Originally Published In The Deseret News -- Wednesday, October 20, 1993
Decisions May Be Tough, But Saving And Storing Flora Can Give Gardeners A Head Start On Spring.
Larry A. Sagers Is A Horticulturist With The Utah State University Extension Service.
The story is told of a traveler who approached a farmer on a cold winter day and asked for work in exchange for his keep. The farmers took the traveler to the cellar and informed him that his job was to sort produce into two categories, the good to save and the bad to discard. A short time later, the farmer was approached and told that the job was too hard.
"Too hard," cried the farmer, "I have given you a warm place away from the cold and all you do is put the good produce in one pile and the bad produce in the other." To which the traveler replied, "It's not the work it is the decisions that are so difficult."
Difficult decisions sometimes plague me as I decide what to save in the garden and what to get rid of. With winter approaching, many plants can be lifted and be preserved to grow the following year. Choose only healthy, pest-free specimens, as plants never improve with storage. Make firm decisions on which are good and which are bad, or you will end up with a lot of work and no good plants to show for that work next spring.
Among the most valuable to save are the summer bulbs. These are not really bulbs but tubers, corms and rhizomes. Cannas, with their extensive rhizomes, store well. Although cannas grow from seed, they are slow and are not necessarily true to variety. Select choice varieties, dig the clumps and allow them to dry out of the weather. Remove the soil and trim off the stalks, leaving the clumps of rhizomes that look like tiny domes from a Russian cathedral. Store these in containers to protect them from shriveling. I use large flower pots that I line with a plastic bag. I first put a layer of dry peat moss in the bottom and then place the canna roots on the peat. I sprinkle another layer of peat and another layer of roots and so on until the container is full. I roll the plastic bag loosely over the top and store them in a cool place until the following spring.
Unlike cannas, dahlias and begonias often require supplemental moisture. To keep those tubers from drying out, I place a small glass of water in the top to provide moisture and necessary humidity as it evaporates. Do not dump the water on the peat moss. The amount from the evaporation is all that is necessary to keep the tubers from drying. If conditions are too moist, open the plastic bag to allow the medium to dry out. Clumps can be separated now or in the spring. Label all varieties and colors, as it is impossible to distinguish them in storage.
Gladioluses are easily dug and stored. Dig them and let the stalks dry for several days. Remove the stalks before placing them in storage. If plants have had serious thrips problems, soak them in a spray solution of Lindane or Orthene for 20 to 30 minutes and let them dry well before placing them in storage. This kills the overwintering thrips that damage the blossoms each year. Store glads in cardboard boxes or in mesh onion sacks. They prefer cool, dry storage conditions that do not get below freezing.
Tender ornamental grasses such as purple fountain grass must also be lifted and brought inside. Dig the clumps, trim them back and put them in an area where you will be sure to neglect them. Their biggest problem is overwatering that induces root rot and kills the plants.
Save geraniums for replanting next spring. Carefully check the plants and if leaves or roots show any sign of disease or if the plants have not grown well, discard them. Lift choice plants, replant them in large pots, and grow them indoors in a sunny window. If that is not possible, put them in the basement to spend the winter. Although they will not grow with limited light, the fleshy stems will start to grow when given water, light and warmth in March. Alternatively, take cuttings from the stems and pot them in 4-inch pots. These can be grown through the winter and will be large enough to set out next spring.
Other plants that do well if brought indoors include impatiens and fibrous begonias. Both of these bloom well in a sunny windowsill and give color to long, dreary winter days. Never save diseased plants, as it is difficult and expensive to solve disease problems. Prior to moving plants indoors, control insect pests. Insects could be controlled by spraying the plants outdoors with malathion, diazinon or Orthene, or give the plants a shower or spray them with insecticidal soap. Thorough coverage is essential to prevent hitchhiking pests from infesting indoor plants.
As you contemplate which plants to save and which to discard, don't be like the traveler and become frustrated by the decisions. If you don't make decisions about which plants to save, Mother Nature will soon make that decision for you and you won't have a head start next year in your garden.
© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.