WINTER STORAGE OF TENDER BULBS
WINTER STORAGE OF TENDER BULBS
In storing tender bulbs through the winter, it is important to keep several things in mind. Store only disease-free, healthy, sound bulbs. Many gardeners use small trays and cover the bottoms with screen for storing small bulbs, corms, and tubers.
Perforated plastic bags might possibly be used to store bulbs that have a tendency to shrivel. The relative humidity in the storage area should be about 50%. Check all bulbs MONTHLY for dehydration, excess moisture, diseases, and sprouting.
TABLE OF BULB EXAMPLES SPECIES | PREPARATION |STORAGE| REMARKS | | TEMP | ========================================================== |Dig tubers after | |Leave soil attached Caladium |the leaves turn |50-60 F| to tubers. -------- |yellow. | | __________|___________________|_______|___________________ |Cut off stems at | | |ground level after | |Store with soil |the first light |40-45 F|attached. Cover |frost. Dig rhizome| |rhizomes with a pack- Canna |clumps and let dry | |ing material (peat ----- |upside down for a | |moss, vermiculite |few hours. Place in| |sand, sawdust) to |an airy room for a | |prevent drying out |few days to dry, by| |if storage area is |don't let rhizomes | |dry. Occasionally |shrivel. | |sprinkle the packing | | |material with water | | |if the rhizomes | | |shrivel. __________|___________________|_______|__________________ |Cut stems off at | |Store in a not too Dahlia |ground level a few |40-45 F|dry area or cover ------ |days after frost. | |with a slightly |carefully dig tuber| |moistened packing |and dry upside down| |material. Keep |for a few hours. | |tubers sufficiently | | |moist so they don't | | |shrivel. Don't | | |divide until spring. __________|___________________|_______|_____________________ | | | |Dig after the tops | |Store in a well |dry, but before a | |ventilated area. Gladiolus |hard freeze. Cut |35-45 F|Dust the corms before --------- |stems to within | |storage with an all- |1/2 inch of the top| |purpose garden dust |of the old corm. | |to protect from |shake off loose | |insects and diseases. |soil and dry the | |Cormels should be |corms in the sun | |separate and stored |for a few hours. | |under the same |separate corms soon| |conditions as corms, |after digging. | |but they will tend to |place in an | |dry out quickly and |airy location for | |shrivel if the air is |2-3 weeks. Remove | |drier than |the old corm from | |recommended (50% |the base. Husks do| |relative humidity). |not need to be | |Plant cormels |removed from corms.| |outdoors in late | | |spring. Small | | |cormels may take 2-3 | | |years to develop into | | |flowering-size corms. __________|__ ________________|_______|_____________________ | | | Hymeno- | | | ----- |Dig tubers after | |Leave soil attached | | |to tubers. callis |the leaves turn |55-60 F| Keep storage ------ |yellow. | |area dry. Jasmine, | | | Spider | | | Lily, | | | Peruvian | | | Daffodil)| | | __________|___________________|_______|____________________ | | | |Dig tubers after | |Store in a dry |the leaves turn |45-60|location |yellow or right | |in a slightly Tuberous |after the first | |moistened begonia |frost. Leave soil | |packing material. |and tops on and | | |spread out do dry | | |in a warm, dark | | |room. After 1-2 | | |weeks, break off | | |the tops and shake | | |off the soil. | | | | | | | | | | |
REFERENCE: Lee Taylor, Hortopics.
