Storing tubers

17 years ago

Just how dry do they have to be before going into storage?

I have some dahlia tubers and elephant ear bulbs I'm going to loosely pack in a carboard box with cedar pet bedding and put in the crawl space (coolest place I have - don't have a basement, and they'll freeze in the garage).

Anyway, I just got around to digging them up yesterday and they're still pretty damp. I have them drying out on a mesh table. How long should I wait - until they are 100% dry or just until they're dry enough so that the bulk of the dirt that's still attached falls off - ? .

Any other storage tips?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
They don't really need to be very dry at all. When I've dug dahlia tubers to divide and store, I've simply washed off the soil and packed them up. Sometimes I used sawdust, other times just wrapped in newspaper. One of the things that you want to avoid when storing over winter is dessication or drying - by wrapping or packing them when they are freshly dug and still damp from hosing off, you avoid this. The storage material will help to hold in any necessary moisture. Just don't have them dripping! :-)
webkat5
17 years ago
The frost didn't get the EE's did it? A hard frost can kill an EE bulb that has foliage.

They should be stored in newspaper and not allowed to freeze.
Related Discussions
Dig up and store Tuberous Begonias?
Q
Comments (3)
So they must have a natural period of dormancy they require. I'm hoping we may have another month before first frost, but there are always surprises. There's no sign of slowdown, they're blooming heavily. Some got a late start (they were started outside and it was just too cold). The pre-made hanging basket one is a knockout. I've GOT to keep that one alive for next summer! The leaves and flowers do look tuberous-type, though leaf form is larger and a little different from the ones I bought bagged as dormant tubers.
...See More
How to keep/store tuberous begonias
Q
Comments (6)
Linnea, Next fall, let your begonia be touched by frost. Much like dahlia, the frost will kill the foliage. That's your cue to bring them in --- to a garage or other place, where they have the stalks removed, flowers go too, and let them dry for a couple days before they go into storage. Just like geraniums, they can be stored where it is cool, dark, and dry. There left to spend the winter. No sprinkling, no water of any kind, no light which can initiate growth, no heat...just cool, in the range of 38 - 50ÂºF.... AT this time you might make note of the color of the flower on each bulb so that next spring, you can plant accoridng to that wish. If the bulb doesn't have a particular look showing which side is up, put them on a shelf designating which end had the roots. Most times though you can feel the concave end---that's the top. Old roots too can give it away. Now I believe the frost treatment allows the bulb to send its starches and sugars back down into the bulb....much like why we let the tulips wilt on the vine, to do the same. The next spring, the bulb has all the energy that wasn't destroyed by removing the foliage too soon. If the begonia goes inside to enjoy the bloom for as long as it will, then do much the same, remove the foliage, let it dry, then store it where cool. As far as why the foliage wilted, the distinct temperature change from out of doors to indoors, is probably what caused it. Keep cutting back the water and let the bulb use less and let it go dry.
...See More
20% survival rate on my stored tubers...sigh.
Q
Comments (12)
Dahlias are showing up Linnea, they are about 4 inches tall right now, you donÂ´t have to worry about moisture where I live ( central Mexico ) itÂ´s hot and dry and "winter" is just a word, we donÂ´t really know what that word means. From the gardening point of view we only have two "seasons", dry ( Oct -> Feb ) and rainy ( March -> Oct ), or letÂ´s say, from the outdoor activity point of view we do have 4 seasons: pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn and hunting. Kidding aside, I personally donÂ´t like the saran wrap method, JanÂ´s method is what I use when I lift to divide the clumps ( every 4-5 years, it takes a 5 gal bucket just to hold the clump ) and they do fine, the wood shavings used for hamster cages is usually cedar. Yes, you close the container with a lid, just be shure to ocassionally take a peep at the tuber to see how they are doing and to feel if thereÂ´s no moisture forming inside the container. Divide when you see the sprouts, then allow a the tuber to heal for about a week or week and a half. Do not wash the tuber after lifting, just allow the soil to dry out and crumb appart on itÂ´s own. The enemies of dahlia tubers in storage are: 1.- Moisture ( fungi ) 2.- Low temperatures ( keep above 45Â° ) 3.- Dryness ( shriveling )
...See More
Query regarding storing tubers
Q
Comments (6)
im my zone tubers survive in the soil, but large parts of it rott. I had left three dull cultivars in the ground as a way of culling, and 2 sprouted the flowing season. When I prepared the bed and removed those bulbs, the clumps where mushy-messy-rotted and only a smallish part was growing. ---- I think that in an average modern building air humidity and temperature are the problem or the key. The air is too dry to keep tubers all winter without covering stuff. I store my tubers in a cellar/basement that get`s somewhat heated just by pipes and stuff. I keep them in plastic boxes covered in something like turface (but no dusty particles) basically little bits of backed clay. So it is soil-less, well airated and the bits retain enough moisture to keep the bulbs from dehydrating. I check them regularly, like every second week and add some water, very carefully. Sometimes the dry old stems get / show mildew, then it was too much water. As we have wireworms (which eat their way into Dahlia and potatoe tubers and others) in the garden (larvaes of a black beatle), I really prefer to wash my tubers in order to get rid of all those critters. ----- and about mature or hardened tubers. This year I dug up my first batch of tubers while it was still warm (in order to stagger the work). Some of those got really squishy and soft after a few days. The last batch got some days of frost (because I couldn`t work fast enough). After washing them I just let them dry in the basement, not covered yet. And those are still nice and firm after a week. So, some aspects to consider, bye, Lin
...See More
goodhors
17 years ago
I put mine into a large plastic flower pot with sawdust. Just layer them in, with sawdust to keep them seperated, prevent tangling the tubers. Being damp is fine, keeps them from drying too much.

I don't think I would use Cedar bedding, it has oil on it. I know it is a bad bedding choice for several small animals. They will react to the oil on skin and feet, ingest it when they lick themselves clean, actually get sick and die sometimes.

There is pine bedding, probably would work just fine. I try to put some water on the sawdust every month or so, to keep things from drying out. Not soaked, just dampen the sawdust up a bit. Mothballs on top will repel mice or bugs from burrowing in or chewing on the roots. Mice do dumb things, so I try to avoid problems. Little to no light helps keep them dormant. I usually am storing Dahlias, Calla Lilies, never tried the EE.
vtandrea
17 years ago
I save the heavy plastic bags that fertilizer, mulch, or potting soil comes in and put some peat moss and occasionally styrofoam beans in the bottom. Then I put in the bulbs or tubers and shake the bag to distribute the storage medium. We have an area underneath our basement steps where my husband created a sort of root cellar with a door. It stays cool and dry. I agree with not being too concerned about the tubers being totally dry and dirt free.
nancyd
17 years ago
Check the Dahlia forum. You'll find as many ways to store tubers as there are dahlia growers. I never store mine wet because I've had fungus problems in the past. Once I wash the dirt off them, I let them dry 24 hours on an old window screen in my garage, similar to what you're doing. That allows a "skin" to form on the tuber and they're ready for storage. (Be sure to attach a label to them.)

The best temps are between 38-50 degrees. If you can find a spot like that, you're golden. I'm not sure about using cedar pet bedding - you'll have to ask them about that. I douse mine with fungal powder then store them in bags with vermiculite and put them all in a cardboard box in my unheated sunroom. Be sure to check on them every month to make sure they're not drying out. Spray mist them with water occasionally if they do.

Storing tubers

Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

webkat5

Related Discussions

goodhors

vtandrea

nancyd

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US