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dmcdorman

how long for canna bulbs to sprout?

dmcdorman
10 years ago

i bought some red cannas on craigslist and planted them about 3-4 weeks ago. it's been pretty cold and wet here so they've stayed moist most of the time.

anyway, just wondering how long people usually wait before seeing spikes start coming out. Thanks

Comments (20)

  • canna2grow
    10 years ago

    Canna emergence in the spring is primarily predicated on soil temperature and to some degree bud swelling on the rhizome. I often suggest that cannas can be planted about or after the oak trees begin to leaf. There really are no hard and fast rules; remember that many folks living in the more temperate regions leave cannas in the ground for the winter. Spring planted rhizomes can easily take 3 to 5 weeks to emerge.
    Wish you had indicated where you live: if the (5) is your zone you may have planted a bit early for the way this spring season has NOT progressed. Planting in cold wet soil is definitely not the best and can cause the rhizomes to rot or at least delay normal growth. Hopefully you planted in a well-drained area. Chances are your cannas will be somewhat delayed until we have a week or two of warmer weather.
    Kent

  • Marinewifenc
    10 years ago

    The cannas I bought on ebay sprouted in about a week, some in pots some in the ground, some took two weeks. I'm in zone 8 though. The ones I put on their side took longer for me. We've had warm temps it was 80s when I put them in, but dropped into the low 70s but all get full sun.

  • dmcdorman
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks guys! It was a little cold and has been rainy so I hope my bulbs didn't rot. I planted 14. If I can get half of them to sprout I'd be happy with that as I could break them up at the end of the season and increase my amount of cannas that way.

    I'm hoping that the next couple weeks of 70+ days here in missouri will warm those babies up!

  • mantis__oh
    10 years ago

    I would start in pots and fertilize heavily once they sprout. Then put out in early June.

  • CindyZ4b
    6 years ago

    I planted 4 orange cannas a month ago. All in full sun. None have come up yet. Z4.

  • poaky1
    6 years ago

    I have some sprouting that were in those dried bags of peat moss. I guess at least I knew they were alive when I bought them, they were sprouting in the store in the bag. Hopefully you can get them already potted and alive at a HD or Lowes.

  • CindyZ4b
    6 years ago

    Still no cannas.

  • poaky1
    6 years ago

    Sorry to hear that, mine finally came up. You know when you buy more they'll come up.

  • CindyZ4b
    6 years ago

    All my oriental lilies and other bulbs i planted are up. No canas.

  • poaky1
    6 years ago

    I have a tiny runt of a Elephant ear plant that I'm still waiting for to come up, but it was a bonus 1 in a package with the 1 I paid for, so I can't complain if it never comes up.

  • CindyZ4b
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I kept one alive all winter. Then i set it outside too early i guess. It died.

  • poaky1
    6 years ago

    Sorry to hear that. I have the Pink China one. It says zone 6 hardy without having to lift in fall. I hope it really is zone 6 hardy.

  • artemis_ma
    6 years ago

    Zone 5 here, mine took about 4-5 weeks this year to pop their heads up. Last year they did splendidly. I do pull them up every year, and due to needing the final staining on the exterior of the house, I didn't get them in until late.

    Photo from last Tuesday or Wednesday: (The Saturday before... there'd been Nothing!)


  • CindyZ4b
    6 years ago

    Mine didnt come up. Planted to early? My oriental lilies all came up!

  • poaky1
    6 years ago

    One of my Cannas came up, then died down. I think maybe too much shade, the rest are fine. I planted it before my Maple was in full leaf, so that's why I guess.

  • Steven Roussos
    5 years ago

    Hi! I am in Northern KY, Zone 6a. I have some Canna bulbs that I forgot to plant earlier. It is not July 24. First Frost here is typically Oct 18. Any chance I can plant them and expect blooms this year? If not, is it beneficial to plant them, let them grow as much as they can and increase tuber mass etc., let the frost kill them back then lift and dry them until next spring? Or is is better to just wait? Thank you.

  • FrozeBudd_z3/4
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Steven, I'd say it's better to plant them now rather than waiting until next year, as they could perish if not given a chance to grow and replenish themselves. I don't know whether you'll get blooms this year, but at least you have a better chance of keeping the roots alive. Maybe, you could pot them up and protect them from frost for as long as possible late into the autumn, this way you'll be more likely to get flowers and also the roots will gain good strength.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Steven and Frozebud, Steven would need to maybe plant those Canna bulbs in a big pot now, so that in the event of first frost the pot could be brought inside, or maybe if those bulbs need more than just the first frost, IF they need a harder frost to go dormant, after the neccessary frost or big FREEZE, after that happens then the pot with these bulbs can be brought inside. I must say that I've kept Calla Lillies bulbs hardy in ground over winter with them being sown deep in the soil, and then providing a thick layer of mulch, but, Cannas I am not sure, but, maybe if we could try and mulch them deeply, we could keep Canna bulbs fine over winter? Sorry, I have only been able to keep Calla Lillies hardy overwinter with good thick layer of mulch.

  • FrozeBudd_z3/4
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Poaky, yes, I agree regarding the cannas being potted up and later stored inside over winter, I think such would give them the best chance of rebuilding their energy. Cannas are generally stated as being hardy to zone 7 (?), so mulching deeeply in zone 6 could very well work, unless one receives a very hard arctic blast without the benefit of an insulating blanket of snow. Heck, I'm even gonna try tucking a few rhizomes right up against the foundation of my home, now that's a long stretch, but what the heck! :)

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