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To leave or not to leave in garden.

TerrysWorldTerrysWorld Posts: 174
edited December 2021 in Plants
Decided this year to leave my Canna's and Dahlia's in the ground as so far winter has been mild in my area and garden being reasonably sheltered. 
Should I leave the foliage on the plants or cut them down to ground level.
If harsh weather is forecasted then I will protect the tubers with some straw . 
South Monmouthshire stuck in the middle between George and the Dragon

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd certainly leave the foliage on them, but I doubt Cannas would survive outside anywhere in the UK. They need to be frost free, and they certainly wouldn't care for relentless rain, never mind anything else. 
    Whereabouts are you? Possibly a very sheltered town garden in the south might be ok for them, but I'd be doubtful. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GearóidGearóid Posts: 198
    I'm in the north of England with sandy soil and I've left my cannas and dahlias in the ground for over a decade and they come up every year. 

    I've found that slugs eating the new shoots in spring is more of an issue than winter weather. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The sandy soil must have helped a lot @Gearóid.   :)
    It's definitely easier with free draining soil for many plants - I'm always saying that it's cold, wet conditions that see plants off more than frost, which is why they don't manage to survive here [and many other areas]  without protection. 

    I'd have thought you'd get quite a lot of frosty/icy weather though? Are you more coastal?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    My cannas are in pots and I leave them outside every winter here in Essex.
    It got down to -6 in Jan and they were not harmed - maybe just luck.
    I leave dahlias in the ground too as I have lots - most of them survive every year.
    It depends where you live and what sort of temps we get this winter - so far - so mild :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    My neighbours in our gardening group have had cannas in the ground for years - regular earth, not specially prepared. They seem to do well. Not a super sunny spot, either. I have currently have some in pot outside. Doing fine. North London.
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I have lifted the dahlias I have in pots but left those in the ground as we have light sandy soil here which never gets waterlogged.  Have yet to add the mulch though (scheduled for the next few days).  Yes, lovely and mild at the moment - but I remember that the Beast From The East didn't strike until late Feb.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Potted Cannas didn't survive in a cold frame against the house wall here. They stay damp, which doesn't help, and they just rot. I haven't watered anything in the little greenhouse since autumn because of that, now that it sits on a border rather than hard standing.   
    Fine in the conservatory, when I had one, but otherwise they have to come into the house. I haven't grown them for a few years now, as I don't really have a suitable indoor spot for them. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I had pots of cannas that I tried to overwinter in the shed last year and most of them died because they froze pretty solid. They may have been better in the ground but they don't seem anywhere near as hardy as the dahlias round here in norwich despite our very sandy soil (our neighbours dahlia tubers stick out of the ground with no protection overy winter and they seem to always come back).
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