Lifting Tender Summer "Bulbs" in the Fall
Suzanne Fellows
Freezing temperatures are just around the corner for some gardens. If you have flowering summer plants in your landscape and live in an area with very cold winters, continue reading. Some beautiful summer flowers/plants like dahlia, gladiolus, tuberous begonia, canna, calla lily, and Elephant Ear are actually either subtropical or tropical plants. Their bulbs, corms, rhizomes or tubers will not survive if your ground freezes and they should be lifted before that happens. These can be dug up after the plant is killed by frost or after the foliage has dried up. After curing, place in sphagnum peat or vermiculite and store in a cool (45–50°F), dry location over the winter. Monitor over the winter and remove any rotting pieces. You could also transfer to soil in a pot and move into a greenhouse or shed, but do not allow soil to freeze. Read more about lifting tender “bulbs” in our article.
