Today’s video is about how I look after cannas over winter in my North Lincolnshire tropical style exotic jungle garden – overwintering tips and whether you should dig up and lift your cannas or leave in the ground and mulch plus tips for container plants. With their huge height, exotic leaves and bright, bold blooms, Cannas are definitely a fantastic choice for adding summer colour, a proper tropical vibe and holiday feel to your tropical garden, border or container display. You’d expect such beautiful and exotic plants to be really tricky to overwinter but they’re actually straightforward and I talk about my methods, when to overwinter cannas and the benefits and drawbacks of each of the options. As always, please leave your experiences and questions in the comment section below!
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0:00 Intro
0:30 Why Cannas are a must have plant for your tropical style garden summer display!
1:11 When I chop down, protect & overwinter cannas
3:13 Winter care tips for cannas in containers & the ground
6:12 The benefits and drawbacks of leaving cannas in the ground & mulching over winter
7:37 The benefits and drawbacks of digging & potting up cannas in a greenhouse over winter
10:02 Should you bring canna plants in the house over winter?
11:18 Conclusion – What I recommend you do with your garden cannas over winter
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Thanks,
George
22 Comments
Perfect timing. Needed this video for my cannas. Great job.
Great thanks George was thinking about my cannas. I don't have a poly tunnel or greenhouse , is the summerhouse/shed OK for them along with with the ensete ?
I live in Newcastle upon Tyne and grow Canna Cleopatra. Stays in the ground all year. Comes back bigger each time.
To protect my ginger rhizomes I place the smaller leaves from my gunnera over the top in a tepee fashion.
Hi George,
Oh dear, I'm first time canna grower this year. I dug them up, chopped stems off, washed the soil off, trimmed the roots off, dried them on my kitchen work top, then layered them up in a cardboard box with little holes around the box with saw dust and placed them in a cupboard which is dark and cold. Is this OK? Julie Stoke-on-Trent 🌴🌿🪴😊
I was raised in Oklahoma and have seen cannas in the ground my whole life. No mulch, no digging up. They overwinter in the ground just fine in a Zone 7 climate, even with extended hard freezes, sub-zero (F) temps, drought, and minimal protection.
Durban, Cleopatra, Pretoria, Stuttgart, Musafolia, Tropicana Black, Red Russian, Happy Cleo, Jaegeriana, Edulis, Tuerckheimii all stay in the ground for winter with a mulch. Haven't lost any in the three years I have been growing them here in Cambridgeshire.
👌👌👌👌 Great tips 👍🫡 thanks.
Hi Geogre would the care for gingers be the same, also ive noticed the rhizomes of my gingers are alot above ground level is this normal or should i cover them thanks
Currently I only have one Canna, Red Velvet I think… along with 3 Ginger plants, all which are staying in the ground so great vid as always George… hopefully down here on the south coast, we do not get extreme cold this winter lol 🙂
great video yet again.i have a washingtonia palm should i just mulch for winter?its trunk is about 4 inchs across & 8inch high.i have clay ish soil aswell ? thanks tracey ( bridlington )
Nice one George. Doing my Cannas and gingers today. Nearly all in pots so quite easy, but no real frost here yet so dahlias, Ricinus etc all still okay. I’m loathe to take the machete to them for another week or two.
Hey George! Great video again mate! I live down in south london/kent border.. I lifter my canna chopped it all back and have it in a cardboard box drying out. I was going to dry store it in my loft. Would this method be okay? Thanks!
I bought cheap store canna that had virus. They survive winter under water and ice and started growing again like triffids. But due to the virus I did bin them in the end . I’ve a few got of eBay that are virus. Free. Will keep them inside . Ayrshire can be mild in winter I ll just have to see what happens this year.
I grew some canna musafolia in some big pots this past season for first time. Since I’m in Florida panhandle 8b I’m going to chop them back put straw on top of them put the pots in an unheated greenhouse and wrap the pots with tarps and see how it goes.
Hi George. I do keep some varieties as back ups in my greenhouse but in general most of my Cannas have stayed out for over 10 years now and comeback whatever the variety in my garden in Cambridgeshire.
For me I think drainage is key. I always pot my Cannas up with lots of perlite in the mix to assure it’s free draining around the rhizomes. When planting out I can always add manure or organic material to the bottom of the hole to encourage them to root down into the moisture but keeping the top 6-8 inches free draining.
On heavy clay this may not work as the ground would probably still hold to much water possibly be waterlogged but in general it really helps to pot up with a free draining mix. I follow the same rule with most of my plants including Colocasia and gingers.
I bought a canna sold as black canna (sure it has a proper name) and last year over wintered it in a pot in a green house and it did well. So this year I will be lifting it and putting it in a pot in the greenhouse. After last winter I don't know if I dare risk anyone a bit temperamental outside.
Hi mate. Interesting to hear your experience with Stuttgart. Both Cleopatra and Stuttgart survived outdoors up here last winter. Cleopatra fairly exposed , Stuttgart near tree fern so a little more protected. All the purple cannas wyoming/black tropicana/canna bop get left in pots all year round then brought inside to the non lit garage stored dormant over the winter as they're more tender. Canna Bird of paradise has hated this summer, no flowers this year which was a shame. Nevermind, onwards and upwards
So today I have cut my Canna back to the ground along with my Gingers ( can not for the life of me remember the names ) … covered them with one layer of fleece and a good 3 / 4 inches of wood chippings ..lets hope that does the trick 🙂
Love the little TPs. Like little fairy huts
Great vid thank you! Does anyone have experience with leaving Canna Musifolia out over winter? They are planted in the ground (new this year) and I’ve not got a greenhouse so they either need to stay out or go in the garage!
I don't cut mine back till around february then mulch and cover. They look a mess by then but have come back strong each year. I'm in the south so that may be the difference. I just followed what a local friend does with his so locality in the country is key as always i guess 🤷♂️
I had a canna in a pot hidding in the border under the bananas and ensette. It didnt grow much this year or even flower. I took it out of the pot, cut all the stems off. I then devided it up into 10 smaller pots and covered with 50/50 sand and compost mix. A week later shoots appeared. Now i have 10 plants all about a foot tall. Hopefully when they go out in the spring theyll earn their keep.