Dahlias, begonias and other summer-flowering bulb-like plants are as common in our gardens as tulips, daffodils and crocuses are in the spring. But unlike their hardy cousins, these tender plants that grow from corms, rhizomes and tubers hail from warmer parts of the globe — Mexico, South and Central America, Asia and South Africa — and can’t withstand our deep-freeze … [Read more...] about 4 steps to overwinter tender plants
tubers
How to divide and store dahlia tubers
Colourful dahlias, native to Mexico, make a superb cut flower. They thrive in hot, sunny weather and rich, fertile soil, but they won’t survive freezing temperatures. This means you’ll need to store dahlia tubers over winter if you wish to plant them again next year. But before learning how to divide and store dahlias, first decide if it’s worth the effort. Unless your … [Read more...] about How to divide and store dahlia tubers
How to store tuberous begonias for the winter
It seems a shame, but tuberous begonias are often flowering at their best in late summer, just when it’s time to bring them indoors. Like most bulbs, tuberous begonias need a period of dormancy – several months where it’s dry, dark and cool. My bulbs spend the winter in a dark corner of our basement. I discovered my storage trick by trial and error over the many, many … [Read more...] about How to store tuberous begonias for the winter
Growing tuberous begonias
If you’ve been to a garden centre this past week to look at the packaged summer bulbs, you might have noticed a small open bin of begonia tubers. The tubers are sensitive to humidity and they’re packed in an open mixture of peat and straw to prevent them from developing mildew fungus. These lumpy, brown potato-like forms will grow to produce large double blooms on upright or … [Read more...] about Growing tuberous begonias
