Canna lillies over winter
 

We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

Cheers
Crom

crom wrote:
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

They have never survived for me outdoors in Belgium, but were fine in an
unheated glasshouse. They don't like frosts or wet feet when dormant.

You can try a bit of one outdoors. Against a wall or with minor
protection from the elements it might just be OK in a mild winter. I
wouldn't take the chance with one I was fond of...

I have overwintered daturas in N Yorks so it depends a lot on the weather.

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

I try to keep them cool and dry in loose peat but frost free. They only
need water again when they start back into active growth.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
crom wrote:
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

They have never survived for me outdoors in Belgium, but were fine in an
unheated glasshouse. They don't like frosts or wet feet when dormant.

You can try a bit of one outdoors. Against a wall or with minor protection
from the elements it might just be OK in a mild winter. I wouldn't take
the chance with one I was fond of...

I have overwintered daturas in N Yorks so it depends a lot on the weather.

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

I try to keep them cool and dry in loose peat but frost free. They only
need water again when they start back into active growth.

Regards,
Martin Brown

I overwintered some in a bag of wood shavings in my unheated greenhouse
( southwest near the coast, so really not that cold at any point ) and they
all
were dead when I came to plant them the following year. Maybe I'm
just unlucky.

Andy.

"Andy" wrote in message
...

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
crom wrote:
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

They have never survived for me outdoors in Belgium, but were fine in an
unheated glasshouse. They don't like frosts or wet feet when dormant.

You can try a bit of one outdoors. Against a wall or with minor
protection from the elements it might just be OK in a mild winter. I
wouldn't take the chance with one I was fond of...

I have overwintered daturas in N Yorks so it depends a lot on the
weather.

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

I try to keep them cool and dry in loose peat but frost free. They only
need water again when they start back into active growth.


I overwintered some in a bag of wood shavings in my unheated greenhouse
( southwest near the coast, so really not that cold at any point ) and
they all
were dead when I came to plant them the following year. Maybe I'm
just unlucky.



I leave mine outside planted in large eathernware clay pots with Hostas
amongst them. Stood on the patio where I can keep an eye on them they do
well and I find here in North Bucks they grow very well

They have been ouside for over two years now and are bulking up nicely. I
must empty the pots, next Spring, when the hostas start to show. They are
getting overcrowed and the quality of the Cannas is suffereing. I'll thin
them out and replant some of then in the garden, others I'll in pots with
plenty of slow release fertilizer next
Spring. and use spares as dot plants when the bedding is starting to go
over.

--
Regards,
Alan



Preserve wildlife - pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

crom wrote in message ...
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

Cheers
Crom

You can leave them in the ground if the drainage is ok, but you may have
problems with late flowering some varieties need starting early to flower in
time. If lifted, don't let them dry right out but don't water them unless
they are getting very dry.
I leave mine out and stick to the early flowered species mostly grown from
seed.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

crom wrote ...
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.


We have some planted in the garden that have been there for years, my
neighbours have the same, in fact one house down the road has a front garden
full. Like Dahlias, just ensure they are planted deeper than normal and they
survive OK these days here, even on our totally exposed allotment. A mulch
over the top will help but watch the slugs in spring.
Of course if we have a very bad winter or you live in a frost pocket you may
have problems.
The only thing against is that they start late in the spring so will never
achieve the growth that ones started in a greenhouse do, in fact some of my
tall ones are normally just coming into flower as the first frost hits. :-(

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

crom wrote in message ...
We bought a few of these plants at a garden centre before the summer.
They've looked fantastic all summer and I was wondering whether we
should dig them up and keep them indoors for the winter or whether
they'll survive in the SW (Avon)?

If I should dig them up, do I need to do anything special to them. I
was intending on wrapping them up in newspaper and keeping them
slightly moist.

Cheers
Crom

I have mine in pots. I wait for them to die back and them trim them up and leave
in my frostfree GH over winter. Works well and they start to regrow pretty
early.
Jenny

I'm confused. Do you mean 'CALLA' lilies or 'CANNA' which is something else
entirely?
Calla lilies are properly called 'Zantedeschia' and the other is Canna
indica though there are many varieties of each, 'indica' being the more
common one.
Canna is tender though it can survive outdoors in a sheltered spot as mine
have the last few years.
Zantedeschia 'aethiopica' is the hardiest of the calla lilies and can
withstand several degrees of frost but the other varieties are best wintered
under cover.
Hope this helps.

Alan Gabriel wrote:

I leave mine outside planted in large eathernware clay pots with Hostas
amongst them. Stood on the patio where I can keep an eye on them they do
well and I find here in North Bucks they grow very well

They have been ouside for over two years now and are bulking up nicely. I
must empty the pots, next Spring, when the hostas start to show. They are
getting overcrowed and the quality of the Cannas is suffereing. I'll thin
them out and replant some of then in the garden, others I'll in pots with
plenty of slow release fertilizer next
Spring. and use spares as dot plants when the bedding is starting to go
over.

I grow mine in earthenware pots. In the winter I move them into a cold
greenhouse and give them minimum water. I split them every spring,
giving the new plants to friends, family, neighbours etc. Last winter my
son left his pot of cannas out in a sheltered part of the garden
unprotected - they survived but were a bit late flowering. We are both
in North Bucks as well.

Keith

I think I'd better take them up but having watched GW last night, they
look like they have a couple of months left in them yet!

Thank again for you assistance,
Ben