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djs423

waterlogged canna

djs423
18 years ago

Before leaving on a 2 week vacation, I put my brand new yellow canna (a Mother's Day gift for a novice)in a pie pan filled with water. Upon return, I found the leaves and flower stalk completed collapsed and mushy. The water was all gone, and the soil was still wet. I dug out the rhizome, and it is soft and sort of mushy. I'm trying to dry it out in partial sun outdoors, but wonder if it stands a chance of regenerating? And what do I do next? Thanks!

Comments (2)

  • nicolo
    18 years ago

    My guess is that it's beyond hope of regenerating. The curious thing is that it rotted just because it was sitting in a pan of water. My second guess is that it didn't rot for that reason. The rhizome probably had some rot in it to begin with and keeping the soil wet just aggravated it or accelerated the rotting process.

    Cannas are generally pretty tough, but I've bought rhizomes that rotted in the ground for no apparent reason after being planted. I have also seen some for sale in bags of coarse sawdust that were not wet at all, but still rotted and dead.

    I may be wrong, but in my observations, terrestrial cannas with light-colored flowers (white, yellow, and sometimes pink) seem to be more susceptible to rotting that those with orange or red flowers.

  • maleko
    18 years ago

    Cannas should not rot just because the soil is damp. Cannas, like much of the banana tribe thrive in warm shallow water, but all plants can be attacked by fungus, bacteria or toxins. I would look for other causes, toxins such as salt, pesticides, too much fetilizer or an infected wound in the rhizome. If there is a firm part of the rhizome left, cut all the dead away, let it dry and dust it with sulfer, then replant it in a new sterile pot with fresh soil.

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