Do Cannas Bloom All Season?

Sunlight Requirements

• Providing canna lilies with the appropriate sun exposure is essential to ensuring successful cultivation and blooming. Canna lilies need plenty of bright, direct sunlight to have the energy that they need to bloom repeatedly throughout the growing season. When planting canna lilies in your garden or home landscape, look for a site that gets full, direct sunlight for more than six hours each day. Canna lilies perform best in spots that receive their sunlight in the early morning and afternoon hours.

Irrigation Requirements

• Canna lilies thrive in moist, well-draining soil and require frequent irrigation to produce their showy blossoms. If you fail to provide your canna lilies with adequate irrigation, they may end their blooming cycle prematurely to conserve moisture for their roots. Irrigate canna lilies with up to 1 1/2 inches of water per week, spring through summer. For best results, water your cannas in the morning, while they're receiving their direct sunlight. Reduce the frequency or amount of irrigation during periods of heavy rainfall to prevent the soil from becoming soggy or flooded.

Fertilization Requirements

• Canna lilies are heavy bloomers that require frequent feedings to bloom profusely. Fertilize canna lilies with an application of water-soluble 5-10-5 fertilizer in the early spring to jump start their growth and encourage them to bloom. Apply subsequent fertilizer applications every three to four weeks to provide your canna lilies with the nutrients they need to bloom continuously. Withhold fertilization from canna lilies during the fall and winter months; resume monthly fertilization the following spring.

Pruning Requirements

• Deadheading is the secret weapon in great gardeners' arsenals. This simple, but invaluable, pruning technique keeps canna lilies looking great and blooming prolifically all season long. When the canna lily blossoms fade, cut them from the plant with sharp, sterile pruning shears. The simple act of removing the spent blossoms from the plant stimulates canna lilies to produce another round of beautiful blooms.