I planted canna for the first time this year after hearing that they were easy and almost "fool proof".

On May 4, I planted ...12 Giant Canna Indica in a planting bed I prepared last Fall. The area gets full sun from 9AM to 6PM.I live in zone 5 in Iowa. The bed was basically good Iowa black dirt and about 4 wheelbarrow loads of home made compost from last year that I spaded in. The peonies I planted last Fall in the same bed came up just fine...one even bloomed. The elephant ears and the annuals in the bed are also growing well.

Of the 12 only the 4 Orange Wyoming and 1 of the Harvest Yellow plants came up.

So, today I did an "autopsy" on the bed to check out the canna bulbs. Of the seven that did not grow ...I only found 3 rotted bulbs. The others are MIA.

I bought the bulbs at Lowe's and they were only $1.25 each. They seemed alive and solid when I planted them the 2 inches deep.

I tried to keep the bed moist by watering 2 to 3 times a week if there was no rain.

So the riddle is...

Did I over water the bulbs?

Did I just get what I paid for?(cheap bulbs)

Is 5 out of 12 average for Giant canna Indica in zone 5?

Did I manage to beat the odds on "fool proof"? (altho...I usually have pretty good luck growing stuff)

Anyone have a comment?

Pete in Iowa