Watering Cannas

When watering cannas how much do they need?

Firstly cannas are fairy drought tolerant, meaning that they don't need a lot of water.

Established clumps will only need a good soaking every two weeks or so through summer to keep them in good condition.

Over watering young plants with little or no rhizome attached is the fastest way for most cannas to rot. Like other small pieces of garden plants they can quickly rot if over watered.

When potting up or planting in the open ground give them a good watering in and leave them for a few days to a week for them to resettle and throw out new feeder roots, you will know when they have as by giving the plant a gentle tug you will feel its re-rooted.

With small young plants its essential to remember not to over water them through the winter if you get a few days that are warm and sunny, then feel for moisture in the soil and if they are dry you can give them a drink.

If your climate has cold frosty winters then above growth will slow down or completely stop, but the rhizome will keep producing new eyes, when these new eyes appear early spring, you can then water till your heart’s content.

In ground plants I dont water at all over winter, I start watering in early spring.

In the heat of summer after extreme hot and windy day around the 43 deg mark, I sometimes turn on the pump from the water tank and go around and quickly give their leaves a quick squirt over.

I find by wetting and watering cannas on their leaves it gives them a quick pep up, I’m always amazed by cannas and how incredibly tough these water wise plants are. My grey water from the laundry also gets pumped out onto the garden.

A sign that established cannas are a bit thirsty is that their leaves will partly fold a little bit inwards.

Cannas that are really thirsty and in dry soil will easily burn and singe to brown on the tips of their leaves.

I don't water all parts of my garden, due to the lack of water in my area in Victoria Australia, a few plants haven’t been watered for years, it was roughly around 2004 that they got their last drink from a hose, sure they don't flower as much and they don't get as tall but these tough perennial plants are still there.