Mid-Atlantic Gardening: What's doin in your neck of the woods today? Fall 2011, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Jan---
Wassup with you not having any success digging up Cannas????? It may be hard physically--but--no biggie!

Growing Cannas:

Step #1---
Allow the first frost to kill the foliage on your Cannas. Then--cut the limp foliage off--leaving about 6" of the
stems attached to the roots. This will make it easier for you to handle them when digging up the heavy clumps..
Step #2---
Wait 2 more weeks--then carefully, dig up and lift the WHOLE Canna root-ball. Use your digging fork, not the shovel.
You DO NOT want to slice through any of the new roots that have grown outward from the center.
Dig about 5" away from the center of the mass of roots--ALL AROUND--then try to lift the whole root-mass out
Step #3---.
Put your newly dug up root mass in a big box, or tray --or on a plastic bag on your table and remove--
VERY carefully--any extra soil from the root-ball with your fingers. Be careful that you
DO NOT break off any of the new "spikes/eyes" from the root-ball. They are the red "pips" you will see all over.
Every one of these "pips" will be a new stem the following year. Leave any soil clinging to the root-mass on
if you cannot remove any more. This will, actually, keep the roots from, totally, drying out.
Step #4----
Now--the goal is to allow the root ball to dry out before you store it. If the weather is nice--leave it outside.
A warm, breezy day will do wonders....If not--just lay all the root-balls in a shallow box lined with crumpled
newspapers and let it sit somewhere cool, but airy, until it feels dry. DO NOT store still-wet root balls as they will rot!
When dry--just store it for the winter in your basement. NO other attention is required until next spring...
***DO NOT store where there will be freezing temperatures during the winter!****
Step $5--
Spring is now imminent! It is early March--and you need to check on all the stored root-balls.
Get a spray bottle, fill it with water--and give the whole, dormant mass a spraying to bring up some humidity.
Do this a few times--then check on all the roots. The new "pips" will be very fragile and break off easily.
Be gentle lifting and looking at them...
Step #6--
Planting time!!!! Now you can, seriously, look at the root masses and see if you want to divide any of them.
It is recommended that, each division has at least 3 "eyes" on it to produce a reasonable clump of a plant.
If a single "pip" breaks off--NO biggie! It will still grow. Pot it up and let it grow....
Step #7---
Plant root divisions about 4"-5" deep, from the tops of the "pips", in FULL Sun--in a well dug, prepared, amended bed.
Since these grow to about 5'-6' height--give each clump at least 2' space between them--as they will continue sending
up new stems as the root mass multiplies, thus making the clump bigger and bigger. Many varieties grow at different rates...
These can grow to a height of 6' or more--blooming as they grow. Removing spent blooms helps...

That's all! Enjoy this plant all summer----Then start again from Step #1--as cold weather approaches.....
The Cannas are mostly bug, and infestation, free. A GREAT, tall, accent plant of color from mid-late summer until fall.

Enjoy this plant for it's amazing color! Gita