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Cannas. Your advice please

IrisloverIrislover Posts: 7
in Problem solving
I have someone to help with my garden  Last year I asked her to lift the cannas and put into pots to overwinter in the garage. There were 3 large clumps and this is what I have done for the last few years. When I returned, she had divided all clumps up into 20 individual pots! I hadn't been specific enough. Anyway, most are happily growing on. Should I leave them in their pots and put in the ground, or take each of them out and put in ground? Just wondering do they need to get a bit more growing on them before going into the big wide world! Thanks 

Posts

  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 767
    How big are the pots and what are they potted in? Are you seeing the green shoots of leaves emerging or is it fully in leaf?
  • IrisloverIrislover Posts: 7
    Thank you for replying. The pots are a variety of sizes ranging from 6 -10ins in diam and about 8ins high. They were all sown in potting compost and are leafing nicely. They look healthy. 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 14,364
    I would start to pot them into larger pots and to give them a much beefier compost.
    They like lots of food and water.
    I keep some of mine in buckets [ hole cut in bottom ], they go in a mix of JI 3 and home made compost and they get fed every week. The ones I plant in the borders, get slightly less care, but still lots of water and food.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,569
    If you live somewhere with a long growing season , ie mild, I'd plant them in the ground, if you're somewhere a bit tougher / shorter season, I'd leave them in bigger pots to beef up.
    Devon.
  • IrisloverIrislover Posts: 7
    Thanks both. Leaving in the pots for this year seems like a good plan. I will increase pot size and improve compost. I usually feed them regularly when in the borders so will continue. Fingers crossed I have flowers this year but the leaves are so beautiful so won’t be the end of the world if they don’t. Thank you again. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,569
    You'll get bigger, stronger plants if you remove emerging flower spikes as these use massive amounts of the plant's energy
    Devon.
  • IrisloverIrislover Posts: 7
    thank you Hostafan 1 I have just been to have another look at them Although I hadn’t wanted them split, if they recover well enough, there are 21 pots!!!!
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