Canna's getting bigger, diseased?

16 years ago

Howdy...

The canna's I posted about a while ago now have their 4th or 5th leaves just beginning to form. Here are photos of the leaves from the 4 potted plants. The newer leaves all look better than the 1st, but they are not compelely free of spots and stripes. Even the new leaves that are not uncurled still have markings on them. I am thinking this is not good. :c(

This one is by far the worst looking plant, but some of the damage might be due to cool nights, not frost though. Bottom leaves are wrinkled, edges are brown, and spots and stripes. Not many leaves out on this one actually:

This one is the biggest. The fully open leaf did not have those dots when it first came out. I was hopeful when it opened as it only had one stripe on it. If you look carefully on the uncurling leaf, hard to see in photo, it has stripes on it at the edge:

Closeup of another plant and you can see it has the dots. This is the 3 or 4th leaf:

A few more shots:

Should I be concerned now? If so, should I chuck them and should I chuck the soil and pot too?

Thanks! I don't have good feelings about these plants. :c(

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

green_thumb_guy
16 years ago
Hmmmmm,

it's not looking good to me now.

I'm wondering if the exposure to the cold nights was enough to trigger the virus.

Here's a website that might help
http://cannanews.blogspot.com/2008/01/thoughts-on-virus-from-hart-canna.html
eigdeh
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Green thumb guy,

I am thinking it is time to chuck them. :c( I was really looking forward to having them too, but after this experience I think I am not going to try to replace them.

I brought the plants in each night if it got cold out. One night I returned home late and it was already down to the mid 40's, but I got them in. I can't see how the temperature would cause the virus, unless temps down to 50 could cause the plant to mimick the sypmtoms.

Ken. :C(
Related Professionals
Lima Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Las Vegas Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · El Paso Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Medford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Champaign Landscape Contractors · Lewiston Landscape Contractors · Willmar Landscape Contractors · Montréal Landscape Contractors · Sanford Landscape Contractors · Lafayette General Contractors · Frisco General Contractors · Waterbury General Contractors · Bennington General Contractors · Sheboygan General Contractors · Amherstburg General Contractors
green_thumb_guy
16 years ago
Perhaps I didn't say it correctly, but I was wondering if the stress of the cooler temps would allow for the activation of the virus and the signs to show. Sort of like a cold sore.

I would chuck it now.

I gave up buying bulk tubers this year. Many growers are accepting of the virus do not want to throw a way sick stock.

I have 2 varieties to rely on now.

:(
eigdeh
Original Author
16 years ago
When to a local nursery on Friday and I got excited when I saw a bunch of Canna's in the distance. When I got up to them they all looked as bad as mine. They has about 40 there too! I guess I will not be buying and Canna's from anywhere. I am thinking that sooner or later, even if I get a good bunch, some insect will infect them. :c(
green_thumb_guy
16 years ago
I didn't buy any either. Just sticking to my no id and Rainbow -Tropicanna
abutilon
16 years ago
Eigdeh,
I hate to see you give up on cannas.
Firstly, not all cannas are virused.
And secondly, if you treat them early with a long term systemic (I use easy-to-use Bayer tree and shrub liquid), your cannas will stay gorgeous all season long.
firebird1
16 years ago
I am so distressed to hear the news of canna virus. I have a large area just for cannas, and it looks as if they are all infected. Cannas are such beautiful plants for a large area, both for foliage and for the blooms. What a disaster! I don't know what else I can use that will be as satisfactory for that area.

Once cannas were the poor man's landscape pride. Do you think the new strains are one reason for the virus?
abutilon
16 years ago
Reading this whole thread over again now, it sounds I recommended Bayer's for virus. The recommendation was for bugs, but systemic will not help with virus.
There are clean cannas. I keep hearing there are no cannas not diseased, but that is not true.
green_thumb_guy
16 years ago
I hope to find some clean , nice cannas north of the border. So far, no luck, except for 2 small dwarf cannas but I did not find them appealing.
tropicalzone7
16 years ago
I have some green colored cannas and dark colored cannas in a big pot with each other. The green ones all look infected but the dark ones look healthy. If I dig up the green ones now do you think my dark colored cannas will be safe from the virus or do you think its too late.

Good luck!
mori1
16 years ago
Actually, Lowe's has some healthy cannas and I was surprise. I thought I might have some infected ones but it turned out that the potting soil I started was bad didn't drain right. Once I stuck them outside and cut them, the new leaves were normal.