I store many pounds of bulbs every year and all I do is wash them off and put them in laundry baskets, put them in my root cellar & call it good. They do need air to circulate around them, which was probly the problem with the trash can.

I tried storing mine in a cold cellar which went to about 38 degrees F, and up to about 45 degrees F. I found that it was too cold, and I lost many of my tubers.

Last year, I stored them in my wine cellar, ranging from 45 - 50 degrees F, and every one of them survived. That's what I intend to do again this year.

I clean them, wrap them in newspaper, and store them in a large cardboard box ...or two... or three. I think that your problem was with the plastic pail which does not breath at all. I also found that peat moss sucks the moisture out of anything I put in it. Therefore I no longer use it for storing any bulbs, or tubers. In fact, I rarely have it around.

I store mine two ways, both with good luck. One way is in a black garbage with a bunch of small holes punched in it. The other is in large plastic boxes with the snap on lids. I put a little peatmoss on them and open them up to check them two or three times over the winter. I keep them in the basement where it stays in the upper 50's to mid 60's. Last winter, I stored over 500 rhizomes that way and only lost about a dozen.

I leave the dirt on mine. Most are in the pots. The ones not in pots go in garbage bags. Put them in the basement 45-50. Give them 1/2 cup of water once a month.

I try to give my bulbs the growing conditions of outdoors so they get soil, little moisture, cool temps and I have 100% survival.

Ditto on leaving the dirt on. Take a long time for the soil to dry out completely. By the spring, the soil comes off much easier than it does in the fall.
My basement does not get very cold but I had no trouble with that. I think the important thing is to keep them in the dark.

Never had cannas until this year. I need to relocate them to another space. It's about time to freeze, and I want them for next spring.

char_2007,
In your zone they should be fine even if you move them...I moved all of mine last fall. I'm zone 7b and just planted some from a swap yesterday in a new bed and I expect any day to have a freeze. Several of mine are blooming at this time.

Good luck,
Peggy