How To Take Care Of Your Winter Canna Lilies?

Canna lilies are a tall flowering perennial that can survive in cold climates for years as long as they are properly overwintered. To do this, apply a thick layer of organic mulch around the base of the plants and use frost blankets or old bedsheets to cover them overnight when frost is expected. Place the containers in a cool, well-lit area, such as a basement or garage, where the temperature remains above freezing.

For those living in zones 3-7, the best time to start digging up can be when temperatures are above freezing. If you need to overwinter your potted canna lilies, the easiest option is to move them indoors or into a greenhouse. Cut back the foliage and stalks as appropriate for cannas and sterilize cutting implements before using them.

In mild areas, plants can be left outside all year in a sunny, sheltered position, but apply a 15cm (6in) deep layer of mulch in winter. In colder areas, pot-grown specimens can be moved into a frost-free place. The thick, fleshy rhizomes can be stored in a cool basement, garage, or cellar in total darkness. If you want to transplant them to a new container, dig up the rhizomes and place them in a loose pile in a bucket.

To store canna bulbs indoors over winter, wrap individual bulbs in newspapers or small paper bags with a small amount of dry, dry material. In warm climates where winter temperatures rarely drop below 40 degrees F, mulching the flower bed would be sufficient to protect them frost and provide viable tubers for planting the following spring. Cannas can also be grown in containers and brought indoors for winter. Dig up canna tubers and store them properly over the winter, providing viable tubers for planting the following spring and many extras to give away.