Canna musifolia

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

got two bare root starts from Martha'sSecrets online in may. they were about a foot high each. planted them may 22. i can't believe i have a flower!

edited to correct name of nursery.


This message was edited Sep 15, 2013 7:54 PM

Thumbnail by trackinsand Thumbnail by trackinsand
Phoenix, AZ

Beautiful! My tubers from Ebay should arrive today :)

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

glad you found some, barb!

East Texas, United States(Zone 8a)

I got seeds from Alice @ KC and it was a sucessful endeavor--this coming from somebody that doesn't typically grow from seeds. Having said that, they're not as big as yours, Deb and I was really going for monstrous effect. Maybe next yr. R u building a privacy hedge or is this beauty a feature plant?

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

hey nery!

yours will be this big next year. mine weren't from seed so they had a head start. i expect them to be even taller next year. it's a feature plant in a spot where i couldn't get anything else to grow. there was a weird dip in the lawn, kind of a moisture holding spot that apparently either stayed too wet or the soil was funky. i dug it out even deeper and planted these in the hole. i knew it was a perfect spot for this Canna. i killed at least four trees in that spot prior......sigh.

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

That looks pretty cool! I think I might just order a couple ☺

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

martha's sends two when you buy from her but if you buy from someone else, trust me, you only need one. they multiply like crazy!
they are also very, very prone to canna leaf rollers, more so than regular cannas are, so be prepared to spray with either spinosad or Bt from summer through fall.
i cut mine down about a month ago to get rid of the little nasties that might be sheltering for the winter. they are already coming back but tonight's freeze will put a temporary halt to that.

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

Good to know, thanks for the info. They still look cool. I think I will try them.

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

let us know how it works out for you. i really love mine and they DO make a statement.

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

I did order them from Martha'sSecrets and they have already shipped. It is still pretty cold here so I will most likely pot them up and put them on the back (covered) porch to get them going until the cannas I have in the ground start to sprout. Then I will plant them in the ground. Do you think they will need much in the way of compost or soil amendments?

East Texas, United States(Zone 8a)

No

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

LOL! That's what I thought but "you never really know until you've grow it" is my motto!

Thanks again for the info.

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

i had this hole in the yard where nothing else would grow. when i planted them, i did add some bagged garden soil to the soil already there. i also mulched them really thick to hold in moisture. i planted them when it was really hot already. watering is important until the clump is established for a year, after that, not so much. i didn't feed them yet. they'll be getting fed when i do my spring feeding. i used to "feed the garden" 3 or 4 times a year......but now i just do it once. if something looks like it needs it again later, i'll do that.

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

I think mine are ready to be planted out as they are sending out shoots up top and some roots are protruding from the bottom of the pot. Any thoughts how deep I should dig my planting hole?

East Texas, United States(Zone 8a)

I think I did 6" but don't know if right. I did notice that the plant leaned when it got big, maybe 6" was too shallow? Following year plant is growing straight.

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

well, just as an example, i had a big 4'wide x 3'deep hole in the back yard where an old irrigation pump was originally. i added a couple BIG bags of soil and planted some regular orange canna's in there years ago. they are still thriving. over the years, my partner has mowed around the area with the clippings directed at them, not away, so the ground had built up to regular level now but in the beginning, having that hole was great for catching all the rain water run-off and downpours.

while i didn't dig the hole for the musa's near that deep, i'd say i dug at least 16" down. it's one of the few plants i can think of where planting below the natural soil line is beneficial. after i initially planted them and added more soil, i carefully grabbed them at the base and lifted straight up a couple of inches and then watered in. i don't know why i did it; i just wanted to straighten them up i suppose.

Alba, TX(Zone 8a)

OK, that gives me a good idea. Raining and ucky here today, but this weekend looks good for planting out many things!

Provo, UT(Zone 5a)

u all down south can plant so early..jealous..:) LOL
i dont plant my musafolia till end of may..
they are almost 2 ft tall now.. with hot weather,and if i keep
up the watering and fertilizing..they grow like weeds..
how tall do yours get down there..i understand with a longgggg growing
season..they can get up to 14+ ft tall..
mine get around 10+ft tall.. one yr i think they did top out around 12ft..
i must have been a good gardener that yr..:)
i agree with how they multiply..
i started yrs ago with just a few small clumps.. now i can plant all my raised
beds with them and have spare to sell on ebay..

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

i've been neglectful this year...haven't even fed mine but they are about 6-7' tall. haven't watered them either. we've been pretty lucky with rainfall but this is a plant that, after the first year, you can pretty much ignore here in florida. i have sprayed twice with Bt for the worms but that's pretty much it.

Provo, UT(Zone 5a)

tracknsand.. ya..ive seen the USA south has been dumped on by storms/rain..
dont have to spray here..prob because of lower humidity..
i know these cannas really suck up the water though..
i think i could let them sit in water and they'd do fine..LOL

mid central, FL(Zone 9a)

yes, you could. i have a deep hole in the ground where i planted some Cannas years ago. they do fine sitting in water.

Provo, UT(Zone 5a)

its HOT..and dry here..so alot of watering..
also..ive been a good gardener so far..ive been fertilizing my tropical plants
like crazy..
colocasia thai giants are on there 4th leaves..each succeeding leaf is almost 2X of previous
yea!!! hopefully i get some BIG plants this yr!!
nanners are going good..many sending up pups already..
amorphs anywhere from in full leaf.to sending up new petioles..
and my canna musafolia.. look like they will be good sized/heighted plants this
year too..
if i just keep everything well watered..
summer here looks like its gonna be HOT and dry..

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