Results from overwintering canna lilies in pots this winter.
Is it a perennial? Will these come back next year? When speaking with family and friends about garden plants, I often hear those two questions. I understand wanting to plant something one time and enjoy the benefits for years to come. People are busy, and gardening can get expensive. However, buying only perennials will limit the fun you can have gardening and the beautiful colors you can grow. Adding summer-flowering bulbs like dahlias, calla lilies, canna lilies, and begonias expands the range of plants in your summer garden. I did an experiment last fall and found out how quick & easy it was to overwinter summer bulbs in pots indoors.
Easy Tips for Overwintering Summer Flower Bulbs
Surprisingly, despite how long I have planted and worked with flower bulbs, I have never had to overwinter them, except for my elephant ear plants. In the past, I would just treat them like annuals and replant each season. When I was cleaning up my patio pots last fall, I decided to do a little experiment with the potted canna lily plants I had. Instead of discarding them with my other annuals, I decided to overwinter the bulbs.
Lazy Gardener Overwintering Tip #1
Easy Peasy! Just cut back the foliage and store it in a cool, dry, and dark location.
Since this was an experiment, I overwintered the bulbs using two easy methods. The lazy gardener method was leaving the cannas in the pots they were growing in all winter. I cut back the leaves and moved the pots to a dark room in my basement. That was it; I didn’t water them in winter, just let them rest.
In early May, they started sprouting leaves all on their own. I didn’t move them to the light or do anything different; they were just ready to grow. Towards the end of May, I moved them outdoors.
They are now growing more leaves. I decided to plant moss roses at the base of them to fill out the planter even more. Who knows, maybe this winter I will overwinter the potted canna lilies AND the moss rose together!
Lazy Gardener Overwintering Tip #2
Canna Lilies Preparing for Storage
This isn’t as lazy as just putting the pot of bulbs in your basement. However, it’s not much more effort. I did a more traditional overwintering method by removing the canna rhizomes and storing them in a bag. The rhizomes were removed from the soil, and any dirt that was on the roots was cleared. To ensure there was no excess moisture that could lead to rotting, the bulbs sat outside for a day to dry. I put the rhizomes in a paper bag. The paper bag was stored in my basement in the same location as the potted canna lilies. After a long winter, I checked the rhizomes, and they looked healthy and ready to be planted for this season’s blooms.
Store Summer Bulbs and Try Something New
These tips should help encourage even the laziest gardeners to try some new bulbs. Know that overwintering the bulbs requires minimal effort, materials, and time, especially when grown in pots. Canna lilies were the bulbs I overwintered, but my mom has had the same success overwintering begonia tubers this way as well. It can work for calla lilies, dahlias, elephant ears, and other tender bulbs. I have two elephant ear plants that were grown from bulbs that have been stored indoors for the last 20 years. With minimal space and effort, you can keep the tender plants you love from year to year!
For more detailed and in-depth instructions on overwintering summer bulbs, check out this helpful blog: How to Store Summer Bulbs in Winter.
Interested in planting bulbs in pots this summer? Late-season planting is a great opportunity to try it out. We have all the information you need to Grow Bulbs in Pots this Summer.
