Evening star., 1943-11-07
Digging and Storing the Bulbs
By ". II. Youneman,

~AsN'A'
Now that cool weather and frosts
have put stop to the growth of
tender flowers the average gardener
is tackling what to him seems one
of the most irksome of garden
chores. The digging and storing of
the bulbs in the hope that next
spring they will be in good condi-
ton and provide satisfactory flowers
for another season is in full swing.
The digging of such bulbs as
"glads" and dahlias is a simple
enough chore, but to carry them
over winter in good condition in
the modern, warm, dry basement is
something else. More bulbs are lost
during winter storage than from
most other causes. They dry rot.
To keep them cool enough and
moist without encouraging damp rot
Is something of problem.
In the days before furnaces the
basement cellar them was cool and
comparatively moist. Potatoes, ap-
Piles and bulbs kept very we'll under
such conditions. Today, unless we
have gone to the trouble to provide
a root cellar, we must make some
provision for our tubers, cormS and
bulbs If they are to survive.
One method is to dig a pit in the
back yard or garden. This is con-
structed in much the same manner
as a potato pit. The bulbs are
packed in peat moss or old sawdust
and then covered with layers of
leaves and soil until they are ade-
quately protected from freezing.
The chief objection to this method
Is that the soil warns up early in
the spring, before we are ready to
plant the bulbs. Unless dug early
and kept more or less dormant they
will sprout badly in such a pit.
Another problem with the pit is to
avoid water seeping into it and
causing the bulbs to rot. If we dig
bitches around the mound to carry
the water away there is little danger
of such loss.
A second method, that of inclos-
Ing a corner of the basement SO
that the temperatures may be kept
low without chilling the rest of the
house. is reasonably satisfactory, al
though it involves more work and
some expense. However, thick in
sulation material may be obtained
at most building supply houses. A
sheet of this on each side of the
framework inclosing the storage
room and on the ceiling joistS to
keep the floor above from being
chilled is usually sufficient to keep
the cool air in the room. Two
panes of glass should be removed
from the window The upper one is
covered by a piece of stovepipe Or
some other conduit which should
end near the inside of the room
and close to the ceiling. This con-
duit is to carry away the warm air
A similar conduit from the lower
window opening is the inlet for the
cold air and should end near the
floor. Some damper or other device
to regulate the flow of air is needed
Even in such storage room it
is desirable to store dahlias and
cannaS in peat moss or Sifted ashes.
There they may be inspected at in
tervals to determine whether or not
the tubers and rhizomes are still
plump and solid. Whenever they
show signs of drying out the pack
Ing material should be moistened.
Another method for small quanti-
ties of bulbs and tubers is to store
them in tight container, packing
in peat lloss or some similar mate
rial. The container should be tightly
closed to prevent the loss of mois-
ture. Place the container in the
coolest part Of the basement or in
the garage if there is no danger of
freezing.
Still another method that has re-
ceived considerable publicity of re-
cent years is the dipping of dahlia
and Gamma roots in paraffin. Such a
coating tends to seal the moisture in
and prevent dry rot and desiccation.