Dear Carol:
A couple of years ago I planted a dozen Canna bulbs and they did quite well. However we did not like the place where they were so at the end of the season I cut them all down and moved them to a new spot. We still like the new spot. My question is -- should I cut down the old stalks to make room for new growth or will the old stalks bloom again?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Dennis
Stuart, Fl.

Dennis,
Cannas are wonderful flowers for our area and when located in areas of bright sun and plentiful moisture, they can be a spectacular addition to any garden/landscape. and your question about pruning for flowering is a complex one, me being a person who does not like to re-create the wheel, here is a quote from friends and colleagues, Drs. Benny Tjia & Bob Black in their Factsheet Cannas for the Florida Landscape found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG030

"To assure continuous bloom throughout the summer, remove the part of the stem that bore flowers after the flowers have withered. Usually a second flowering shoot, growing from the node just below the terminal flower, will be halfway in bloom already. Remove this shoot also when its blooms are withered. Another flowering shoot will soon develop on the node below the second shoot.

If the first and second shoots are not removed, all the nutrition will be used for the developing seed pods, and the flower cluster on the third node usually will remain dormant. If spent shoots are removed, the nutrition will be channeled to the young flower clusters on the third or fourth node to develop and bloom. If the removal of spent shoots is followed religiously, cannas will bloom profusely for a long period of time. Finally, when all flowering shoots finish blooming, remove the entire stem and leaves at or slightly above ground level, since no more flowers will grow from these stems. This will reduce the leafy appearance and will permit more light for other developing and flower-bearing stems on the same clump. In addition, this will reduce crowding and competition for nutrients."

Dennis, thank you for your question, Happy gardening,

Carol