How do you care for the beautiful and talented canna lily? Here comes a practical care guide
Care guide for the "beautiful and talented" canna lily
Canna lilies originate from tropical America and the subtropics, and are also known as red canna, orchid canna, tiger-head canna, blood-breaking red, and more. The picture shows a potted canna lily seedling.
1. Monitoring function
Canna lilies can remove and monitor the harm caused by harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide and chlorine, and issue a warning. When their leaves are found to lose their green color and turn white, and the flowers and fruits drop, be especially careful of chlorine pollution.
2. Care guide
(1) Light. During the growing period, they require sufficient light and must receive at least 5h of direct sunlight every day. If the environment is too dark and the light is insufficient, the flowering period will be delayed.
(2) Temperature. Canna lilies like relatively high temperatures, and the suitable growing temperature is 15-28°C. If the temperature is below 10°C, it is unfavorable for their growth.
(3) Watering. Canna lilies can tolerate short periods of waterlogging, but they are afraid of too much water. If there is too much water, it can easily cause the rhizomes to rot. When canna lilies have just been planted, water them frequently, once a day, but the amount of water should not be too much. During drought, spray water on the branches and leaves more often to increase humidity.
(4) Fertilizing. Before planting, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied to the soil, and during the growing period the plants should be top-dressed frequently. After the plants grow 3-4 leaves, apply liquid fertilizer once every 10 days until flowering.
(5) Propagation. Canna lilies can be propagated by sowing or by division.
(6) Pruning. After flowering, cut off the flowers that have not fully withered as early as possible to reduce nutrient consumption and encourage the plant to continue producing new flower stems; in various places in the north, after Frost's Descent, if canna lilies suffer frost damage, all the parts exposed above ground will turn yellow and wither. At this time, cut off the withered aboveground parts, dig out the rhizomes, let them dry slightly, then store them indoors buried in sandy soil, and replant them in spring the following year.
(7) Placement and display. Canna lilies can be planted directly in the courtyard for viewing, or grown in wooden barrels or large flower pots and placed in the living room, on the balcony, on the rooftop, in corridors, and other places. [Jishan Huayao]