Digging Up the Bulbs and Tubers

By Jos Van Hage

The time to do this is in mid September or after the first killing frost. They need to be dug up cleaned and stored indoors and then re-planted next spring.

Gladiolus corms are dug up once the plant has been touched by the first killing frost as they can not take below freezing temperatures.   With a spade or fork carefully dig up the corms and gently shake off the excess soil from the corms. Next with a knife or scissors cut the stems back to within an inch from the corm. Air dry the corm for a few hours by letting them lay in the sun and then put them in a cool, frost free area for a few  weeks. By this time the corms should be dry enough to easily rub the old corm away from the new corm and also rubbing off the stem and other remaining soil. Throw out the old corm as this is no longer used but save

the new corm. To store the new corm, sprinkle it with bulb dust and then put it in a labelled, container such as a paper or burlap bag and store it in a well ventilated area where temperatures are 5-10 Celsius. Replant  next spring as you did before.

Tuberous begonias are lifted once they have been touched by the first fall frost. You can tell if they have been affected by a frost because the frost blackens the foliage. After this happens cut back the foliage to within 6 inches from the soil level and then dig out the tuber gently shaking off any excess soil. Air dry the tuber by leaving it in the sun for a few hours and then place it in a cool location for a few weeks until the stems are dry and fall off. Once the stems fall off gently brush off any remaining soil and sprinkle the tuber with bulb dust and put it in vermiculite or dry sand and store it in a frost free, dry, dark area where temperatures are 10-15 Celsius. Replant in February/March as you did the year before. You will find that on tuberous begonias the tuber will get larger each year and so in turn will give you a larger plant with a bigger show!

Dahlias are another tuber that get larger as the seasons pass. They can either be left as one large tuber or divided in the spring after they have been stored. After the first fall, killing frost, cut the foliage back to 6 inches and then carefully dig up the tuber. Gently shake off the excess  soil and then hang the tuber upside down so that the tuber is up and the remaining stems are down. After 2 weeks take the tuber and stem should be dry, so then sprinkle the tuber with bulb dust and place it in a dry sand or peat moss and store it in a cool, dry, frost free place till next spring which is when you re-plant it again.

When you store bulbs it is a good idea to label all the bulbs with variety name, color, size etc. so that next spring you will know what you are planting.

    -Jos

Jos Van Hage owns  and operates two Art Knapp Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road
• Highway 16  West at Kimball Road

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