Don't limit yourself to spring bulbs: there's an entire group of bulbs and bulblike plants that bloom in summer, including gladiolas, dahlias and tuberous begonias. Most of these heat-loving plants must be lifted before winter arrives and stored in a cool, dry place until spring, when they can again be planted in the garden. Below are tips for proper storage. Gladiolas produce fabulous cut flowers (figure A). Once the foliage begins to yellow in the fall, dig and store the bulbs (more precisely, corms). - Dig deep underneath the bulbs.
- Cut off the roots with clippers, and snip off the foliage, leaving just a few inches.
- Bury the corms in clay pots filled with dry peat moss.
- Store in a cool, dry place, such as a basement or a garage, for the winter.
- Replant in spring after the soil warms.
Begonias may be tuberous or fibrous-rooted, and each kind needs a different form of winter treatment. If you dig up the plant and see no evidence of a tuber or bulb, you probably have a fibrous-rooted begonia (figure B). The best way to store these plants for winter is to dig them up, pot them and treat them as indoor plants. Keep them out of direct sun while indoors. Because they're frost-sensitive, don't plant them outside until after the danger of frost is past. When you dig up a tuberous begonia, you'll see that the foliage emerges from a large tuber. Once the foliage begins to yellow in the fall, dig up the plants, and lay them on their side for a few days--until the foliage comes away easily in your hand. Remove as much soil from the tubers as possible, and let them dry for several days. Dust them with sulfur powder, which helps prevent them from rotting. Store the prepared tubers in vermiculite or dry newspaper in a cool, dry area until planting time the following spring. Dahlias too can be grown season after season. After the foliage has been frosted in the fall and has begun looking ratty, dig up the plants. - Remove the foliage, but leave the roots attached to the tubers.
- Hang the tubers upside down in a dry, dark area so that moisture from the roots drains back into the tubers.
- After the tubers are dry (in about a week), dust them with sulfur powder to prevent rot and mildew.
- Wrap the tubers in damp newspaper, and store them in a box in your basement or garage.
Featured plants provided by Wolf River Valley Farms
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