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12-10-2004, 12:24 AM

From: "Doug Kanter"

"rosemarie face" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone !
This year for the first time I had a bed of Cannas in my garden . How do
I store them for winter ?? I have read up on it a little and it said to
store them in peat moss . My dilemma is that I can't find any in any
stores around here . Are there other alternatives ? I want to store
them in my basement . Please help !
Thanks ! Rosie z5

Just what you need - another answer! I dig them up and hose off all the
soil. Because I don't want soft tissue that can rot (and has for me, in the
past), I clip back the fine roots to about 2". Dry the tubers on screens for
a day. Pick up a container of sulfur powder at a garden store. While you're
there, pick up some vermiculite - enough to completely cover all the tubers
in their storage container. Put an appropriate amount of sulfur in a plastic
bag, drop in the bulbs, and shake to dust them as if you were dusting
chicken with flour. Remove the roots and shake off the excess sulfur. Bury
the tubers in vermiculite.

I use large plastic storage boxes because they're more manageable than
plastic bags. And, they won't get holes in them, which would cause
vermiculite to leak all over the place. And, you'll want to check the
condition of the tubers and moisture level in the box from time to time.
Opening a lid is easier than dealing with a bag in the corner of a dark
basement.

The vermiculite can be used year after year. By the way, you should work
OUTDOORS with vermiculite. If I recall, the dust is something you shouldn't
breathe.

This technique came from a hotel gardener I knew in Long Island 25 years
ago. His reasoning was as follows:

1) The soil contains microorganisms which make compost. He didn't want to
take any chances with the little buggers making compost out of his canna
roots.

2) The sulfur raises the acidity level of the tubers' "skin", which he felt
would lessen the chances of rotting.

3) The vermiculite is sterile, at least in theory.

Considering that this guy grew ten foot tall cannas, and the tubers were
enormous, I was inclined to take his advice. And, it works.

Thanks for another method that works.

Now... WHEN to dig up the cannas? Some of mine are still flowering, and others
are turning yellow, along with the dedicious trees.

Can I yank them out and hack them down while in full bloom?
TIA