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prior neglect.?
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Posted by lmhughes tn zone 7ish (My Page) on Mon, Oct 16, 06 at 14:44
So---
I bought this house with just tons of canna, there is a bed approximately 5ft x 7ft and another approximately 10 x 4. These two beds are completely overgrown... about a hundred stems in the larger bed. I was trying to care for them properly and dig them up for the winter when I found that the rhizome in the smaller bed (it's all one rhizome) is enormous. It's at least eighteen inches deep and intertwined and solid in some places. There is absolutely no way to dig it all as one piece and divide in the spring. And the larger bed, goodness..., I have no idea what to do.
Also- the leaf rollers have got a firm grasp on my yard and don't seem to want to leave! So- these canna look horrible.
How do I take care of this to make it nice and tidy?
I don't know the type, but they are 8 feet tall at their tallest with bright green leaves and orangey red flowers. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks-
Lauren |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: prior neglect.?
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| To thin them out and make them more tidy, you'll need to start by doing what you would do if you wanted to get rid of them altogether. You will have to dig everything out and then replant divisions of the rhizomes that were removed. You'll probably have a few stray pieces left in the soil that will put up shoots in the spring. You could remove them then or just let them grow. If you cut off all the stalks and burn them after the first frost or cut them off and at least have them hauled away, you will be reducing the numbers of the the leaf rollers by getting rid of the eggs. I don't know much about dealing with leaf rollers because I never had any, but after the rhizomes have been dug out of the soil, maybe there is something you could apply there also before replanting. |
RE: prior neglect.?
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| For leaf rollers, release trichogramma wasps, or spray with BT (bacillus therengensis or something pretty close to that spelling!) in the spring. |
RE: prior neglect.?
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| Thanks for your advice. I have dug approx 30% so far... (I have a toddler, so it's difficult to apply so much time!) If anyone wants some of these, please let me know.
laurenmarie@gmail.com thanks! |
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