Hi, I dig mine up, shake off most of the dirt, throw them in an open paper bag and leave them in the garage all winter. they get enough air flow that way that they won't rot. Eventually I pull the tops off, but let them dry really well first. I think the little bulbs will eventually grow in to big flowers, but it takes several years and I haven't had much luck with them.

Priorities: first, dry, then dark, then not too warm. Freezing shouldn't be a big problem. I've stored many leftover batches in an unheated room off my garage without problems. The germination rate will decline some just because of time, but, it should still be useable next year if stored well.

Thank you both for the ideas. In prior years, I have tried paper pouches but there was still the problem with the paper getting moist during winter storage. Most years I have put all my crosses in individual small plastic ziplock bags. This is a good way to keep them in order and they stay mold free for most of the winter. You are right, you have to be very agressive in culling any soft or moldy seeds quickly before the mold has a chance to spread. My best year for germination was when I put the sees in plastic bags and added captan with a cuetip so only a small amount was in the bag. This did work to keep the mold down and my germiation was over 80%. Last year for the first time I placed all my seeds in plastic bags and put them in air tight jars. I had 5 large jars filled with crosses. I had very little or no mold while the seeds were in the jars. After planting most of them I left a few bags of good seeds off to the side at room temperature. I was amazed to see that within a week the bags left out had mold developing in them. The germination of the planted ones has been approximately 60%. I can't tell whether that is from keeping them air tight all winter or some other cause. But it did solve the problem with the mold. I think this year I will go back to putting a little captan in each bag. I believe the captan kills the mold on the seeds in the first couple of weeks in the bag and prevents problems later on. I thought there might be some strict protocol to insure viability and cleaness but I guess there are some things you just have to deal with. Thanks again, Mike

Sure thing intoorganics. I was up ice fishing 3/27 and 3/28 on well over 24" of solid clear ice. Snow in the woods was ample enough so that the snowmobile trails heading into the lakes were not too rough. I did see some signs of spring: I had a seagull land on the ice by me for a handout of minnows; heard the first ruffed grouse of the year drumming yesterday so close that I could see and hear him from inside our cabin with the kitchen window open; there were bugs flying in the woods in the afternoons; and, I had three swans come through along an open river nearby. How is spring progressing in your area of Zone 3? Here in the suburbs of Mpls my day lilies, garlic, rhubarb, strawberries and chives are showing up through the leaf mulch. I will be planting my onion bulbs, and sowing a 4 X 8' bed with a mix of lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, arugula, and radishes this weekend. Potatoes will have to wait until early to mid May. When we lived in Zone 3 I typically planted my potatoes the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We had mostly red clay so I worked to improve it yearly by adding loads of well composed horse manure. By the time we sold that home the garden was very good, however, due to the night temperatures and short season I couldn't grow tomatoes, peppers or sweet corn. The last time I tried tomatoes it got down to 28f the morning of June 21st.