Cannas from seed 2011

You might have trouble taking plants from Canada into US.
You are supposed to have a phytosanitary certificate.

Do the seeded pots need to be under lights? or will the seedlings grow in a bright window?

I can bring them as long as they are bear root no soil. I'm mailing a few to a friend in the states just to be safe and pick them up on the way.

I plant my seeds in the ground or a pot usually outside so as longs there's enough light you will be ok on the window, the need full sun though.

What are nursery cans? I just got my first canna seed in a trade so will be trying to germinate for the first time this year. I have three diff NOIDs. I already own Wyoming and a red one. Cam

Nursery cans are those plastic pots you usually get a perennial in when you buy them at a nursery.

I just borought my cannas from 2010 up from storage in my crawlspace. I left them potted and in the dark and cool under the house for the winter. I brought them up the other day and put them on my plant stands which have florescent lights. It was the only place I could put them.. They have some sproutage now... I expect to be having to move them when they get too tall. I plan to start more later by seed, but not now.. Im space poor.

An idea when nicking them:-----so they don't"fly across the room"
is to hold them and your hands inside a large clear plastic garden bag.

Yes! Great idea! Thanks CL.

Grayson

CLS I love that idea thanks..

Last years growing under lights.. gonna have to boot the big one to a new location soon..
only have three canna plants.. do have some seed to start.

Where you going to move the fast growing one to? You have a grow light with lots of space below it or a really sunny window?

Well its not going to stay on the growlight.. I think I will move it to my east window.. I have a trunk over there it can sqwat on. All three can go there until they can get kicked out. Now you give me a dilema.. if I started a big bunch.. they would have to stay in the crawl until they could go direct out doors so I would not be able to leave them in the cans like I did these, so then I would have to find a way to store them down there.. I do not have a way to get that many started indoors. The hub says its a jungle in here already...!

But boy and duty, that 150 foot line would look awesome and be such a neat fence!

I dont recall these guys having any fragrance.. but boy if they did that would be a bit of heaven!

So ok, Im going to fill more cans with HP.

Sorry you wil have to stand on your ear to see this pick.. for some reason I cannot get it to turn right.. but thats the yellow one with the red I was talking about. I did collect seed on it, but the mice got into them so all I have is the root. Now are thise called rhizomes , tubers or what?

I've never noticed any fragrance. I'm guessing they are probably tubers? You're probably much better off to keep the collection small Blossom. That's a lot of work to have to bring them in and store them every winter. I had 10 or so back in 2007/08 and that was too much work for me battling foliage eating caterpillars all summer long. Won't keep more than 5 in the collection. They spread like crazy and take up lots of room here very quickly.

Well since I would only have to dump the cans, that takes the digging out of it...

caterpillers huh! I had materwerms last season.. had somany the chickens turned their beaks up at them and ended up just picking and squishing them.. yeck!

So what did you do with your "pillers"? Bet Pete had fun! Or Re-peat?

(eeks, it did it gain.. connectivity error....) had to Repeat this post too.

Does anyone have Banana Canna 'Musifolia' seeds for postage or trade?

Grayson

Sorry ..... I got some in trade but I already planted them. I will look and see if I might have 3 or 4 seed.

Garyon sent you a dmail
jen

This will get you going.. holy highlands.. acres of cannas! WOW!

https://www.cannas.net/

was jsut shoppign around onthe net and came across this video and some instructions..

cool!

http://video.about.com/gardening/Cannas-Winter-Care.htm

Nice. Yes, it's the dreaded "Canna Leaf Roller" caterpillar Blossom. They are a huge problem in South Florida from May-Sept every year. They're not around the rest of the year. They fold over the outer edges of the foliage and secrete a sticky substance to hold the fold together. They are chewing away at the foliage underneath the fold. You don't see them unless you open up the fold. I have to spray the foliage with insecticide every two weeks during the summer. If I get lazy and let it go three weeks the foliage damage begins and it spreads quickly if left untreated. That's why I'm keeping the Canna collection to a low total number. Half the beauty of a Canna is it's foliage.

Your so right on the foliage Jon.. did you see the acres planted on that one website! Holy moly! How awesome. I wonder how they treat? Some of the canna suppliers I scanned said they were organic.. dont suppose a ladybug go tthe appetite for those holy leafe rollers! ha!

Im in love with this plant now.. and now watching that video, I think I can store a pile of them! Yuppers, doing cannas in the can can do!

Oh oy,. thundering, I gotta get off this thing and sterilize some microchips.. I think my cookies are in a bunch so will chat later!

Have a good one everyone, oh and Jon, shot a shot of that werm ok, so we know what we are gonna have to look for. Since I have not grown any but last year, I would not expect a big problem, but maybe the mater worms might like this plant too? have no clue, hopign now, but anyway, catch ya later.

I looked at that field of Cannas and then imagined me battling the "rollers' out in that field. I'd never be able to come inside all summer. I'm not sure if Canna Leaf Rollers are a large problem elsewhere. They're not around yet Blossom. They don't show up until our hot/humid/rainy season begins in May. Here's a link to info on the "leaf roller" http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/f&b_11.htm

I've seen enough of them Blossom and can immediately identify the damage. You see folds and chewing damage begin along the outer edges of the foliage. At that time I cut off and throw out that leaf and spray the rest of the foliage. As long as you keep an eye on your foliage, and treat the foliage if you see the damage, they are very easy to get rid of.

We dont have leaf rollers here in ontario canada zone 6a, or at least ive never had one.. I have had quite a problem this year with slugs though. slugs just like rollers will chew holes in the leaves, I had to get slug bait and after 3 tries that finally worked..

I'm not sure how far south before the leaf rollers start, but i'm sure this summer i'll get my share (moving to Alabama) I'm sure there are many bugs and pests i will have to learn to deal with.

A friend that gave me some banana trees said to watch for that on the banana leaves. I expect it is the same bug or at least the same type. She said it looked like a little zipper along the leaves.

Jon, I think that field was in of all places Oklahoma! Ha! Where the winds come racing across the grand prairie! Can you imagine the wind issues! Beautiful site though.

Up here we have a daylily farm that is pretty awesome when the colors start.

Dont know what organically controls their pests.. perhaps soembody eats those pillers eggs... but who?

I dont get issues with bugs in the daylily patches on my place.. we got lots of frogs that eat a lot of bugs.

Jen is sending me some banana canna seeds. Thanks, Jen.

Probably is the same caterpillar Crit. That's a good way your friend describes the damage. The caterpillars have a large appetite and they grow in size very quickly. You can just remove the damaged foliage leaves and not treat them with pesticide. The problem is you'll be removing more foliage from new leaf rollers in a couple of days.

I'm sure there are plenty of summer bugs to deal with in Alabama. There are no pest problems here during the fall and winter. The first pest to arrive each year is a bloom chewing beetle in late Feb. They've arrived in the past week and here are a couple today on the "Sonata White" and "Sonata Pink Shades" Cosmos. They're particularly fond of Cosmos and the center seed heads on Sunflowers. They're a pain in the neck because they're more interested in the blooms and not the foliage. The beetles magically disappear every year at the end of April.

Trust me by next fall you will have more then enough seeds you wont know what to do with them. I was lucky enough, I have found a good home for all mine, except the few I will keep just in case my rhizomes don't make it through the winter. I always start a few seeds even if they make it, cause you never know what you will get.. All my seeds i've planted look like the banana mother, so no surprises yet. All my seeds are pollinated by the wonderful bugs, and i have them all mixed around usually only about 6 stocks per kind. So if they wanted to mix they could.. I wanted to try to pollinate them myself this past summer, but I had a baby in Aug, so last years growing season i was pretty much doing as little as possible. Now this year i said i would try since i couldn't last year. Now were moving sometime in july, and i dont know if i will get them to flower in time, if at all.. So this might be a dream to one day try.. Life always seems to get in the way..

Amore is it only cosmos and sunflowers or are they attracted to any flower?? I don't have either in my garden collection, Had cosmos a last year and the year before but didn't keep the seeds this year, there a nice flower just not my style. Sunflowers planted them once and i hated them, mostly cause the squirrels just ate the tops before i could see them get big.. I'm mostly into tropics (cannas, elephant ears, Hardy hibiscus', brugmansia, grasses, and castor beans.) thats about all i have that i really lov. I planted the false banana Ensete Ventricosum from seed this past january and i have 7 that came up, there about a foot high, but sadle by the time we go i will have to leave them behind. I was thinking about getting more seeds when we get settled, but i will just get a few bajoo plants instead since they can stay outside year round.. I'm getting a bit tired of digging all my stuff out for winter storage and if i can substituted it for something that can stay in the ground, thats what i'm gonna do. My elephant ear collection will keep me busy enough when winter comes. Plus with a little one running around and plans for more, time isn't something i have much of anymore.
jen

Awe man, I ve never had trouble with bugs onthe sunflowers.. tried groing cosmos which I dearly love and never saw any on them either but neither did I have a large colony of them.. of course our bug season woudl be later due to a different zone Jon.. but I guess I ought to watch for them... owell.. if they come they come...we will deal with it if it happens.

We have grubs running rampant in the lawns... oddly they seem worse than last year and we did use Milky Spore on them, but with the wet here I can see why maybe the spore did not work.. does anyone think the grubs would be an issue onthe canna?

I dont reckon the grubs would be an issue in containers unless I use garden soil in my containers.. occassionally a grub will go in with the manure but Im still game to try a bunch of cannas in cans... Id like to use them for a privy fence to hide an eyesore down that 150 foot garden on my lane.. so wayward home for excess cannas here! If I end up tossing them, so be it, but it would be a pretty site if I could do it. Got enough cans for it.. but thats were its at!

Put a note up on the seed forum that you want all wayward cannas and you can get all you want. Lots of people save the seed and many will share tubers. I just got started but when I get some, I'll be glad to share. Cam

This yard is full of many different flowers Jen, but the only other flower they sometimes go after are the centers of Echinacea. I wouldn't get too concerned about it Blossom. Many of the pests here would be completely different to what you would have in the summer there. Completely different climates. If you've never had problems with Canna Leaf Rollers, you probably will continue to have no issues. I do Sunflowers in the summer because flower choices are much more limited here during that time. No pest problems with them if they bloom later than April unless you don't remove the spent stalks. They attract wild green parrots and they'll land on all your Sunflowers and snap some flower stalks that haven't bloomed yet.

Only tropical plant I have lots of are the multicolored hybrid hibiscus. Do have many different subtropical things. Those will be the plants you had to dig up in the fall, but will be able to leave them in the ground in Alabama Jen.

steadcam, thanks for the referal! Looks like I will be posting pics as I build the canna wall. Anyone with waywards are welcome to dmail me too.. !

Jon, my green parrots here are dirty city pigeons.. ugh! Trade ya! LOL! Man the filth from those birds, but you have got to understand the eyesore that attracts them! Why they have flocked from the city to the country only he almighty knows. I wish and pray those pesky filthy feathered rats would leave! Some are already via the jaws of the stray cats here.. Im not sure which is worse though, stray cats tanglign with the birds adnplease you felines keep away from my chickens or the feathers and whitewash bombs these beaks lay! And they can take their sparrow friends with them.. how such a little bird has to build a condominium of every grass off the prairie is beyond me, but they do.. then they gotta build them in doorways and places that always make a nest in your hair.

Well anyway Jon, the one bird Im excited that has returned our the cranes, I swear I hear one yesterday, now to look for them! I am excited on that for sure! Perhaps its the pair that nested last year.. we will never know, but one thing is is the specie came home! Yeah!

Ok, back to cannas... pink, yellow and... hmmm looking forward to seeing those pop!

Yes, lime green colored noisy parrots. They usually fly pretty high so it's hard to get a good look at them. My parents in NY State always have problems with robins banging into their sliding glass doors in the spring. They must be mating and they see their shadows in the window.

Blossom, anyway you can figure out how to collect the pidgeon droppings by building them a place to roost? Make 'em pay their own way!!

Jon, robins are clean birds.. they dont accumulate dung like a pigeon. Pigeons seem to be a rooster and do it in one spot chronically.....but it is still a wild bird and can pass junk to the domestics like bird flu etc. I know people who raise pigeons, but most SANE people who raise any animal usually cleans up after them.

Steady, guess we could just put a statue up.. but I think the people owning the attractant stand still long enough, thats why they got pigeons and poo.
I would not want wild bird dung in large quanities spread in my garden.. bad enough I get splatted on enough by the harbor house of flying rats nextdoor. Its sick..

I have plenty of chicken doo... and that doo I use very sparingly as it will kill the grass if you do to much.. I will make tea out of it...use it on my veggies and annuals and manthats better than superthirve! Last year my marigolds got almost 5 foot tall.

Meanwhile back at the canna patch.. man those pots I got indoors are taking off too fast.. !Spring better come and quick please!

Those Cannas can't be fooled Blossom. Their internal clock is telling them its spring and time to start growing like rockets. The Cannas here grow very slowly, and are shorter in general, during the short days of winter. It's about now when they kick into high gear. I think they know the daylight hours are getting longer whether they're inside or outside.

I have all mine here in a rubbermaid bin (ok a few bins lol) they get no light at all, yet still in about 2 weeks they will start growing. Last year I had my red striped cannas in a garbage bin, and come may when I wanted to plant them, I went into the bin to find 3 foot cannas that were almost white. I cut all them back down to root as this plant should be so dark it's purple, I knew it would just burn in the light. They were growing in circles not stright. It's just funny how they know what to do no matter the situation

LOL!! Oh yes, when the clock ticks, its not nice to fool with Mother Nature! Mine are almost a foot tall.. Gonna have to be moved by weeks end.

Update on the canas in my cans under lights.. mind you, not from seed, but one of last years tuber....im pretty sure its the yellow and red flowered one....time will tell.

The other two I have growing are lagging behind.. this one is leafing nicely...

Looks super great, happy and healthy Blossom. You think that one is "Cleopatra"?

When i move Cleopatra is the first one i'm getting, i have wanted it for years..