Cannes belong to the multi-type family of cannons. Their genus has more than fifty species. In nature, they can be found in countries such as India, South and Central America, as well as China. In European countries, these flowers appeared in the sixteenth century. They were brought here by Portuguese sailors. Growing canna in the garden will provide you with not only beautiful, vibrant flowers, but also large decorative leaves, which are valued among gardeners. In this article, we consider all the features of this plant and the rules for caring for it.
general characteristics
Before you start growing a canna flower, you need to find out its main characteristics. This plant has an original appearance: its leaves resemble a banana, and inflorescences can be easily confused with an orchid or gladiolus. It has practically no drawbacks, however, when breeding in our latitudes, the flower has absolutely no aroma, and it also does not tolerate our winter in open ground. But the advantages will have to be listed for quite some time.
First of all, this, of course, is the beautiful appearance of the plant. Not only bright inflorescences, but also wide green leaves stand out. Kanna will become an adornment of any garden, and its flowering will delight you from the beginning until June and before the onset of the first frost. Many flower growers are accustomed to the fact that such beautiful plants are very whimsical, but such a stereotype is completely inapplicable to the cannon. She is completely not afraid of drought and does not require any special care.
The plant has a fibrous root system, which grows very rapidly. The flower-bearing stalk can reach three meters in height. Beautiful and large leaves are elliptical in shape, slightly pointed at the end. They can reach eighty centimeters in length and thirty in width. They are especially appreciated in flower shops and are used to create beautiful flower arrangements. The flowers are asymmetrical and initially were only red in color, but the breeders did not sit still, and now you can admire the inflorescences with a variety of shades and sometimes not even monophonic. And after flowering, you can find on the stem a three-nest box, which is both a fruit and a seed.
Variety of varieties
- Kanna is Indian. This is the first canna that appeared in our gardens. Now it is called the garden. As a result of many years of work by breeders, many different subspecies of this variety have appeared, which we will talk about later.
- Cannes Crozie. This is perhaps the most undersized variety, the maximum height of which is no more than one and a half meters. During flowering, some confuse it with gladiolus, and indeed, apart from wide leaves, there is no particular difference between plants. This species was bred back in 1868 by a French breeder, and this species now bears his name.
- Orchid Cannes. This variety is tall. The corrugated edges of large flowers resemble orchids in color and it is not difficult to guess where the name came from.
- Deciduous Cannes. These are the tallest plants with very beautiful green or purple leaves, but they have fairly small flowers. Florists rarely breed just such a variety.
Seed propagation
In this section, we will try to figure out whether it is possible to grow cannes from seeds, and how effective this method is. In general, gardeners do not really like to plant cannes in the seed way, since it is not always possible to find seed boxes in the plant, and they do not always retain varietal characteristics. Inexperienced flower growers choose a method such as rhizome division. However, for those who are keen on breeding, the seed propagation method may seem very interesting.
The seeds of this plant differ in a very hard shell, which must be softened before planting in the soil, otherwise you can not count on seedlings. To do this, scald the prepared seeds with boiling water and leave for several hours in this water, placing in a thermos. But if you do not have a thermos or time, then you can simply put them for twelve hours on a hot battery. But you can soften the shell not only with the help of high temperatures, but also by placing the seeds for a couple of hours in the freezer.
Planting of seeds in the ground occurs in February, at an air temperature of at least 23 degrees. Try to make the room darker. The first shoots can be observed after 3-4 weeks. When four leaves appear on them, you can safely dive and plant in different pots. Now the air temperature in the room should not exceed sixteen degrees. In such conditions, cannons (flowers) remain before growing in open ground. Some seedlings will be able to please you with their flowering this year, but many still do it only next summer.
A more reliable way of cultivating canna is the division of rhizomes. This process is best carried out at the very beginning of March. Large tubers must be divided into several parts so that each piece has one large kidney or several small ones. The places of breaks should be sprinkled with crushed coal and left for a while so that they dry out. All particles of tubers need to be put, tightly pressed to each other, in a special greenhouse container, directly on the ground or sand, then lightly sprinkled with sand and sprayed with warm water from time to time. Carefully ensure that the kidney is horizontal. Until you notice the first shoots, the air temperature in the room should not fall below twenty-four degrees. Well, if the bottom of the tank will be heated.
When you notice that the seedlings are cramped in the container, they need to be planted in different pots. Now, for Cannes, the growing conditions should change, or rather, the air temperature should be lowered to sixteen degrees. In order for seedlings to grow stronger sooner, once a decade they need to be watered with a potassium permanganate solution. To prepare it, you will need 10 liters of water and two grams of manganese. You can bypass the period of keeping tubers at home and immediately go on to grow cannas in the garden. But in this case, it is unlikely to bloom this year.
When to plant cannons (flowers)
Outdoor cultivation begins with soil preparation. You can start this process as soon as the night frost stops. Take full responsibility for choosing a place for the plant. Further flowering depends on this. Canna should grow in a place where there is no drafts, fertile and warm soil, and also enough sunlight. The composition of the soil should include:
- sheet earth;
- humus;
- peat;
- coarse sand.
All these components should be kept in equal parts. And do not forget to provide good drainage. But the planting of seedlings is better not to start before the ninth of May. This is due to the fact that in spring air temperature changes quite often. And from the heat of the evening in the evening there can be nothing left. Such differences can be very detrimental to the plant and slow down not only its growth, but also flowering. Growing canna in open ground can be very difficult.
Disembarkation process
We have already decided on the landing period, now we need to study the landing process. Prepare the landing pit in advance. Its diameter should be 50 centimeters. The bottom must be covered with a layer of manure of at least 20 centimeters. This is necessary so that the roots of the plant are always warm, even during severe winter frosts. But do not forget to sprinkle manure with a layer of earth so that the roots do not “burn out”. Planting seedlings can begin only after preliminary wetting of the laid layers of manure and soil. The rhizome is lowered into the hole and sprinkled with earth. If you decide to plant ungrown tubers, then do not deepen them by more than nine centimeters. The distance from flower to flower and from row to row should be at least half a meter. From the time of planting to the first inflorescences, no more than two months pass under optimal conditions for the development of the plant.
Garden care
For Cannes, the growing conditions do not have any features, but some gardener should remember some rules. First of all, the plant needs top dressing during the growing season. This procedure can be performed two or three times. To do this, you will need granules of mineral fertilizers, which you can buy in a special store. They are simply sprinkled in the basal zone, and then the soil is well loosened. And you can also prepare a mixture of fertilizers, which will positively affect the flowering process and the development of the whole plant. To do this, you need a mixture per square meter of land, which includes:
- ten grams of potash fertilizer;
- 12 grams of nitrogen;
- twenty five grams of phosphorus.
All other points that concern the canna, care and cultivation for it, do not have any features. It is necessary to regularly water, but not too often. With the appearance of the first shoots and the beginning of flowering, hydration should be more frequent, but try not to flood the plant, since too much moisture can lead to the development of various diseases. And fungal and infectious diseases lead to blackening and even death of buds. Among insects, caterpillars of butterflies that damage leaves, as well as nematodes, are especially dangerous for the root system, are especially dangerous. Insecticides are most effective in controlling these pests.
After flowering is complete, it is imperative to remove faded buds. During the growing season, make sure that various weeds do not appear in the root zone, and if they are present, be sure to remove them. When the flowering is completely completed and nature begins to prepare for winter, the cannas need to be spudded, and quite high, to protect the root necks from freezing. At the beginning of the article, we talked about how this plant is afraid of severe freezing.
Growing canna at home
Cannes can be found not only in the beautiful garden, but also on the windowsill of the grower. But not every variety can fit on your window or balcony, so you need to be especially vigilant in this matter. The home canna, cultivated in the conservatory or on the terrace, blooms almost all year round. She needs only two months to take a break. You can immediately put the canna in a pot and place it on your windowsill, or you can transplant it from the garden in late autumn to extend the summer in your apartment. But remember that when transplanting a garden plant, you need to prepare a pot in advance, the diameter of which should not be less than fifty centimeters. And a particularly important point is that you need to pre-treat the soil from the garden with insecticides. This will be a prophylaxis against insects, which, together with the plant, can penetrate your home and affect all the house flowers.
Care in the apartment
It’s much easier to take care of the canna at home than in the garden, although this process is not too tedious there. It is enough to put a flower pot in a place that is well lit, and also to water on time. Periodically, you need to wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. Do not forget to prepare water for irrigation in advance so that it has time to settle. You will not have to carry out any other actions. At home, even after the flowering stops, the leaves of the plant remain as beautiful and bright.
After flowering
The home canna fades and needs rest during this period. The task of the owner is to gradually reduce watering of the plant, and then completely stop. After this, the leaves need to be cut at a height of ten centimeters from the base. The pot with the prepared plant should be placed in a cool dark place where the air temperature should not be below ten degrees. With the onset of spring, the rhizome is taken out of the pot and divided for the purpose of reproduction. You can plant the received delenki in other pots or take it to the garden to plant flowers also on the street.
As for the cultivation of canna flowers in the garden, they also need to be watered as little as possible after flowering, and then spud, as described earlier in the article. With the onset of the first frosts, the rhizome, together with an earthen lump, is removed from the ground, and the stems are cut off by twenty centimeters.
Winter season
In mid-autumn, the dug out cannes along with a lump of land are transferred to the place where they will "wait" for the winter. To do this, it is better to choose a room where there will be diffused light, cool and moderately humid air. Rhizomes are placed in special containers and sprinkled with a special mixture of peat, earth with sawdust and conifer needles, as well as sand. This substrate must have a temperature of at least eight degrees. But do not forget that you have a canna stored somewhere. Regularly inspect the rhizomes, as they may form rot. If such a problem is detected, you need to trim the affected area, and treat the place with a solution of iodine. In addition, the humidity level and temperature conditions should be constantly monitored. Differences can adversely affect rhizomes.
In cases where there is no storage room, you can do this in the refrigerator. Tubers need to be dug, washed, dried and wrapped in paper each separately. But also do not forget to monitor the appearance of rot and get rid of it in time.