For us home gardeners, there’s nothing quite like the moment those Canna Lilies finally start to bloom. Starting in June, these beauties light up the garden with vibrant reds, yellows, and even crisp whites. If you keep them well-fed, they’ll keep that show going all the way into late fall!
First Feeding at Planting Time
Most of us get our Cannas in the ground around May once the frost is gone. To give them the best head start, I recommend adding a little fertilizer right at planting time. If you prefer a more natural approach, mixing some well-aged compost into the soil works wonders for their early development.
Garden Beds vs. Containers
How often you need to fertilize really depends on where your Cannas are living. If they are planted directly in your garden beds, a good feeding once a month is usually plenty. However, if you’re growing Cannas in pots, they’ll get hungry much faster! For container plants, you’ll want to stick to a weekly fertilizing schedule to keep them happy.
Choosing the Right Fertilizer
The great thing about Cannas is that they aren’t picky eaters. A standard high-quality flower fertilizer from your local garden center does the trick perfectly. If your Cannas are in the ground, I’m a big fan of using organic options like compost or well-rotted horse manure. Tossing in a handful of horn shavings (or bone meal) is also a great way to improve the soil quality over time.
Wrapping Up in September
You’ll want to keep up your feeding routine throughout the heat of the summer. Once September rolls around, start scaling back. After September ends, stop fertilizing entirely. This gives the plant a chance to settle down and prepare for winter before you cut it back in October.
To keep your Cannas thriving, just remember these quick tips:
- Fertilize regularly (weekly for pots, monthly for garden beds).
- Give them their first “meal” right when you plant them.
- Stop all fertilizing by the end of September.
