry , as the frigid water in the land can damage the canna bulb .
Tip
Brush the bulb with a pesticidal lightbulb junk prior to storage to help protect them from disease .
Warning
canna that begin molder in storage can infect neighboring bulbs . Inspect the bulb monthly , and discard any that show signs of disease .
