succulent , tropical leafage , vibrant flower and small guardianship requirement makes Tropicanna canna ( Canna indica’Phasion ' ) , a truthful workhorse in the garden . This canna variety is striking with its variegated leafage which sportsyellow , ruby , pinkish and green stripeson a maroon background . The flowers , whichbloom from summertime through capitulation , are shining orange . Tropicanna canna grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 thorough 11 . In frost - prone climate , the stalks , leaves and flower die back to the ground in wintertime .
Feeding and Watering
WaterTropicanna canna plants each time the dirt dries out 3 inches deep . plume the domain slowly until the field feel moist 6 to 12 inches rich .
In spring , when new shoots start to emerge , fertilizewith slow - spill 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer . expend 1/2 tablespoon per flora . For large beds , employ 1 cupful per 30 substantial animal foot , sprinkled equally over the grunge . H2O after spreading the fertilizer until the grease is moist 6 column inch deep .
Tip
To avoidoverwatering , clock time the annual spring fertilizing to coincide with a unconstipated lachrymation .
Trimming and Pruning
Infrost - prostrate mood , cut back all the stalks after the first frost damages the leafage . apply a duo of pruning shear to trim the sarcoid stalks level with the dirt . await for new shoots in spring . In icing - costless climates , cut off down stalks as they start to dry out up and go back .
Cut the flowering stalks — being deliberate not to damage newfangled shoot of growing leaf stalks — at the dirt tier after the flowers fade . Or , leave the bloom to die and shed by nature . Eventually the folio stalk will give way back .
Keep diseases from disperse in the garden by practicing goodsanitation . After cutting back Tropicanna cannas , soak the blades of pruning tools in undiluted home disinfectant , such as Lysol , then gargle and dry before storing .
Leaf-Eating Pests
Check Tropicanna forslugs , snailsandcaterpillars , picking them off by hand as you find them . Crush the pests under a garden thrill , or drop them in a bucket of pee with a capful of dish easy lay to drown them . Japanese beetleseat canna leave . These 1/2 - inch - retentive beetle have a metal dark-green aspect to their wings . visit cannas each week or more often . The most effective , least toxic mode to eliminate these pests is by handpicking them as you get hold them . Crush the beetles or swim them in a bucketful of soapy body of water .
Diseases and Troubleshooting
If you notice canna leaves starting to turn yellowish , divulge striking light-green veins , it indicates a viral transmission calledaster yellowness . delve up and throw away the affected canna to keep the disease from diffuse . Recovery is improbable .
Overwintering Canna Bulbs
In USDA zones 6 and lower , cut back Tropicanna canna stalks in late fall leaving 4 in of stalking before the first hard freeze . Digupthe rhizomes and store them in dry sawdust or peat moss through the winter . Keep the bulbs at around 40 degrees Fahrenheit until spring . After the last expect hoar , replant the bulbs in the garden 4 to 6 inches mystifying in a gay spot .
