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Food Saver System for storing Dahlias

9 years ago

Has anyone ever tried this? I only have a few and decided to try it this year. For anyone who doesn't know what this is it sucks the air out of a bag so you can store food for longer amounts of time. I wrap my dahlias in plastic wrap anyway and thought this might work well. It'll either be monumental or epic fail !!! I did also post on the dahlia forum but this gets more activity.

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Comments (7)

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
9 years ago
I would not think this is a good idea since the Dahlia roots are still living, unlike the food you are preserving and so I assume are doing at least a bit of respiration. However, I am not sure of this, so what would happen if you did some this way and others your usual way so that you would have some survive regardless.
linaria_gw
9 years ago
Are the bags sealed or just closed?

I guess it depends all on temperature and humidity.

This season I store my Dahlias in zip lock plastik bags, with wood shavings, for the first time. My (coolest) storage room is somewhat heated and so last season the main problem was with tubers getting too dry.

I read up all kind of descriptions and for the bag storing method it was recommended to check monthly on your tubers.

If yours were too damp when getting sealed they will probably rot, otherwise it could work.
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Please make sure you post how it works, would be very interested to know
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bitbit 5a
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the replys. I've been storing my dahlias wrapped tightly in saran wrap in a 40 to 45 degree basement. They do fine. Last year workman moved them and I never found them so I'm starting from scratch. This system does suck the air out and seal the bag although you can stop it at any point. I may redo them and leave a little more air in there. My basement is quite damp. I think when I stored them they weren't damp.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
i like to say .. roots need air.. as much as water ...

i predict abject failure in hermetically sealed packages ...

i doubt your prior system was such ...

if you are starting from scratch.. i dont know why you didnt divide your stock.. and do half each way ... why invest all in one or the other ...

i dont know if you can divide them.. this time of year ...

ken
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
.... that one of the definitions of an anaerobic decomposition .. is the absence of all air ... [usually by means of too much water] .... leading to the decay

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
mnwsgal
9 years ago
Perhaps you could cut holes in some of the bags and leave others completely sealed to see which works better. As I recall when I buy bagged bulbs/tubers they have holes in the thin bag and some kind if shavings.

One would think that wrapping in plastic wrap would have the same effect as withdrawing the air from the bag. Sounds logical, but I wouldn't chance having all my tubers rot.
bitbit 5a
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks everybody. Actually I got the idea of wrapping in saran wrap right here on the Garden Web and it works great...they look like the day you wrapped them up. It's impossible to wrap them as tightly as the food saver would. I think I'll leave just one that way and redo the others in saran wrap. I had a feeling it would be a little too extreme.

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