Resources for YOU!It's our hope that we can serve as guide for gardeners (no matter the skill level) because we ALL can benefit to make not only Bath, but also our own landscapes beautiful! Gardening is an art and a science at times! Feel free to browse this section to educate or learn something new! Happy Gardening!
March 2025 Meeting:
Overwintering Cannas – ‘What I Do’
By Jennifer Clements, Bath Gamma Garden Club member After a frost, I gather all of my potted cannas and elephant ears and dig up any I’ve directly planted in the ground, usually using a pitchfork. The roots are pretty shallow. It’s important to let the frost hit them and let the frost blacken the foliage before digging them. And it gives you more time to enjoy them! I then cut the foliage down to about 6 inches and brush off as much soil as possible. Next, I lay them out on newspaper for about two weeks to continue to dry out (so save your West Side Leaders for a few weeks beforehand!). This is when you’ll want to check them for damage or rotting pieces and remove those. You can also separate the rhizomes at this point. More plants to share! You’ll want to label the different cultivars and keep them separate from each other. It’s easy to think you’re going to remember which one’s which, but when all the roots look the same, you may not. I check on them regularly to keep removing soil and checking for any rotted tubers. Once I’m sure that they’re dry and most of the soil is removed, I wrap them in dry newspaper and put them in open kitty litter boxes and put them in my basement. If you’re doing multiple types of plants, you’ll want to label them well and/or keep each type separate. Once that foliage is cut off, unless you’re more of an expert, they look alike and you’ll have to wait til spring to determine which plant you have! I’ve also read that Cannas can also be overwintered by placing the sorted rhizomes into heavy-duty garbage bags. The garbage bags will help maintain a good level of humidity without adding extra moisture. Petitti’s recommends treating them with sulfur and storing them in newspaper, peat moss or vermiculite in breathable containers. Just make sure to label bags or containers of rhizomes carefully with tags. You can also use a Sharpie to write directly on the rhizome itself. You’ll thank yourself later! I’ll check on them a bit right afterward but then usually leave them until about late March. Maybe once a month would be good to check for mold. Find a cool, dark space that stays above freezing but below 55 throughout the winter. Non-fluctuating temperatures are best as they prevent early sprouting. Some great storage places to consider are:
If you see early re-sprouting, it’s OK but means your temperatures need to be a bit cooler. Potting Up Then 6-8 weeks before our last frost, say mid-March, you can start the potting up process. This gives the plants a head start. As you pull out all of the overwintered rhizomes, re-inspect them and throw away any that are rotten or diseased. Then, in pots with drainage holes, fill pot half full with potting soil, place in the canna rhizome, looking for the eye and point that up. If the “handle” is still on there, that’ll make it easier to determine the direction. Then cover that up to about an inch from the top of the pot. At this point, I put them in the garage for a few weeks. Petitti’s’ directions say to water them until the water runs out two times. They also suggest putting them in bright, indirect light. The warmer the temperature, the faster they’ll grow. I don’t have the space for that, so they stay in the garage. Just don’t let them get below 40 degrees. After that, only water when they’re dry. After the last frost, say mid-May, start transitioning them to outside; first in shade, then in part shade then sun. Give them time to adjust to the light. I bring them in if I think it’s going to drop temperature in the evenings though. Then when it’s finally warm enough, pick spot to plant them or place your containers and enjoy! It's our hope that we can serve as guide for gardeners (no matter the skill level) because we ALL can benefit to make not only Bath, but also our own landscapes beautiful! Gardening is an art and a science at times! Feel free to browse this section to educate or learn something new! Happy Gardening!
Recipes from the Garden
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Terra Cotta Garden Plant Markers - NOW AVAILABLE! Download order form for more info and purchases! There are few other items available as well. Visit the website below to shop and browse!
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Life in the Landscape
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