AboutTom Alonzo Expertise I have been a gardener for 20 years with perennials both growing from seed and from nurseries. I went through the Master Gardener Program from Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service and I answered questions on the Hotline a few years ago for the Wyandotte County Kansas Extension Service. I have also lived in the Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Kansas and Missouri and am experienced with a variety of climates, soils and weather conditions.
Experience I have been growing perennials for over 20 years now. I am self-taught mostly except for a master gardener class. I have experimented with all kinds of perennials including many that are not common to my area. I have read hundreds of books and grown hundreds of varieties of plants and hope to make it a business some day. I have become versed in botanical names and growing conditions and what I don't know off of the top of my head I can usually easily find in my vast array of research material and botanical and horticultural contacts. I especially enjoy experimenting with growing plants out of zone.
Question Is it possible to simply bring the potted, trimmed back Canna into my 50 degree crawl space and let it go dormant over the winter? Would I need to water it at all? Then it's all ready to go early in Spring in a sunny, indoor location to get a head start on the growing season. Is it really necessary to take it out of the pot, clean it & store it in a bag or peat?
Thank you for you advice.
Answer Hi Pat,
Thanx for your questions. If you are in a USDA Hardiness Zone cooler than Zone 7, your cannas probably will not overwinter successfully. If they are in pots, allow the first frost to kill off the foliage, cut it off a few inches above the soil and you can store the pots in your crawl space as long as it does not freeze there. You do not need to water. If the rhizomes are in the soil, you'll have to dig them up, brush off excess soil but do not wash as this could cause rot. Store the rhizomes in the crawl space in some straw. As long as it doesn't freeze, most of the rhizomes will make it until spring. Do not plant them outdoors until the soil is sufficiently warm (about 70°F/24°C). If in pots, do not put outdoors until night time temps are above 50°F/10°C. I hope this helps.
Tom
