How to Care for Variegated Canna

Purchase canna plants or rhizomes. Canna plants will bloom earlier, but rhizomes are generally a more affordable option.

Select a sunny site that is sheltered from strong winds. Cannas thrive in full sun -- you'll get the best display of both flowers and foliage in a sunny location. Cannas can be massed together, planted individually, or arranged in small groupings at the back of a border. Dwarf cannas work well in containers. Remember that typical canna species can grow 8 feet high, however, and choose a location accordingly.

Use your garden fork or spade to loosen the soil in your garden bed to a depth of 12 to 14 inches.

Add 2 to 4 inches of well-composted organic matter, and mix it into the soil. This is especially important in new garden beds. Cannas enjoy fertile, moist soil.

Dig a hole deep enough that you'll be able to cover the rhizome with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Place the rhizome horizontally in the hole with the "eyes" up. The space between rhizomes varies depending on the species, but it's generally 1 to 3 feet.

Apply mulch to the bed to help control weeds and maintain the soil's moisture. Stake cannas if necessary.

Water the cannas if the soil dries out. Generally, plants in the ground need at least 1 inch of water per week and plants in containers may need to be watered daily. Cannas do not tolerate drought very well. Remove spent flowers and pull any weeds that happen to sprout in your flower beds.

Fertilize every four weeks with a fertilizer containing 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate, and 5 percent potassium. This formulation is also known as a 5-10-5 fertilizer.

Monitor cannas for signs of pests and diseases. Control canna leaf rollers by cutting off and destroying affected leaves, or apply a commercial insecticide. Slugs and snails can be controlled by using snail bait and removing debris around the base of the plant. Canna rust is a fungal disease that sometimes affects the plants in environments with high humidity. Remove and discard the affected leaves. Don't let these problems discourage you from planting these impressive plants -- most of the time, cannas need very little maintenance.

Cut the foliage back to about 6 inches high after the first frost. Use a garden fork or spade to lift the rhizomes from the ground, and bring them inside to store over the winter. Store the rhizomes in a plastic-lined box filled with perlite or peat moss. Re-plant in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.