These amazing colorful flowers are pleasing to the eye throughout the summer and even autumn, but what should be done to protect them from the winter cold? How to save cannons until spring in cool areas that do not allow to leave this plant on the street? You need to know just a few tricks that will help both beginners and experienced gardeners in this difficult task.
Some facts about the flower
Cannes are usually planted on the banks of ponds or near fences - they are large and look like tropical palm trees with bright flowers of an unusual shape. Do not think that this is a shrub, straight tall stems should not mislead beginners. Huge leaves come in a variety of shades: from classic green to a motley brownish-gray color. Cannes have warm buds: cream, orange, pale yellow, as well as almost all types of red. Surprisingly, this plant is odorless - such a large peduncle attracts insects more in its appearance than in its aroma. In addition, Cannes are propagated by normal division, and there is no need for seeds.
How does an amazing flower grow?
The flowering period lasts from mid-June until the onset of frost. Hybrid varieties most often tolerate a little cold, but you should think about how to save cannes in winter in advance . During the vegetative period, the plant requires frequent watering, careful weeding for weeds and good loosening of the soil. As a top dressing, a mixture of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers with the addition of potassium is used, which is applied two to three times during the flowering season. When thinking about how to preserve cannons, it is worth taking care of the decorativeness and the plant's own strength. Inflorescences are in the form of a brush, and wilting begins with the lower buds. All dry flowers should be cut off so that they do not pick up nutrients and do not spoil the appearance.
Time to dig up
Choose a dry, preferably sunny October day. And they begin work on extracting a difficult root system to the surface. The plants themselves will tell you how to save cannes until spring at home. Since their trunk is quite high, reaching two and a half meters, it requires a thorough and accurate digging on four to six sides. Next, the canna is brought to the surface, shaking off the soil a little, trying not to damage the formed earthen lump. If the roots are bare, they can very quickly dry out and die. All leaves and stems should be trimmed at a height of about 20 cm.
How to save cannons until spring and not mix up varieties during future planting? Everything is simple here - for each received stalk you need to stick or tie a small label with the name. Plants are placed in prepared boxes in only one layer, after which they are left in a ventilated, protected from light, but not very dark place. In a week, in rare cases two, the stems are tied up and will pass on to the roots all their nutrients. In the question of how to preserve cannes until spring, an important role is played by the choice of temperature for wintering. Ideal places are a dry basement, special grooves in the garden and greenhouses or just a cool room. The temperature should not rise above +12 ° C and fall below +8 ° C. If everything is done correctly, abundant flowering and new shoots for dividing cannons can be obtained next year.