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Many of the flower bulbs that we plant are winter-hardy, like daffodils, tulips, and crocus. Usually, we plant our bulbs in the fall for spring blooms. But many of the really fun flower bulb plants are tropicals or they have very tender bulbs that would be ruined if we left them to face winter without any protection. Tender bulbs and tropicals like caladiums, amaryllis, and velthemia must be grown in pots in cooler zones--in the warmer zones, they are over-wintered inside. Most people won't be storing Amaryllis bulbs or planting Amaryllis bulbs outside because they look so nice inside during the holidays, but you could, if you wanted. Most tropical bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, and corms must be taken out of the ground and kept in a cool dry place until it is safe to plant them again.
4 Easy Steps to Beautiful, Healthy Bulbs
Over-wintering is super-easy, and it will save you lot of money. You could just leave those rare and expensive bulbs in the ground and hope they come back next year. But it would be a lot safer to dig them up and keep them out of harm's way. Tropical bulbs like caladiums and amaryllis and tender dahlia tubers, begonias, and callas all need to be taken up in the fall. Be very careful not to damage the plants--it's best to dig them up by hand. Do this just after the first frost, or just before if severe weather is expected. Once you have your plants out of the ground:
- Lay plants out in an airy place to dry out a little for about a week.
- Cut off tops (the parts of the plant that would normally be above the ground) and clean off excess soil.
- Store in clearly-labeled mesh bags, crate or boxes. Plastic bags trap moisture and moisture leads to rotting.
- Keep in a cool dry place, away from frost and heat. If possible pack in slightly moist peat. Check monthly--they should never dry to the point of shriveling.
Most bulbs, corms and tubers like dahlias, cannas, and gladiolus can be kept at relatively low temperatures, between35 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Tender tropical bulbs like begonias should be kept around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. And the extreme tropicals like caladiums should be kept at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
"When do I plant flower bulbs after storing them for Winter?"
Most bulbs can be planted again as soon as the ground warms up. Check with your supplier for variety-specific planting times. Mail-order flower bulbs will come with an information sheet providing all of the important planting information. For instance, many bulbs, corms, and tubers can go in the ground towards mid-spring, but caladiums don't need to be planted until mid to late April in most hardiness zones.
Storing bulbs is really no work at all--they will keep for a very long time. Three years ago, I gave a family member some calla lily tubers for Christmas, and they sat on her counter next to the microwave until I finally coaxed her into planting them this past spring. They grew just fine. I'm not sure what effect the radiation from the microwave may have had on them, but they haven't attacked the dog yet, so I think we're safe.
Thomas Andrews is a garden writer for the Park Seed Company and the Park Seed Garden Journal. One of America's largest direct-marketing horticulture companies, Park Seed has maintained its dedication to the American family garden for 140 years. Park Seed is proud to bring gardeners thousands of high-quality seed, plant, bulb, and garden supply choices, including a variety of vegetable seeds.
