When the frost-tinged air starts blowing in from the North, it’s time to start digging the glads, dahlias, tigridias, tuberoses, and other tender bulbs, corms, and roots that need to be stored inside over winter. Just where to store them is always a problem.
Most modern homes are not equipped with old-fashioned vegetable storage rooms, which would be ideal.
Perhaps, you can partition off a section of the basement, or you may have a separate room there that can be used. It should have at least one outside window or a ventilator.
Improving the Air Circulation
Circulation of the air can be improved by building a wooden flute to extend from near the top of the window to within 6″ inches of the floor.
Place a damper so it can be closed off in extremely cold weather, and arrange for the window to open and close as needed.
This way, the warm air will be drawn off near the ceiling, and the cool air will be drawn in from below.
The ceiling should be insulated both to keep the temperature down in the storage room and to keep the floor of the room above warm.
To keep the humidity up, place a slat floor on top of the concrete and fill it with sand. Then keep the sand moist.
Gladioli
Glads will withstand some cold. They will frequently come through the first frost or two without much injury and do a considerable amount of growing before the first hard freeze kills the foliage back.
For that reason, do not be too hasty about digging them. Just ensure they are out of the ground before real freezing weather arrives.
If at all possible, dig them when the soil is dry, particularly if you have had trouble with the leaf spot disease called botrytis.
Curing Corms
In addition, cure the corms as rapidly as possible after they have been dug.
Place them in a heated room, or if you haven’t a convenient place in the house for this purpose, place them in the garage and use fans or infrared lamps over them. These lamps will dry them rapidly, thus reducing the possibility of disease infection.
They should be suspended 4’ to 5’ feet above the trays and burned continually until the corms are dry. Turn them over frequently and use shallow trays for curing and storing.
When the corms are reasonably dry, which usually means two to four weeks from digging, clean them thoroughly by removing the old roots and the old corm.
If you have only a few of each variety, a mesh bag or onion bag that can be hung in the storage room is probably best.
Storing Them
Store them in shallow trays with screen bottoms if you have larger quantities. These trays should not be over three or four inches deep and should be so built that they can be stacked with an air space between them to permit air circulation.
Some work has been done in recent years on pre-storage treatments to prevent the spread of disease.
Dr. Nagle of the Florida Experiment Station has recommended the use of combination dust consisting of 10 parts Dow 9-B, 10 parts Fermate or FerraDow, and 80 parts 5% DDT dust.
If you prefer a dip, he suggests ni pounds of Dow 9-B, 2 pounds of Fermate or FerraDow, to 50 gallons of water. DDT should also be used to kill thrips that may be brought in on the corms.
A temperature of 35° to 40° degrees Fahrenheit is recommended during the storage period.
Dahlias
Dahlias are a little more tender than glads and should be dug after the first frost. Select a sunny day so that the clumps will dry thoroughly after digging.
A spading fork is the preferred tool, for with it, the roots can be loosened carefully without injury.
The old recommendation to place the clumps upside down after digging is still good, for it allows the excess moisture to drain out of the stems.
If, after digging, the weather is clear and warm, they can be allowed to remain out of doors for a few days to dry, but if there is any danger of frost or rain, better get them inside. The clumps are stored whole after shaking off the dirt.
Storing the Clumps
If you have an ideal root cellar, they can be stored on shelves, or if your storage facilities aren’t too good, pack them in crates or boxes in dry sand, peat, vermiculite, or even sawdust. The crowns or stems of the clump should be left exposed.
Less trouble will be experienced with rot if the stem end isn’t completely covered. A temperature of 40° to 45° degrees Fahrenheit is recommended, and a humidity of 35% to 50% is desirable.
If you have had trouble, try the paraffin wax treatment. After the clumps have been cleaned, place enough paraffin in a pail of hot water so that you have a coating one-half inch to an inch thick floating on top of the water when it is melted.
Maintain the water temperature just high enough to keep the paraffin melted; then dip the roots in and out quickly so that a thin coat will be deposited on them. Just be careful not to get the paraffin too hot, and don’t get the wax near a flame.
Examining the roots at least two or three times during the Winter is essential to ensure they have not started to decay, wither, or dry up. If decay has set in, cut out the rotted spots and dust the remaining portions with sulfur.
Tigridias and Montbretias
Tigridias should also be dug before frost, for they are tender. Store them in dry sand at 40° to 45° degrees Fahrenheit. They should not be divided until spring.
Montbretias should be taken up before frost and stored at the same temperature. Storing them in the sand is unnecessary as you do the tigridias.
Tuberoses
Tuberoses are not sufficiently hardy to come through the Winter in the northern states. Dig and place them in storage before freezing weather.
Many growers store them in dry peat; some bring them through satisfactorily in open trays, providing the right storage conditions.
A temperature of 40° to 45° degrees Fahrenheit and a high relative humidity are essential.
44659 by Prof. Paul R. Krone