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.