Winter Storage of Summer Bulbs

As cooler temperatures are in the forecast it’s time to start thinking about storing those beautiful summer blooming bulbs such as calla lilies, dahlias, cannas, caladiums, gladiolus and others. These beautiful flowers will unfortunately not survive our Kansas winters and need to be stored indoors to be replanted next spring. Actually, the storage organ of the above plants is not a true bulb. Canna and calla lilies are rhizomes while caladium and tuberous begonias are tubers, gladiolus is a corm, and dahlias are a tuberous rooted plant. With the exception of tuberous begonias, the bulbs can be dug after the first frost has killed the foliage above the ground. Tuberous begonias should be dug before the first frost.

Once the bulbs have been dug allow them to dry for a week in a shady, well ventilated area. Freezing temperatures should be avoided. Remove any excess soil and pack them in peat moss, vermiculite, shredded newspaper or perlite. Make sure the bulbs don't touch so that if one decays, the rot doesn't spread. Dusting them with fungicide before storage will help prevent them from rotting. Place the bulbs in a cool dry area with temperatures between 45-50 degrees except caladiums which should be stored between 50- and 60-degrees F. The hardest part of storing bulbs might be finding a good place to keep them cool. Some people place them against a basement wall farthest from the furnace and insulate them so the wall keeps them cool.

Have questions? Contact our office where our Horticulture Extension Agent will assist you with questions.

Phone: (316) 321-9660

Email: callae@ksu.edu