**FULL QUESTION**
Dear *Gardening Life*,
How do I take care of canna bulbs? Last year I tried storing them for the first time but it didn’t work and I had to purchase new ones. Please help.
*—Angele Albert*
**FULL ANSWER**
Angele,
In late fall, cut the dead leaves back to about four inches and, before the ground freezes, carefully dig up the rhizomes. Rinse off the soil and let the rhizomes dry at room temperature for a few days. Pack them in a cardboard box in sand, vermiculite or peat moss, in a single layer, not touching. Be sure to label the box or individual rhizomes (you can write the name on them with a marker). Store the box or boxes somewhere dry, dark and cool (ideally 7° to 13°C). Check on them occasionally. Remove any rhizomes that are going soft; this happens if they are too cold or wet. If they seem to be shrivelling, mist the packing lightly with water, but don’t overdo it. Keeping them at the right temperature is key. Hope this helps!
*—Karen York, Botanical Editor*
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