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CANNA
Indian Shot. Half-hardy perennial
Cannas have ceased to be regarded simply as sub-tropical foliage plants,
adapted only for the adornment of beds and borders. They have not lost
their merits for this purpose, although in all probability the taller
forms will be less grown than formerly, because the new dwarf varieties,
which maintain a high standard of beauty in the foliage, include a
diversity of rich tints previously unknown, and they possess the
additional merit of producing flowers that have lifted the race into
prominence as brilliant decorative subjects for the garden and the
greenhouse.
The popular name is descriptive of the seed, which is almost spherical,
black, and so hard that it has been used in the West Indies instead of
shot. Hence it will occasion no surprise that the germs burst through
the strong covering with difficulty, and that sometimes weeks elapse
before the seedlings appear, one or two at a time. To facilitate
germination some growers file the seed, others soak it until the skin
becomes sufficiently soft to permit of the paring away of a small
portion with a sharp knife. In either case caution must be exercised to
avoid injuring the germ. A safer mode of attaining the object is to soak
the seeds in water, placed in a greenhouse or stove, for about
twenty-four hours before sowing. After soaking the seeds it is necessary
to keep the soil constantly moist, or the germs will certainly suffer
injury. The number of seeds sown should be recorded, so that it may be
known when all are up. The first sowing should be made in January, in a
temperature of about 75 deg., and as fast as the seedlings become ready
transfer singly to small pots. As Cannas are gross feeders they must
have a rich, porous compost, and an occasional dose of liquid manure
will prove beneficial, especially when the pots are full of roots. If
the seedlings from the January sowing are regularly potted on and
properly managed they will begin to flower in June or July. Either the
plants may be turned out into a rich soil, or the pots can be plunged,
and after flowering in the open until late in autumn the plants can be
lifted for another display of bloom in the greenhouse. In warm districts
and in dry, sheltered situations, the roots may be left in the open
ground all the winter under a covering of ashes; but they must be lifted
from a damp, cold soil, and stored in a frame during the winter months.
We have only mentioned January as the month for sowing, but seed may be
put in up to midsummer, or even later, following the routine already
indicated.
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Previous: CALCEOLARIA, SHRUBBY
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