I also am waiting with baited breath for someone to answer this question........come on fellow GW's what do you think!

If it helps any, I purchased a potted Tropicanna last fall. I left it in the pot to overwinter in my garage, brought it out on days when weather was nice (we had unusually warm winter last year), & it has done much better than any of my other cannas. I planted it as soon as the weather was nice, it was bursting out of the pot by then.

I purchased a 'Tropicanna' last Fall, too, but I was terrified that it would die outside, so I added that to the table in front of the bay windows in my living room filled with cannas and coleus. The cannas grew beautifully in the southern exposure and, like NGraham's, the rhizomes were pushing the pot's sides out by planting time. But only the ones I planted in the ground have bloomed for me this year - I guess they can handle being root bound only so long...

Im totally new to cannas in Iowa. I planted 3 in a huge pot this spring and have great looking plants, and even some new growth shooting up, but they never flowered ( I think not enough sun )....now I'm wondering, if I can find a way to get this pot inside, will it be worth the trouble and be a nice houseplant, or should I bite the bullet and wack off the lovely growth and just store the bulbs. Such a good looking plant...sigh

Ok guys (and gals) ,

here it is:

I have about 25 pots of cannas and each fall I yank out the plants. They usually come out in one big clump. I take my machete and cut the tops off about 2' or so. Let them dry out outside for several weeks without lettin them freeze.

I then use the machete to cut them into size just small enough to store them in 2.5 gallon zip lock bags in my unheated laundry room (about 55-60 all winter).

Works great, the thing I learned is that I have 100% success overwintering this way. The key is NOT to wash off the dirt or clean the rhizomes in any way, and DON'T divide them until spring!

good luck to all, winter's coming :-(

Boca Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: Boca Joe's Cannas Photos

Thanks Boca Joe! I just looked at your pictures and all I can say is wow, wow, WOW!!! Very beautiful...I especially liked the hib millennium superstar...Yikes!
I don't have a few weeks left to let them dry out, outside, without freezing, but I will figure out something. I guess today I will yank them out of the pot....wahhhhhhhh!!!!

the important thing is to store them dry, cool (45-60) and out of the light till late Feb or so.

You can still let them "cure" outside anytime the highs are above 50 and above 40-45 at night. This is important or they may rot.

They are very hardy and will take several frosts and light freezes. Mine stay outside in the pots until sometime in November. I usually finish them up by Thanksgiving or so.

Boca Joe

I lay mine out on trays and put them on my dining room table which gets lots of afternoon sun for several days. They dry well there.

Joe,
I have to say, these are some of the most beautiful pictures!!! I thought they were on a tropical island!
Plumeria Kimo is beautiful, not to mention all the hibiscus (esp. millenium star) Even your portulaca seems super large!
Where in Maryland is this??!!!
What is your secret??!! You live in paradise, I love it!!!
Do you push a button & a giant heated tent covers this paradise for the winter??
Beautiful, thanks for sharing!!

Thanks so much for the info Joe!And what a master gardener you are,the pics were great.

We have a finished basement, with a small unfinished "storage" section. Is this area going to be too warm to store unpotted bulbs, or am I better off cutting them down, letting them in the pot, and storing them in my unheated garage? Just wondering.....

Sandy

Those photos from Boca were great so I'll now try to find the outstanding blooms and leaves to brighten my garden in Hertfordshire, England. Just wish we had that tropical weather of the Bahamas! I dry my cannas from the pots and garden then wrap in newspaper leave in the garage until Spring. Check occasionally to make sure they are still nice and firm. Thanks everyone for the replies.

I have stored them in a pot, and kept them alive in my Greenhouse at 45-50o If you do not have a GH check out the FAO below

Here is a link that might be useful: FAO

Plantman56

Thanks for the FAQ link. I will NOT be storing mine in their container, in my garage. I know it gets colder than 40 to 45 degs. and given that, I am assuming that the ground they are in, would not provide enough insulation.....

Sandy

I have two huge pots of canna tropicana and would like to overwinter them in the basement in the pots. Do I cut them down? Please any help would be great

rejoicee, I guess the question is do you want to cut them, I wanted the tropical feeling all winter in my Laundry room so I left mine in the pots with little to no water (watered twice from Nov-Jan) it is cool 55-65. But they continued all winter to make me happy and bloomed in June.

Joe, you are undoubtedly the expert, but I have stored them every which way..in the pots, out of the pots, dry, not dry, as house plants and leaving them in the ground (zone 7 with mulch) and they all worked fine! These are tough plants. They would probably get kinda ratty as house plants. I think I need the rest as much as they do.

Alright! great info. I'm going to leave mine under a blanket, on the basement floor. I might do some dividing now, but I think I'll wait until spring before I do much cutting.

More questions.
My Robert Kemp Cannas were grown from seed last winter. They flowered this summer in large containers. We had a frost last week and some leaves have died off but the center is still green. I moved the container into my garage to help it dry out as we have had a tremendous amount of rainfall. I have no basement and my garage is an unheated detached garage and I border zone 5/6. Would I be better off to leave my cannas in the container until spring in the garage or take them out of the container and break the soil away from the rhizomes. I pulled it up out of the pot and it is one big giant mass the shape of the pot. I could always double pot the container or wrap the container to keep it from freezing. Initially I was going to bring it inside but I have so many Salvias and Agastaches inside I don't have room for a container of this size in an area that will get good lighting.
Penny

Penny - I've got the same problem. I'm experimenting by leaving one RK in the ground, and I have one in a large pot in my garage, too! I may try to bubblewrap it, and stick it in a box with packing material, or put it in a cooler (if I can find one large enough!). If I brought it in, I think I would end up in the garage in place of it! I've got a larger red leaved Canna which may get the same treatment. If I had more time, I'd probably cut and ziplock them as Joe recommends, but I do have a backup plan, as I managed to save a couple dozen seeds from this years flowers.