I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out now.

"Darren Garrison" wrote in message
...
I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted
them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that
in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking
through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the
original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out now.


This is completely normal. I have spent the last two days lifting canna
rhizomes ( and have about three days to go). They tend to multiply like
crazy. It isn't unusual for them to expand by a factor of three or four in
a single year with good growing conditions. Of course, the ones you really
like will barely survive!

The original rhizome will be just where you placed it. However, over a year
or two, the mother rhizome will eventually die. That is why it is good to
lift and divide them every year or two even in warm climates. That allows
you to cut away the dead parts and replant, eliminating overcrowding and
dead zones.

If you are in a marginal area, like zone 7, it would be a good idea to
heavily mulch them. In zone 6 I lift them although some people have luck
leaving them in the ground. The times have left them, they always die.

Darren Garrison wrote:

I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out now.


I just dug up 32 Cana plants two days ago in GBay, WI.

The two biggest plants had 10 & 11 new shoots on a flat surface with
the

original main 'tuber'..... All was very visible after I spray
cleaned the

soil off the tubers.. Dried, Full plants are now in the basement
root cellar

in 8 large brown grocery bags. I plan to remove the canna tops &
split

tuber shoots off in Mid-February when I repot all Cannas for a
basement

early planting... About May 15th the 12" growth will move
outside

to the garden beds...

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Darren Garrison wrote:

I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted
them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that
in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking
through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the
original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out
now.


I just dug up 32 Cana plants two days ago in GBay, WI.

The two biggest plants had 10 & 11 new shoots on a flat surface with
the

original main 'tuber'..... All was very visible after I spray
cleaned the

soil off the tubers.. Dried, Full plants are now in the basement
root cellar

Why did you put the entire plant in the basement?

Vox Humana wrote:

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Darren Garrison wrote:

I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted
them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that
in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking
through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the
original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out
now.


I just dug up 32 Cana plants two days ago in GBay, WI.

The two biggest plants had 10 & 11 new shoots on a flat surface with
the

original main 'tuber'..... All was very visible after I spray
cleaned the

soil off the tubers.. Dried, Full plants are now in the basement
root cellar

Why did you put the entire plant in the basement?

That is the way my relatives have stored Cana for many years. It
works.

As a thought, I'm wildly guessing that the Cana plant may pass

'plant nutrients' back to the root/tuber as the leafs die.......

I did the same with my 2 Dinner Plate Dahlias... have 80 new bulbs

and 5 more 25' gardens for next season all tilled & 'mossed'...

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Vox Humana wrote:

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...

Why did you put the entire plant in the basement?

That is the way my relatives have stored Cana for many years. It
works.


This reminds me of the old story about the woman who prepared a ham for the
oven each Christmas by cutting off about four inches from the shank end.
After years of observing this, the woman's daughter asked why she cut the
end off the ham. The mother replied "that's how my mother always did it."
The daughter asked the grandmother why she cut the end off the ham. The
grandmother told her that when she was a young bride, they didn't have
enough money for a large roasting pan, so she had to cut a piece off the ham
so it would fit into the pan she owned.

In other words, what you are doing may "work" but it is probably neither
beneficial or detrimental. I guarantee that if you cut the foliage from the
rhizome and store it properly it will be just fine. I only say this to save
you a lot of hassle. I'm sure you realize that canna growers do not remove
acres of six-foot plants from their fields and store them intact until it is
time to ship the rhizomes to market. Life is too short to do needless work.

As soon as it warms up a bit, I'll be out lifting cannas and dahlias. I'm
at the point where it isn't so much an issue as how to store them as it is
how to give them away each spring.

Vox Humana wrote:

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Vox Humana wrote:

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...

Why did you put the entire plant in the basement?

That is the way my relatives have stored Cana for many years. It
works.


This reminds me of the old story about the woman who prepared a ham for the
oven each Christmas by cutting off about four inches from the shank end.
After years of observing this, the woman's daughter asked why she cut the
end off the ham. The mother replied "that's how my mother always did it."
The daughter asked the grandmother why she cut the end off the ham. The
grandmother told her that when she was a young bride, they didn't have
enough money for a large roasting pan, so she had to cut a piece off the ham
so it would fit into the pan she owned.

In other words, what you are doing may "work" but it is probably neither
beneficial or detrimental. I guarantee that if you cut the foliage from the
rhizome and store it properly it will be just fine. I only say this to save
you a lot of hassle. I'm sure you realize that canna growers do not remove
acres of six-foot plants from their fields and store them intact until it is
time to ship the rhizomes to market. Life is too short to do needless work.

Thanks for the 'good' stalk cut off advice.....



As soon as it warms up a bit, I'll be out lifting cannas and dahlias. I'm
at the point where it isn't so much an issue as how to store them as it is
how to give them away each spring.


And yes, as I was finished rinsing the rhizome bottoms, the local
church Deacon

walked by & I gave him my biggest Canna plant, stalk & all, with 11
shoots

to bag in his basement over winter.......

Canna RHIZOMES only have to be planted a max of 3 inch deep, I've had them
grow with only 1 inch of soil on them. Canna grow by making more rhizomes
and each new section will grow a new stalk and the old part once used up
will rot away. I've planted ONE small rhizome in fall and during the winter
it would grow underground and come spring time once the temps got up to
about 50F I'd get 2 oe 3 stalks growing all from a much larger rhizome.


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net



"Darren Garrison" wrote in message
...
I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I planted
them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found that
in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or breaking
through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the
original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out now.

BZZZZZ Canna = Rhizomes
Dahlias = Tubers
Onions = Bulbs



--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net



"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Vox Humana wrote:

"Dennis Mayer" wrote in message
...


Darren Garrison wrote:

I planted some Cana tubers in the spring of 2004. Originally, I
planted
them around 8 or 10 inches
deep. Today I went out to trim them down for the winter, and found
that
in several of them, there
were large branched tubers with growth points on the surface or
breaking
through to the surface.

Is it normal for Cana tubers to migrate upwards like that? Would the
original tubers still be "down
there" below the surface ones? I'm concerned about them freezing out
now.


I just dug up 32 Cana plants two days ago in GBay, WI.

The two biggest plants had 10 & 11 new shoots on a flat surface with
the

original main 'tuber'..... All was very visible after I spray
cleaned the

soil off the tubers.. Dried, Full plants are now in the basement
root cellar

Why did you put the entire plant in the basement?

That is the way my relatives have stored Cana for many years. It
works.

As a thought, I'm wildly guessing that the Cana plant may pass

'plant nutrients' back to the root/tuber as the leafs die.......

I did the same with my 2 Dinner Plate Dahlias... have 80 new bulbs

and 5 more 25' gardens for next season all tilled & 'mossed'...

"Starlord" wrote in message
. ..
Canna RHIZOMES only have to be planted a max of 3 inch deep,

That's true, but I find that if you plant them only three inches deep in
well amended soil they are likely to blow over in moderate wind. If you
plant them in heavier clay soil, they are less likely to fall over, but they
are a bitch to lift.

I live in the High Mojave Desert and the dirt is a combo of sand and fine
clay and we get winds up to 75mph to even 100 mph gusts at times and I've
not had one canna get blown over and I plant from 1 inch to 2 inch deep in a
rasied bed. The roots go deep and hold it in and I've got about 100 canna
growing now.


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net



"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...

"Starlord" wrote in message
. ..
Canna RHIZOMES only have to be planted a max of 3 inch deep,

That's true, but I find that if you plant them only three inches deep in
well amended soil they are likely to blow over in moderate wind. If you
plant them in heavier clay soil, they are less likely to fall over, but
they
are a bitch to lift.

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
I live in the High Mojave Desert and the dirt is a combo of sand and fine
clay and we get winds up to 75mph to even 100 mph gusts at times and I've
not had one canna get blown over and I plant from 1 inch to 2 inch deep in
a
rasied bed. The roots go deep and hold it in and I've got about 100 canna
growing now.

I guess you are lucky. Even taking precautions, I have had a few fall over
this year. In the past I have had some major wind damage. This happens
primarily in bed that I have amended heavily with compost. Of course, the
ones that fall over are the tallest varieties that get over 6 feet tall with
large flowers, like Miss Oklahoma.

Good they you don't grow the Omega Canna, I dig up rhizomes that are from
18inch long to 2ft long and can grow stalks up to 18ft tall. I normaly sell
it on ebay in the spring.


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net



"Vox Humana" wrote in message
.. .

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
I live in the High Mojave Desert and the dirt is a combo of sand and fine
clay and we get winds up to 75mph to even 100 mph gusts at times and I've
not had one canna get blown over and I plant from 1 inch to 2 inch deep
in
a
rasied bed. The roots go deep and hold it in and I've got about 100 canna
growing now.

I guess you are lucky. Even taking precautions, I have had a few fall
over
this year. In the past I have had some major wind damage. This happens
primarily in bed that I have amended heavily with compost. Of course, the
ones that fall over are the tallest varieties that get over 6 feet tall
with
large flowers, like Miss Oklahoma.

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Good they you don't grow the Omega Canna, I dig up rhizomes that are from
18inch long to 2ft long and can grow stalks up to 18ft tall. I normaly
sell
it on ebay in the spring.

Eighteen feet is way out of scale for my garden. It would be a novelty
though. Now that all the rhizomes are dug and boxed, the worst part comes.
I have to carry them all to the basement. I have two brugamansia that I had
to chop down to 6 feet high and about 4 feet wide to get indoors. They have
main trunks thicker than my wrist and are almost too heavy for the two of us
to bring inside and into the basement.