how deep to plant in pots?

18 years ago

Hi

I was given a bunch of tubers that had already started to sprout. The new sprouted bits are about an inch long and look very healthy.

I potted them up and put them onto a glassed-in porch which gets very warm (south-west exposure). They will go into the garden toward the end of May (we're having a rather cold April here)

But now I'm wondering if I planted them correctly. I potted them so that the new spout was just barely above the soil, which means the tuber itself is just below the surface.

Was that right? Should they be deeper?

I just did this about a week ago, so I could still repot them, I suppose.

Any info much appreciated - never worked with cannas before.

Comments (4)

butterflychaser
18 years ago
That should be deep enough. I usually plant mine just an inch or two deep.

You won't see any real action until the soil really warms up. The hotter it gets, the faster they will grow.

The main thing to remember in potting them is that they multiply so quickly that they soon outgrow their pots, so I hope you left plenty of room in the pots for them to spread out. I've actually had some bust thru the pots as they expanded.

Enjoy!
chris_ont
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, it is my intent to take them out of the pots and plant them directly into the garden (and then dig them up again in the fall).
Considering how tall these get, I'd be worried about them leaning or tipping right over if not planted deeply enough.
Boca_Joe(zone 7b) southern Delaware
18 years ago
Chris-

you did the right thing- plant shallow- tons of heat, and then you can plant deeper in the ground or pots when they go out.

sounds like you have a good start!

good luck

Boca Joe
lakemayor
18 years ago
So why do you start the tubers in pots. Can't you wait until the weather and ground are warm or do they blossom eariler if you start them in pots inside?

Also, I just received an elephant ear that I ordered that has leaves sprouted on it. It's too cold to plant here in Michigan so what do I do with it. Will it be OK for another month or should I pot it until I can get it outside?