Many of our favourite plants are perennial in nature, but not hardy enough to survive our winters outdoors.
Some of these plants grow from tubers or corms that can be stored in their basic root form without any top growth. All that is required is a cool corner of the house or basement, or even a spot in the beer fridge. The storage temperature should be between four and ten degrees C.
Acidenthera and gladiolus corms can be dug up when nights get frosty. Allow the plants to dry indoors for a couple of weeks before removing the top growth and old corm.
When they are dry, the top growth can be cut off about an inch above the corm. The old corm is flat and shrivelled below the new corm that has grown above it. This old corm can be removed. Store the corms in a mesh or paper bag in a cool, dark place.
Canna and tuberous begonias should be dug up after the first frost has wilted the leaves. Allow to dry for a few days so that soil and foliage can be removed from the tuber. Store in vermiculite or peat moss in paper bags or boxes in a cool, dark place. What I have found to work best for my begonias is to keep some soil around the roots after they have dried and tops have been removed, and place them on some newspaper in a large bowl or a box for storage in my cold room.
Calla lily grown outdoors can be dug up after the first frost. Allow to dry on newspaper until tops, soil and roots can be removed easily. The tuber will resemble a potato with white skin.
Store in vermiculite in a cool dark place. Mine store well in vermiculite in veggie bags (those Ziploc bags that have all those tiny holes). Callas that have been grown in pots indoors or out can be left in the pot and stored in a cool, dark place.
Dahlias can be dug up after the first frost. Allow them to dry until soil can be removed and stems are dry. Cut off stems one or two inches from the tuber. Store in a cool, dark place in peat moss, vermiculite or wrapped in newspaper and placed in a box.
To help prevent rot, it is a good idea to dust any of the tubers with garden sulphur before storing. If humidity levels are low in the storage area, check the tubers stored in peat moss or vermiculite to make sure they are not too dry. A very light sprinkling of water should be all that is needed.
The next article will concentrate on houseplants.
Horticulturalist Mary Wright has lived in Denare Beach for over 20 years. She shares her passion for gardening with Flin Flon readers every second Wednesday in The Reminder.
