Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411110022
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To prepare caladiums for storage, start reducing the water to the plants when the leaves begin to droop in the fall. Gradually reduce the water until the leaves are dry and easily removed. Dig the tubers before the first frost, and discard the smaller tubers. Spread the large vigorous tubers in a shallow tray or flat, and store in a dry, warm place where the temperature stays at about 70 degrees F. If grown in a container, they can be stored in a dry, warm place after the plants are fully dormant without removing them from the pot.
Tuberous begonias also need to be stored before the first frost. Gradually reduce the water supply when the foliage begins to turn yellow in the fall. After the foliage dies completely, stop watering altogether. Gently remove the main stem. Do not try to force it to detach from the tuber. If removal is difficult, leave it a few more days.
When the tuber is completely dry and dormant, dig it carefully to avoid injury. Most growers recommend removing container-grown tubers from the soil. Dry the tubers thoroughly before storage by spreading them out in flats and placing them in the sun or in a dry, well-ventilated site. After about two weeks, all excess moisture will have evaporated from the tubers. Store in a single layer in trays in a cool, dry place where the temperature will remain around 45 to 50 degrees F. Either leave the tubers uncovered or sift dry sand or peat moss between them and very thinly over them.
Dahlias are extremely sensitive to cold and the tops will be frozen and blackened by the first hard frost. After this happens, cut the stalk to within six inches of the ground and allow the plants to remain for a week to 10 days to cure and become dormant. Dig the tuberous roots with a garden fork to ease removal of the soil. Allow the roots to sit in the sunlight for several hours to dry. Some gardeners recommend that they be turned upside down during this drying period to drain moisture from the stalk. Store dry at between 40 and 45 degrees F. A covering of dry vermiculite or peat moss will prevent the loss of additional moisture and damage to the roots from excess drying.
Common gladiolus can be left in the ground over winter, but benefit from several inches of organic mulch to protect them and prevent freezing and thawing which can heave them from the ground. If the corms are particularly valuable, prepare them for winter storage by cutting the leaf stalks to about two inches above the ground as soon as the foliage turns yellow. Lift the corms with a spading fork, being careful not to lose the small cormlets. Cure by spreading the corms in a flat and placing in an airy shed for several weeks.
After they are dry, remove the roots and the remains of the old corms from the previous season's planting. Separate the new corms and the small cormlets, and spread on a shallow tray. Store between 40 and 45 degrees F with a relative humidity of 80 percent. A cool, well-ventilated cellar is ideal. In the spring, the cormlets can be planted in the vegetable garden to develop in size for one or two years until they are large enough to bloom
Cannas are native to tropical America and are not reliably hardy in the colder areas of the state. If you do not wish to take a chance on the plants' surviving in the garden, storage is not too demanding. After frost blackens the foliage, remove it to within six inches of the ground. Dig up the plants, and allow to dry with some soil adhering to the rhizomes. Store upside down in a cool, frost-free location. Next spring, divide before replanting.
Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension agent for agriculture in the Montgomery County Extension Office in Christiansburg. If you have questions, call him at 382-5790.
by CNB