Canna flower - care and planting in open ground

It is difficult to pass by canna without paying attention to it: both its large leaves, and even more so its bright spectacular flowers will invariably attract the eye. This is not to say that this beauty is too unpretentious to the growing conditions and caring for it, but with some effort and following certain rules, it is quite possible to grow this colorful plant on the site, even if the florist is new to this business. Below is a detailed description of what a canna looks like, planting and care in the open field.

Cannes appearance and origin

The Cannes family includes about fifty species. Canna is a perennial herbaceous plant, widespread in America, India and China. The flower came to the territory of Europe several centuries ago and gradually won the love of gardeners.

Canna amazes even the most demanding flower growers with its colors and shapes.

The stems of the plant are straight, do not branch. Leaves are glossy, large, oval, oblong, pointed at the ends. The color, depending on the variety, can be green, and purple, and striped, and even multi-colored. Quite large and brightly colored flowers are located in inflorescences - panicle or racemose.

The bright bloom of Cannes is simply impossible not to notice

Popular views of Cannes

Among florists, the following varieties have proven themselves well.

Canna indian

Almost all popular cannes varieties that can decorate a garden are bred on the basis of Indian cannes (garden). Each hybrid variety belongs to one of three groups:

• Cannes Crozi - low (from 0.5 to 1.5 m) varieties, resembling the appearance of gladioli. The surface of the leaves is covered with a whitish bloom, and the petals on the flowers are slightly bent. The most popular varieties of this group are America, Livadia, President;
• cannes orchid. Plants reach a height of 1 to 2 m, large flowers with a corrugated edge resemble Cattleya in shape. Leaves are green or with a slight purple tint. The most common varieties in this group are Suevia, Richard Wallace, Andenken an Pfitzer;
• small-flowered cannes. The bushes can grow up to 3 m. The main attraction of this group is the leaf, its color can vary from green and yellow to pink and purple. The flowers with such a huge growth are rather small and look inconspicuous against the background of bright leaves, therefore varieties of this group are rarely grown. The most popular among them is Durban, which attracts with its variegated foliage.

Cannes Crosey flowers resemble gladioli

Canna Lucifer

Despite its name, it is a very beautiful plant with an unusual red-yellow color and flower shape. It is this variety that is grown as an indoor variety, although it grows well on the street. Many gardeners practice growing it in an open flower bed, and with the onset of cold weather, the canna is dug up and brought into the house. Having adapted to the new living conditions, the canna Lucifer will begin to release new shoots and flower stalks. It should only be placed on a well-lit windowsill.

Before placing a transplanted eel next to other indoor plants, you should make sure that there are no pests on it, otherwise, domestic specimens may be at risk.

Basic rules for planting cannes

You can plant a flower in different ways.

Growing from seeds

This is not the easiest and most reliable way to reproduce cannes, since not all hybrid varieties are able to retain all the characteristics of the parent plant, and some do not form seeds at all. Nevertheless, if this particular breeding method is chosen, it is quite possible.

Experienced flower growers recommend first keeping the seeds for several hours in the cold (it can be snow or a refrigerator), then pour boiling water over them and keep them in a thermos for several hours. After that, scarification (scratching) of the shell is usually carried out and after all these procedures, they are planted in the substrate.

Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out around the end of winter. The soil should contain enough nutrients and be light. The air temperature must be maintained at 20-22 ° C, and the pots themselves should be placed in partial shade.

The first shoots will appear no earlier than after 3-4 weeks, so growing seedlings requires some patience. After 3-4 normal leaves appear on the sprouts, they can be picked into separate containers. In this case, the temperature of the seedlings should be somewhat lowered (up to 16-18 ° C).

Planting seedlings in open soil is carried out with the onset of stable heat. Canna flowers can be thrown away for the first time both this year and next.

Cannes group plantings of the same variety look especially impressive.

Stages of planting and care in the open field:

1. Landing place. Canna prefers open, sunny areas, reliably protected from drafts. The soil should be light, nutritious, well drained and deeply dug before planting. This southern beauty should be planted only after the soil warms up well and passes the threat of frost. Between neighboring plants, a distance of 0.5 to 0.5 m should be made. The holes for planting need to be dug spacious, especially if the root is old enough.
2. Watering. The rules for watering are simple: before the sprouts appear, they are moderate, gradually increasing the volume of water with the growth of plants. Blooming cannes need abundant and regular watering, otherwise they will not wait for lush flowering.
3. Top dressing. Canna is a flower, planting and caring for which some rules will be required. One of the main ones among them is timely feeding. The plant must be fed at least once a week using liquid complex fertilizers for flowering plants. At the same time, the nitrogen content in them should be minimal, since otherwise the plant will actively increase the green mass, and the flowering will be significantly reduced. By the way, when planting, some growers use the so-called hot bedding, when fresh horse manure is brought to the bottom of the hole, sprinkled with a layer of soil on top, and only then the plant is planted. Thus, the manure will gradually burn out, emitting heat in the process, which will invariably affect the quality and duration of the flowering of the cannes.
4. The specificity of care during flowering and dormancy. How to care for cannes during the flowering period is easy to figure out. Watering and fertilizing are the main factors for normal development and flowering, be it a garden or indoor plant variety. The dormant state of domestic cannes varieties lasts no more than two months. During this period, their leaves and peduncles dry up. It is better to cut them off immediately, thus saving the strength of the plant.During the dormant period, watering and the temperature at which the flowers are kept should be somewhat reduced.

Withered inflorescences must be removed.

Reproduction by dividing the rhizome

Dividing the rhizome is the easiest way to propagate a plant. To this end, at the beginning of autumn, the roots are carefully dug out, trying not to damage them. Better to let some land remain on them. Storing roots in winter is best done in a cellar. In this case, you need to periodically inspect them in order to avoid the appearance and spread of rot.

As soon as spring comes, the rhizome is carefully separated so as not to catch the buds, and each division should have at least 2-3 living buds. For the purpose of prevention, sections must be treated with crushed coal and dried a little. After that, the separated parts are planted in a greenhouse.

Cannes attracts the eye not only with its flowers, but also with its unusual leaves.

Winter storage

Caring for cannes on the eve of winter depends on the climatic conditions of a particular area. If the winters are snowy and warm, it is quite possible to leave it outdoors. At the same time, before the onset of cold weather at the end of flowering, you need to trim the stems at a height of 10-15 cm and spud them high in order to protect the root collar from freezing.

If winter is supposed to be frosty, it is better not to risk it and dig up a flower. It is better to store it after light drying, covering the roots with a layer of sawdust or sand. The storage temperature should not exceed 10 ° C.

Canna looks great anywhere

Potential pests and diseases and their control

In general, cannes are quite resistant to many diseases and pests. Most often, their appearance is associated with a violation of the rules for caring for the plant.

• Decay of roots. When moisture stagnates in the root zone, root decay may develop, which is fraught with the death of the plant. Diseased bushes are dug out, decayed rhizomes are removed, while it is imperative to process the cuts with crushed coal. For the purpose of prevention, before planting the plant, the soil should be well and deeply dug up, and after each watering it should be loosened, preventing the formation of a crust.
• Bacterial disease. The answer to the question of why it appears is quite simple - excessive watering. When damaged, the buds turn black, and white bloom begins to appear on the leaves. Unfortunately, this disease is incurable. Affected plants are immediately destroyed.

Cannes can hit caterpillars

• Rust fungus. With it, yellowish, rusty spots appear on the foliage. Treatment consists in processing the bushes with a solution of potassium permanganate.
• Variegated virus. Black dots appear on the leaves. If the affected leaves are not removed in time, the disease will spread to flowers, which begin to shrink and curl.
• Caterpillars. Among pests, caterpillars are the main threat to cannes. To destroy them and prevent their appearance, special insecticidal preparations are used.

The main condition under which the beloved canna will certainly be magnificent and bright, and, most importantly, bloom for a long time - proper care for it. If you adhere to the simple rules described above, the cannes will look just amazing.