How to grow a canna lily?

here's some info





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canna_lily





there is also a calla lily





http://www.botany.com/zantedeschia.html





hope it helps.

How to grow a canna lily?
Growing cannas from seed can be quite rewarding and a lot of fun.





Take a small triangular file or pet nail nippers and nick the dark hard outer coat of the canna seed just until you see the white layer beneath. Start the seeds out on a soak of hot water and let them sit a day or two. Sow the seeds in a good seed medium and place in a warm spot to germinate. Do not let them dry out. In a week or two, the seedlings will be up. Transplant the seedlings to 4"-6" pots to establish before planting out in a sunny location Most cannas started from seed will bloom in the first season.





Plant your cannas in the full sun. A minimum of 6 hours direct sunlight is required, the more sunlight, the better. If your cannas are stunted and do not bloom, one reason is that they may not be getting enough sunlight.





Ground Preparation





The ground should have lots of organic materials worked into it, compost, composted manure, leaves, grass clippings and kitchen garbage (peelings), egg shells, coffee grounds but no processed foods like meats, fats or anything of that nature). In other words if it is organic and will decompose, use it.





Planting





Plant the rhizome horizonally in the ground with the eyes or growing points facing up, if they are visible. The rhizomes do not have a top or bottom so there is no chance of planting them upside down.





Cannas can be planted outside in the early spring after the last frost in your area. Or you can start them sooner indoors, in March away from the frost and cold for an earlier plant and flowers.





Plant them 2 to 3 inches deep and 18 to 24 inches apart. They can also be planted for a block effect if you use the same variety or do not mind if the colors or varieties get mixed during growth. To achieve this effect, plant as many as possible about 6 inches apart, when grown this way they can make a very impressive display.





After planting, keep the rhizomes moist but not wet. When new growth appears they can be watered more heavily and tolerate wetter soil. Keeping a layer of mulch on and around the cannas will conserve water and will keep the weeds from growing. Some studies now are indicating that composting and mulching can inhibit and even deter some viruses and diseases.





Winter Storage





Canna Storage Cannas grown to the colder sides of zones 7 and below will have to be dug to survive winter. Let hard frost take the foliage. In the interim between then and colder conditions .. you will have a few weeks to prepare your cannas for winter. But don't wait until the ground starts to freeze. A thick layer of mulch will help if you can't get to right away. And if wet and cold temperatures are expected, get the cannas out of the ground ..asap! Cannas can be stored the winter season so in spring you can enjoy the same lovely plants you had this summer.





If your cannas are in pots, you have options. You can leave them in the pots and either bring into the house to a sunny location (southern exposure is best) where they will continue to grow and bloom. Water lightly though the winter months and use a a little fertilizer. Some natural “de-scented” fish emulsion fertilizers on the market now does nicely.





Follow the manufactures recommendations for plants in pots. Or you can just move the pots to a cool place after removing all the foliage. An area where the temperature is about 50º F is idea and will let the canna “sleep” until spring. Water lightly to keep moist during that period. A spray bottle works well for just a little water. If too dry, the roots and rhizomes will dehydrate. And if too wet, rot will set in. So try for a happy medium. You can also set the whole pot inside a clear plastic trash bag and fold loosely over the top. This will help retain moisture so watering may not even be needed.





If cannas are in the ground, dig them up, leaving as much soil around the roots as possible. You will want that soil to be moist, NOT wet. Let sit a few days if too wet. Put the whole “root ball” (clump) inside a large plastic bag ( a large trash bag will be fine). Clear bags are nice so you can see what goes on without having to open. Cover any bare roots or rhizomes with damp peat moss, filling the holes, gaps etc. with the peat. "Close" the bag by folding it over loosely and store in a cool place, but where the canna roots and rhizomes will not freeze. Again a temperature of around 50°F is good. Into spring, you will notice the clumps start to sprout.





As the weather warms and the danger of frost is gone, you can remove the cannas from the bags and plant them according to the above directions. Divide them at this time as your desire, making sure each rhizome has about 3 growing points or eyes. You can also move your pots outside again at this time and divide those clumps, if needed.