The spectacular summer blooming Canna and Calla lilies [1] are easily grown here in Minnesota, but unfortunately are not winter hardy and therefore must be dug up each fall. If they have one drawback it is then preference for warm soil for optimum growth often producing their showy flowers late in our growing season.

To get a head start on the growth of these lilies, they can be started indoors. Plan to do this about one month before they would normally be set out into the garden. If you have rhizomes stored from last fall, separate them [2] so that each piece has at least one eye or growing point on it.

In order to prevent the possibility of any root damage, the broken rhizomes should dry for a few days so that the newly exposed surface can suberize or scab over.

Select deep containers such as one gallon black nursery pots for the cannas, and partially fill them with either potting soil or a loose garden soil. Water the pots well and keep them in a warm location. This moisture and heat will stimulate the root development necessary for successful transplantation into the garden.

In about two to three weeks, growth should appear sensitive to transplanting, so be sure to plant the rooted rhizomes into the garden before the foliar growth is over six to eight inches tall [3] and after the soil has warmed up.