I have better luck leaving cannas in the ground and mulching deeply than trying to store them. I tried to store them once in the crawl space of my house which must be above freezing or the pipes would freeze. I thought it was a good idea, but they didn't make it. I don't really have a good place to put them if I dig them. I do have some variagated ones that I want to save. Where do you put yours after you dig them up and how do you prepare them?

You just made me realize why I never plant anything I have to dig up!!! The minute I read that, I pass. I know how bad I would be about digging them up.

Since we have retired, I may chance some dahlias next year. I want to try Bishop of Landaff and some seed-raised ones.

I just ran across this website recently that might help.

Gd

Here is a link that might be useful: Curing and Storing Tender Bulbs/Roots

We dig and store a lot!! Call me crazy but at least my husband does most of the work. This is what will be left after all the banana trees except one were dug..enough elephant ears and brugs put away. The rest will be mulched and left on their own. We don't dig the cannas here. Quite a mess!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1122348}}

Christie, I used to dig and store some, but I have a restored "ice house"...it kept ice cut from the river, packed in sawdust, until mid summer for the original settlers. Mine keeps things from freezing over winter. I do have to use some form of insect control to keep out sow bugs and silver fish...they ate up my amaryllis bulbs one year.

I don't dig anymore, so to keep cannas over, I plant them 9 inches deep (9" of soil over the tuber) and pile on the mulch for winter. Mother stored canna, dahlia, and glads in her basement. She left clumps of soil on the dahlia and canna bulbs...don't know why.

Glads were dug...allowed to dry on the picnic table, cleaned and stored in a paper bag with moth balls (kills thrips) in a cool closet inside the house. I have not grown them since I have had the ice house for storage.

Last winter my amaryllis lived over in a flower bed with no mulch....I forgot it. This year I have it mulched, and it will probably die. :( LOL

I had some Tarro root (looks like elephant ears only larger) that lived over for three years planted up against the foundation. Then I forgot to pile on the mulch and lost it, so I think it might be possible to do that with elephant ear.

This is my first year with cannas and dahlias. Since I bought them on clearance for just a few bucks (and they did beautifully even though they went in kinda late) and the cannas, at least, have multiplied like crazy, I went ahead and dug them up this year. Everything that I've found says just to make sure they stay dry, in the dark, and around 40 to 50 degrees...

Any more input on this? I need to store my cannas that have been in pots all summer. The ones in the ground will be mulched and left in the ground.

best luck i had was storing them in a rubbermade tub, in unheated garage--in peat moss.

We don't dig and store anything or bring anything inside anymore. Have had tuberoses for about the past 3 years. The first year they were planted in spring and didn't bloom until fall. The first opened bloom stalk froze before all the flowers opened. The next spring, I moved them to an area where they would receive more morning sun. Last year had earlier blooming. This year also had earlier blooming. Only a few bloom stalks tho. I am hoping if I leave them alone they will increase with time, like the crinum lily has done. The crinum blooms more profusely every year and bloomed off and on from spring to late summer. EP

Could you please give me step by step instructions on storing the Cannas? I have two of them I purchased at Home depot close out sale , all nasty & brown looking. Do you cut off the stalks? and dig them up? How do you best replant. Any help is much appreciated. Many thanks to all..............

Have never stored anything. Too lazy i guess. I have tried to keep cannas, since they're so pretty but would lose them abt. every 3 years. I am trying to keep a begonia and a geranium living through the winter just to have something green growing.
Helen can you move the whole pot of cannas in out of the worst cold.
You've given me the idea of the first thing i want to plant in a container.
Millie, How very very neat to have your own icehouse. I remember the big one in Mena where we got ice.
vickie