The Begonia and Canna can be stored anywhere cool (5C-10C is ideal), dry and dark. Wrap them in newspaper or store in dry peat. They will be OK indoors in the warm but may shrivel as they dry up or might start to grow.

The Peony needs to be kept cool. If it doesn't get a sufficient amount of chilling over the winter it won't flower next spring. Same rules, cool, dry, and dark. They are very hardy and the best place for them really is the garden. Pick a spell of not-too-cold weather and plant just below the surface. If it turns very cold within a couple of weeks you can protect them but they will be fine after that. If you decide to mulch them for prtection, make sure you remove it in the spring so the eyes are not too deep.

DOH! it's not a peony it's a dahlia - any advice?

Be wary of allowing tubers of any kind to overwinter too dry. A dehydrated tuber may wither and die before being boxed or potted up again in late winter to bring into growth.

Resting Begonias

I think it might be a bit warm under the stairs. I think it needs to be slightly damp and cool, rather than warm and dry. Mine are in the shed, in boxes with sacks, bubble wrap, newspaper etc piled on top. I think this will be OK unless the temp goes below -5ish, and penetrates into the shed. If it's a weedy-looking tuber it could easily shrivel and you will lose it, the big, fat ones seem to cope better. I store them with the soil ball still round the tuber. In my experience dahlias and cannas are fairly tough, don't know about begonias, haven't grown them for many years.

Maybe Middlesex is different, but up here it is never too dry unless you pack everything in silica gel :) Anything deliberately made damp tends to rot.

Dahlias packed just like the others.

Actually up here I have been overwintering Cannas and Begonias (no Dahlias in my garden at the mo') in the ground in recent years. The Cannas do just fine (although they really want more heat and sun in the summer), but I tend to lose some Begonias unless they are close to the house for that extra degree or two of warmth. You probably won't manage that anywhere fasr from the west coast, but who knows?

OK thanks all!

I'm getting there - always something new to learn!

How to store a canna.{{gwi:2117330}}

I pride myself on being both an opportunist and an innovator amoungst other vices, and noticed that the better class greengrocers now buy their broccoli and such in polystyrene boxes packed with ice. These make super storage containers for various rootstocks.

This is the first year I have used these and i am checking the contents periodically, but they do seem to work. I've had most of my canna, ginger, mirabilis and the like stacked outside throughout the worst of the recent cold snap without any problem.

It is important to keep these roots cool but frost-free. If the rhizomes freeze they become compost, if kept warm they will either dessicate, rot or grow. Whilst you may think it is good for them to grow, if they are not given growing conditions they will spoil or lose vitality.

Growing conditions are compost, warmth, light and space. ie a greenhouse or conservatory you do not have to reverse out of when retiring.

If these purpose-built canna boxes are not available, sheds, garages and suchlike are preferable to houses. Houses always present problems with plant storage.


{{gwi:2117331}}{{gwi:2117332}}
{{gwi:2117333}}
{{gwi:2117334}}

Nice website Moriati. My priorities are a little different from your's though. I work on the compost heap first, then head out to the rest of the garden to collect more "fuel" like leaves and perennial stems :)

Fab idea about the boxes, Moriati- did they just give them to you? I don't think I've ever noticed them before, but I'll certainly keep a look out now.

These boxes are a recent improvement in the greengrocery trade and they are just thrown out once emptied. The only problem is that they are used mostly in hot weather and there may not be many being delivered this time of year. You have to ask.