Canna or canna lily is a flowering plant in the family Cannaceae. Cannas plant is not a true lily but it is also classified in this system.
Cannas plant has broad foliage, flowers are red, yellow, or pink. Many people love to grow them as ornamental plants in the garden. In agriculture, this plant provides a large amount of starch for humans and animals.
Cannas plant is a tropical plant, but most varieties can be grown in temperate regions and most countries around the world. The necessary living conditions are that this plant needs light from 6 to 8 hours a day.
Cannas are very easy to grow and care for so many people have loved them to grow in the garden or in pots. The basic feature of this plant is that it can be transplanted from tubers and propagated in large numbers.
However, one of the common questions many people ask is when is the right time to transplant a cannas plant.
Can I transplant cannas in summer? Or will spring or winter be the best time? Let’s find out the answer in the article below.
Can I Transplant Cannas In Summer?
Cannas plant is a species of plant in the family of tropical and subtropical herbaceous plants. This plant can live as a perennial and grow new stems from tubers in the root system.
Cannas plants usually grow and flower in warm seasons like summer when temperatures are warm. Therefore, you should avoid transplanting cannas plants in the summer because it can cause the plant to stop growing and flowering.
The best time to transplant this plant is in the last months of winter or early spring. At that time, the cannas plant does not grow strongly due to cold temperatures, so it will not affect the growth and flowering rate of this plant.
When you transplant a cannas plant in winter, it will have time to acclimate to its new environment and thrive when temperatures are warm.
You can also transplant this plant in the summer, however, you need to do this process carefully as it can halt the growth of the cannas plant during its rapid growth phase.
Changing the cannas plant’s habitat during the summer can cause the plant to go into heat shock. You need to make sure this process takes place under adequate conditions such as humidity, temperature, and location.
Some basic notes:
- Do not move the cannas plant on very hot days
- Need to dig a large hole, the soil has high moisture
- Keep the size of the root system to replant to a new location
- The new location needs to limit too much direct sunlight in the first few days
- Regularly water when the cannas plant shows signs of wilting
- Prune the tops or leaves if they are wilted to nourish the root system
How To Transplant The Cannas Plant Successfully, Even In Summer?
The cannas plant transplant is relatively simple and does not require complexities in the process. You should do a transplant every three years to avoid too many bulbs in a cluster and affecting their size.
Here are four basic steps for you to successfully transplant the cannas plant for the first time.
1. Dig the entire root system of the cannas plant
The best time to do a cannas plant transplant is when the flowers have fully bloomed, the leaves begin to wilt and fall off. This may be autumn or after the first frost of winter.
This is the right time to transplant as this plant will begin its dormancy period. So it won’t focus to grow leaves and flowers.
You need to dig the entire root clump into the ground, no need to wash it, you just need to remove some soil clinging to the tuber. Trim the tops and foliage and keep only a few inches of the stem and tubers for better growth.
2. Dividing branches for transplantation
After you remove some soil from the bulbs, it will become easier to divide the branches. You need to separate the bulbs that grow from the main rhizome or the new ones from the adult stem with a sharp, sterile knife.
You need to make sure the cuts are quick and don’t hurt the rest of the tubers. However, it is important to note that each tuber needs to have at least one sprout or a developing young stem.
Remove tubers that have no sprouts or signs of growth because they are also unlikely to grow any time soon. These tubers can be used to make food and starch for humans and animals.
3. The process of transplanting into the ground
Before planting the branches of the cannas plant in the ground, you need to soak them in a mixture of medicine and water. This will help get rid of pests, fungi, and insects that lurk in the tuber system.
You don’t need to rinse them, just let them soak in an antiseptic solution. Once disinfected, allow the branches of the cannas plant to dry out and start planting in the ground.
You can plant branches of the cannas plant in the ground or pots as long as the weather is warm and the soil is moist. If the weather is not favorable, you can keep the bulbs dry for a week and plant them when the temperature is warm.
The ideal depth for planting cannas plant branches is 6 inches. Be careful and do not break the sprouts on the tubers.
If you plant too deeply, this plant will be difficult to grow and the growth rate will be slow. Make sure to fill the top with soil and not expose the tubers of the cannas plant to the outside. This will likely cause insects and pests to attack the tubers.
4. Care after transplant
After you plant the cannas plant in the ground, it’s important to keep an eye on it and water it when it needs to.
You also need to fertilize to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients for the cannas plant. Maintain moisture and space for the sprouts to grow, do not cover the soil so thick that it is difficult for the sprouts to grow.
Cannas plants can grow healthy and flower even under harsh living conditions. You should fertilize in the spring and twice during the growing season. To promote height, fertilizers with high nitrogen content are a reasonable choice.
Don’t forget to prune leaves and tops if the new plant’s trunk is weak or bent. You need to focus on nurturing healthy main stems so that they flower and develop more bulbs.
Conclusion
Cannas plant is a plant that loves warm temperatures and their growing season is summer. Therefore, transplanting this plant in the summer can prevent its flowering and growth.
The best time to transplant the cannas plant should be in winter or early spring. This will give the plant time to acclimate to its new environment and accelerate growth when it comes to the growing season.
In addition, you also need to perform the transplanting process carefully and ensure the problem of disinfection to avoid pests and diseases from attacking the tubers. Be gentle as the sprouts are very fragile and easily damaged.