Canna lilies

Mar 15, 2009 3 Replies

We live in Zone 5. Last Fall we dug up our canna lilies bulbs, and stored them for the winter. Usually we plant them again as soon as the soil warms, late April beginning of May. My question : can we start them indoors in containers to give them an early start? Any suggestions, please. Thanks! Ben


Yes, you can start them now. Use a light garden mix (potting soil) and don't over water them. Once that they start spouting, on warm days set them outside to get them acclimated to the outside temperates.

Are they cannas, which are not lilies? Or are they callas, which are often called lilies? Neither have bulbs; both have rhizomes.

They are quite sensitive to frost, so be carefull not to put them out too early. I leave mine in the ground over winter, and they don't start to grow until things warm up pretty good. They are hard to kill (other then a good freeze) - you can till over a patch of them, and the little chunks of tubors will quite happily grow. I have them popping up in my garden, around the base of my fruit trees - they grow quite well.

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