How to overwinter tender bulbs

Storing gladioli corms in peat moss.
Photo by Eric Fletcher.

By Katharine Fletcher

Dig, dry and preserve delicate summer specimens for next year

Before the snow flies—and certainly before the ground is likely to freeze—dig up tender summer bulbs which otherwise will perish if left in the ground over the winter.

What is a tender bulb?

Summertime bulbs, tubers and corms, such as canna lilies, gladiolus, begonias, caladiums and freesia, will not successfully overwinter in our gardens throughout most of Canada’s hardiness zones. (Hardy bulbs you can leave in the ground or plant now include crocus, tulips, daffodils and scilla.)

But, when do you dig them up? And, how do you ensure bulbs don’t rot or freeze when stored indoors?

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Read the full story on the Canadian Gardening website.