Storing Summer Bloomers
Good day!
No rainfall has been recorded since last Tuesday. Temperatures were above normal for the past week.
Soybean harvest is in full swing.
Many gardeners don't plant summer blooming bulbs and rhizomes (underground stem) because of the challenges and the work associated with digging and storing them for the winter. However, it can be done relatively easy by following some simple tips.
After a killing frost, which surprisingly has not occurred yet, it's time to start digging and storing bulbs, rhizomes, corms, and tubers such as dahlia, tuberous begonia, calla lily, cannas, and any other summer flowering bulbs. These bulbs (term used loosely as there are other terms that are more precise) are tender and usually won't make it through the winter. Most tender summer bulbs won't make it, therefore, you have to dig up the bulbs and bring them in.
Dahlias are actually tubers, not bulbs. Tubers are thickened parts of an underground stem or root. Dig the tubers after a frost has killed the foliage. Place tubers in sawdust or peat in a box. Store the box in a room that remains around 60F. Calla lilies are rhizomes and are stored in sawdust or peat moss just like dahlias.
For tuberous begonias, remove the stems after the frost has killed the foliage. Let the tubers dry for a week. Place single layers on a table in order for them to dry and to prevent disease. Clean the tubers and then store in a box of peat moss or sawdust in a room around 50F. Don't allow tubers to freeze. Tuberous begonias can be divided by separating the tuberous roots. Keep at least one shoot bud per root.
Cannas are probably the easiest to store for the winter. Cut off the dead foliage and dig the rhizomes out of the soil. Rhizomes are a horizontal stem that grows shoots and roots. Wash the soil off the rhizomes and allow drying. You can place the cannas in a box or crate and store in a room at around 45 - 50F. Again, don't allow them to freeze. Propagate cannas by separating the rhizomes, leaving at least one "eye" or bud on the rhizome.
Gladioli are corms; corms are swollen underground stems. Dig the corms out of the soil now and remove the soil and any old sub-corms. The sub-corm is the original plant; the new corms or cormels are around the side of the original plant. Air-dry the corms and store in a mesh bag at around 35 to 40F. The cormels can be planted in the spring and will take around 2 years to bloom since they are young plants.
Caladiums are tubers and should be dug now as well. Wipe off the soil and store in peat moss at 65 to 70F. These do not tolerate colder temperatures.
The key to success is to make sure the bulbs are dry when placing them in their storage container and if you are putting them in peat moss or sawdust, make sure you layer them so that the bulbs themselves are not touching.
Having to dig them up and store them is probably the main reason that people don't partake of these fantastic flowering plants. It is sort of a pain but you can enjoy the beauty as well as propagate these plants for many years. In the spring, don't get too anxious to plant them. They don't tolerate cold damp spring soils and will definitely rot. If you want to get a jump on spring, start planting them in pots in the house in April. This way, you will have blooms earlier in the season. Plant them in the ground around late May.
