Winter Storage Of Summer Blooming Bulbs
 (Read 100+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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The growing season is swiftly coming to a close but to keep us from total despair Mother Nature puts on a beautiful final show. We see the bright greens turning steadily to brilliant shades of yellow, orange and scarlet. Nice of her. Alas, it doesn’t keep us from crying when Jack Frost strikes down the last of the tomatoes still clinging to the vine. But there’s too much to do just yet. So wipe those tears and grab the shovel and digging fork. It’s time to dig up those summer blooming bulbs.
What! You let them die every year? Are you insane or just got more money than you know what to do with? You can safely store them over winter so they can be replanted in spring. Didn’t you know that? Well, now that you do, I’ll have to tell you how to do this properly or the whole thing will be for naught.
First, you may want to know exactly which bulbs need to be dug up. We are not talking about spring blooming bulbs like the Crocus, Tulip and Daffodil. Those once planted pretty much take care of themselves. Summer blooming bulbs are a different story. These include Fancy leaf Caladium, Dahlia, Calla Lily, Begonia and Elephant Ear Caladium all of which originate from southern climates. When planted in their native land they all prefer to bloom in winter but as gardeners like to push the envelope, we remove these beauties from their favorite place and plant them in our northern gardens. They then become known as summer blooming bulbs.
The only problem is they won’t make it through our harsh winters even with huge amounts of mulch to protect them. Thus, if we want the summer blooming bulb we must be willing to do a bit extra to ensure we can have them for future seasons. We will dig them up and store them. The following is step by step instructions for proper winter storage of summer blooming bulbs.
As these bulbs are rather tender (most are only hardy to 20 degrees F when in the ground) they will need to be kept away from freezing temperatures. On the other hand, they shouldn’t be kept in too warm a place as warm temperatures will prompt them to sprout prematurely. Therefore, they are best kept in a garage, basement or attic at a temperature slightly above freezing. 40-45 degrees F is ideal.
Some gardeners simply place their summer blooming bulbs in paper bags or cardboard boxes and stuff them onto a shelf in the tool shed but they may find come spring, much to their dismay, that field mice or other rodents may have had themselves a bit of a feast over winter. That is precisely why it is best to use sturdy, plastic containers with snap on lids. These are virtually impenetrable from the rodent prospective and very safe from fluctuating temperatures when adequately insulated.
For the insulation peat moss is recommended above all for keeping the bulbs dry and safe from rotting. Some folks use shredded paper or packing peanuts but these are not very good to prevent rotting as they don’t absorb moisture. Dry sand, sawdust, perlite and vermiculite are also good for storing bulbs.
You should wait for the foliage to yellow or the first frost to hit before digging up the summer blooming bulb. Cut off the foliage leaving a few inches of stalk. Dig out the clumps well away from the stalk to prevent cutting into the tubers. Remember that bulbs tend to expand with a good growing season providing you with more to share with your garden friends. The digging fork works best for this digging purpose. Shake loose as much soil as possible then allow the clumps to dry in the sun for several hours.
If wishing to save on storage space dividing the very large clumps is advisable before storing. Dividing can be done in the spring if preferred but the eyes or growth buds are more easily discerned when freshly dug up. To divide, carefully remove any remaining soil then make certain each tuber has a growth bud or eye and cut with a sharp knife leaving an inch of stalk attached to each division.
Place a 2 inch layer of whichever packing medium you wish to use at the bottom of the storage tub, layer the tubers and bulbs within not touching. To minimize the possibility of all the bulbs rotting if one were to do so, leave adequate room between them for more packing medium. Add packing medium until full and snap on the lid.
Your summer blooming bulbs should be safe until the weather warms enough to start in a cold frame or in pots. Can’t wait until spring. How about you?
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 For more amazing garden facts, a glimpse at an unfinished novel and amusing short stories come visit me at http://www.helium.com/user/32782
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