Expert: Long Island Gardener - 10/28/2006

Question
I have several grown cana lillies. I live in Manitoba and wonder what I do with them in the winter. Since I purchased them I've had them in pots outside and now inside.  Many thanks.  Marline

Answer
Since Cannas are tender perennials, either you'll have to bring those indoors in their pots ... or move south.

The first kiss of frost will blacken your Canna leaves.  I am assuming this has already taken place.  Correct?  If they were actually growing in the ground, you would wait until this point, then lift them and bring them indoors, where you would unpot them, removing the dead and dying leaves and soil.

The usual routine for storage is to bury them, shallow, in sand or vermiculite.  The Canna "crown" should be just peeking through.  Spray the surface with a spray bottle of water and store in a paper bag - never in plastic - in the winter.  You'll have to spray them regularly to keep them from drying out - the same as Dahlias overwintering.  Keep them in a chilly basement or garage.  The temperature should never reach 32 degrees F or your leaves are a goner.

Watch for new growth and in the late spring, after all possible chance of frost has passed, take them back outside to your garden and plant as usual.

These plants are really coming into their own with some really cheerful and vivid blooms coming to market.  Looks like you've found a winner.