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Digging and Storing Bulbs, Tubers, and Corms Through the Winter
by Laetitia Won
After the first frost, cut off the brown foliage and dig up your bulbs, labeling each one if you’re growing different varieties and want to keep track. Let them dry for a few days, and carefully brush off most of the dirt. Corms such as Calla Lily, Freesia and Gladiolus need to dry for a few weeks. Look up the adequate timing for your specific variety.
Dahlias offer a choice: store them whole, or divide them. If you divide them, make sure that each tuber has an eye on it (where the sprouts will grow) or it will not be viable. Also make sure that your shears or knife are disinfected between plants.
Then store the bulbs in peat moss, sand, or vermiculite, at 40-50 ℉ and 80-90% humidity in a plastic, wood, or paper container, with newspaper or straw between the layers so that the bulbs don’t touch. Check every few weeks for rot or excessive dryness and adjust the conditions accordingly. Rotted bulbs should be discarded, but dry shriveled bulbs could come back to life in the Spring. Nature always surprises!
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