No Fear in the Dark – Overwintering Flower Bulbs

Many of our garden favorites aren't native to this country. The winter here is too cold for them. Therefore, you should overwinter flower bulbs in a sheltered space.

Of course, you can buy new flowers every year and always bring freshness to your garden. However, many garden enthusiasts prefer to use their flower bulbs multiple times. This is no problem, provided they survive the winter.

Flower bulbs of Amaryllis, dahlias, gladioli, and begonias are sensitive to ice and snow. The cold kills them, preventing them from sprouting again in the second year. That's a shame for such beautiful blossoms. Therefore, you should keep a close eye on your summer flowers. Only remove the foliage once it has completely withered. Feel free to leave it on until you take the flower bulbs out of the ground.

After the first few nights of frost, the plants are cut back and dug up. You can prepare the flower bulbs and tubers for this step early on. Reduce the amount of watering in late summer. Then, the plants will store more water in their underground tubers and stay healthy throughout the winter. This way, they retain the strength to sprout again the coming spring. If the bulbs aren't very watery and the storage location is particularly dry, it's a good idea to store the tubers in peat and occasionally add a little water.

The best approach is to wait for a dry period to dig up the flower bulbs. This makes it easier to loosen the soil with a shovel. At the same time, it's also wise to let the tubers and bulbs dry before storing them in the cellar. For begonias, for example, this can take up to 4 weeks. This prevents rot and mold from spreading in the winter storage. After digging them up, remove the leaves and shorten the stems. Clean the flower bulbs and tubers of any soil, and then spread them out loosely. They shouldn't dry out completely. While doing so, you can also check for diseases, soft spots, and rot. To be well-prepared for gardening next year, remember to label the bulbs and tubers. If you store them in a sorted manner, it will be easier for you to create a harmonious garden display next spring.

Before bringing the bulbs and tubers into their dark, cool, and dry winter quarter, inspect them carefully. Immediately sort out any diseased or moldy specimens; these would only infect other plants. You should also discard bulbs and tubers with rotted or dead parts. If they are particularly valuable specimens, you can try to cut out or remove the affected areas. Still, for safety, store these bulbs and tubers separately from the healthy ones. When checking for damage, you can also see if daughter bulbs or rhizomes have formed. Rhizomes, for example from coneflowers, dahlias, and ornamental grasses, can be divided. Daughter bulbs should be removed and stored individually or planted. The latter, however, will need quite a while before they are ready to bloom.