Overwintering Cannas

Hi everyone. This is the first year that I have grown canns and I have just dug them up to store for the winter. Can't leave them in the ground as we get up to -20c sometimes. Have read all the tips on how to store, which is no problem, but my rhizomes have new sprouts on them (about 5 cm) and I am wondering if storing them in the basement will kill these sprouts, After all, they seem to be wanting to grow again.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Cool and dry is the optimum condition -but not too dry-if it is not warm in the basement then they will be fine-the sprouts you can see is next years growth -that is a good thing.

Thanks for your answer, sotongeoff, I shall go ahead as planned then, after they have dried off.

Don't let them dry out completely -for example-they should be kept moister than stored dahlias.

You would be better off keeping them in compost - as Geoff says, they don't want to be dried off, especially not with shoots visible. If the shoots were significantly above soil level then they would be better kept somewhere cool and light. Keep the compost just barely damp.

I've just bought 6 Cannas from the garden centre (very cheap). As Sue says above some are forming new small plants. The advice above makes sense, not too cold, dry, but not too dry. Can I leave them in the pots or do I need to pull them out? I plan to put them in our conservatory in which the radiator only kicks in if it falls below zero

Many thanks

James

James

Leave them in the pots-mine are- and returned to the cold greenhouse a couple of weeks ago-they have survived all the past few winters in those conditions

The last episode of GW had Monty over winter Dhalia in vermiculite that he watered and said would monitor it to keep it slightly damp every month till March. I do the same except I use sand. Cannas die if left to dry out over winter (sigh as someone who did that last year!)