How Do You Winterize Canna Lilies?

Canna lilies aren't really lilies at all but instead are a variety of summer bulb that resembles a lily. Available in colors ranging from yellow and orange to red and pink, cannas have large, exotic flowers that bloom throughout the summer and often into fall. They are a tender bulb, so they cannot tolerate freezing as this kills them. Winterizing your canna bulbs allows you to replant them next year for more brightly colored blooms. Dig up canna bulbs in fall before the first hard frost of the year, but after the foliage has begun to yellow. Cut back the foliage to within 3 to 4 inches of the ground using sharp, clean shears. Dig around the bulbs with a trowel to loosen the soil, taking care not to hit the bulb with the trowel. Slide the trowel under the bulb and lift it out of the ground. Spread the bulbs out in a warm, dry room for three to five days to dry. Brush off the excess soil from the bulbs once they are dry. Place one or two handfuls of slightly moist peat moss into a ...  more