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Storing
tender bulbs for winter
In our cold
climate some of our summer flowering bulbs need to be dug up from the ground and
brought inside to an area that doesn’t freeze, if this is done these flowers
can be enjoyed year after year. Some plants that will need to be brought
in are cannas, tuberous begonias, dahlias, gladiolus, and calla lilies.
Here is how to take care of them so that they will grow for you next summer.
Tuberous begonias
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Begonias
need to be dug up when the foliage is starting to brown or after a light
frost; the stems should be cut back close to the tuber. They should
then be allowed to dry out inside until the stems are dry, these can then be
pulled off and the excess soil brushed off of the tuber. These can then
be placed in a box or a bag with some peat moss, and stored at about 45°-55°
F.
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Gladiolus
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These plants
should be dug up in late September; they need to be removed before a hard
freeze. The stems can be cut back to about 1” above the corm, they then
should be stored in a dry area for 2-3 weeks. As the corm dries the
root cap becomes dry and can be removed. These can be stored in a mesh
bag at 40°-50°F.
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Canna
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After frost
has damaged these plants they can be cut back to 2-3”, then wash them
gently with a hose to remove the excess soil. They should be allowed to
dry in a shady area for 2-3 days then they can be stored for the winter at
40-50° F.
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Dahlia
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Dahlia
plants shouldn’t be dug up until a hard frost has completely killed the
foliage, the dead foliage can be cut off at ground level, then place them in
a paper lined cardboard box with peat moss at 50° for the winter.
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Calla
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These should
be treated like the tuberous begonias, they can be stored in peat moss for
the winter.
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Once a month
you should check all of your stored plants to see if any are starting to rot. If
there is any damaged material it should be thrown away. The callas and
begonias can be started in pots in a sunny window in late February or early
March. The other plants are generally placed outside once the temperatures
warm up
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