Whether with purchased seeds or seeds from your own cultivation, sowing canna is difficult, time-consuming and involves effort. Compared to propagation by dividing the rhizomes, this method is less recommended.
How to sow canna seeds correctly?
To sow canna seeds successfully, lightly sand the seeds, soak them in warm water for 2 days and sow them 2 cm deep in nutrient-poor, loose soil. Keep the seeds moist and place them in a 20 to 25°C room until they germinate and produce new leaves.
It’s all about the preparatory work
Sowing is particularly worthwhile for those who want to create new canna varieties. It starts with preparatory work that requires sensitivity:
- Forcing seeds into needle nose pliers
- rub the side that is slightly recessed on sandpaper
- if the white interior becomes visible, stop the grinding process
Grinding the seeds is important. Without this procedure, it can take many months for the seeds to germinate. Very few people have this patience. After the seeds have been ground at the beginning of January at the latest, they are placed in a warm water bath for 2 days. This stimulates the germination process. The germs sprout.
The seeds go into the ground
Once the seeds have germinated, they can be placed in the ground. For example, coconut fiber potting soil (€17.00 on Amazon) is well suited. Otherwise the earth should have the following properties:
- unfertilized
- nutrient poor
- easy
- permeable
- easy
The seeds go 2 cm deep into the substrate. They are watered and then kept moist. The minimum germination time is 6 days. It is best if you place the pots or growing trays with the germs in a room with a temperature of 20 to 25 °C.
Prick out the plants and plant them out
As soon as the flower tube has formed the first two leaves, it can be pricked out. Sort out the weak plants. You can plant the strong specimens in individual pots after 4 weeks if you have not already done so. Place the plants in a sunny place, for example on the balcony or window sill.
If you want to plant the flower tube outdoors in May, make sure the soil is nutrient-rich when planting. The soil can be pre-fertilized with compost.
Tips & Tricks
As an alternative to grinding, some breeders resort to putting the seeds in the freezer or briefly boiling them with water. These two methods are also intended to promote and accelerate the germination process.
