Should I dead-head Canna Lilies?

Question

I know with many flowers like mums that if you dead head them, that is pick off the spent blooms and deny the plant from making seeds to reproduce itself that they will send up more blooms to make new seeds. But is it necessary to do it with Canna lilies? I have not dead headed them yet and they just keep pooping more and more flowers. The seeds evenually fall off. I would be thrilled if some of these seeds produced some new plants. Nothing so far. I live in New England so the rhizomes have to be dug up in the fall else they will die with the frost.

Answer 1

Live in California and I have had mine seed. The bloom dies back and then it forms rogh green ball shapes in clusters on stock.
It takes a long time to develope but inside are smooth oval black seeds.
Big enough to drill a hole in and make beeds....but it does cause the plant to stop producing as many flowers.

Answer 2

Canna Lilies Pictures

Answer 3

Cannas can indeed be brought from seed. (They are not one of the 100+ species of lilium at all, but rather genus cannaceae.) It's more common to propagate them from divided rhizomes, however. In your growing zone, you'll actually get a jump on the game if you dig and replant your rihizomes annually. In zone 5, I've actually had cannas which were tilled into the garden during fall soil prep, winter and re-emerge the following spring. Not usual, but it can happen.
That said, if you want to keep seed: collect the seed and store it in a cool, dry place until early spring. It needs to be scarified (nicked or chipped) and soaked for best germination. Plant (not too deeply) and water. It will likely take longer to get those lovely flowers, as the seed will need to create a rhizome, then the plant and flower.
As to deadheading...yes, please. If you want to extend bloom time and are not concerned about creating viable seed, you'll have a much nicer show of flower if you deadhead each stem as its blooms begin to wither.

Answer 4

Canna Lillies are wonderful plants. But most of the time they look crappy in people's yards because they do not know how to take care of them. I have planted them in one of my client's gardens(9 yrs ago) in Calif. and take care of them once a month. If you see no more buds on a stalk when the flowers are finished that stalk must be cut down to the ground completely. New stalks keep coming and bloom in warm weather.

No need to wait for the seeds. The plant is so easy to divide from the rhizomes. Just sink your shovel and dig up the new sprouts making sure to get the rhizomes with roots. Replant elsewhere and cover with soil just a little.

Good luck.

Answer 5

The first common error that many people make with cannas is deadheading. You should definitely not deadhead a canna. These beauties will flower profusely from July until the frosts as long as you sit on your secateurs. This is because the new flowering shoot comes up within the dead flower and, a month or so later, will produce more flowers. Some flower stems will produce four lots of flowers – unless, of course, you cut them off.

Answer 6

Yes, most plants benefit from dead-heading. The first place I heard of dead-heading was on our visit to Holland. I asked our tour guide that picked us up if the tulips were still blooming and she said no they were dead-heading. I got this awful picture in my head of a skull or something grotesque.
Plants that are dead-headed give more energy back to the mother plant and less spent on going to seed.

Answer 7

YES. All lillies grow from bulbs, so they do not reseed. Deadheading just makes them look better. Dig up and separate bulbs in the late fall. Store in a paper bag in a cool, DRY place for the winter, plant again in Spring.

Answer 8

We cut off the dead stems once a week...last year we left several in the ground to see what would happen over the winter. They rotted in the spring, just depends on where you live.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Led Zeppelin, because they take position to be one in each and every of my favourite bands. even if, i have by no ability genuinely listened to The Greatful lifeless {incorrect era, & they are not so huge in Britain}, so it truly is an unfair contest!