Preserving Bulbs and Tuberous-rooted Plants 



II 



IN our rigorous climate so little labor is 

 required to house and winter any 

 bulbs and tubers that need such care 

 that it may be summed up in one line . 

 "When the tops are killed with frost, 

 dig and store in a dry frost-proof cel- 

 lar." The advice given to winter suc- 

 cessfully bulbs and tubers, may be ap- 

 plied also to our other garden favorites 

 as Caladium esculentum, fuchsias, yuc- 

 cas, agapanthus, oleanders and water 

 lilies. 



As most residences are heated with 

 furnaces or hot water there is little dan- 

 ger from frost. Where the cellars are 

 so heated, the only danger would be 

 from over-dryness. It would be safer 

 to store all bulbs and tubers in boxes 

 filled with sand or sawdust or else dig 

 the roots up, leaving all the soil on them, 

 and place in boxes, looking them over 

 occasionally in winter and watering 

 when too dust dry. 



The four extremes to be avoided are 

 too hot, too cold, too wet, and too dry. 

 If a proper medium is observed in these 

 extremes very little art is required to 

 winter anything. 



GLADIOLI 



The first bulb to speak about is the 

 gladiolus. The bulbs or corms of this 

 plant are easily preserved during winter. 

 After the first frosts in October, they 

 may be dug any time during the month, 

 cutting the stalks off close to the bulb, 

 and storing them on shelves or trays in 

 any cool cellar or convenient place that 

 is free from frost. This truth holds good 

 for all the bulbs and tubers, — be sure 

 and keep free from frost. 



Having gathered your stock and piled 

 them loosely in trays to a depth of four 

 or five inches, no more, they may remain 

 there until such a time as will be con- 

 venient to clean and sort them ; that is, 

 to remove the cormels or small bulblets 

 and the old bulbs, sorting the young 

 strong bulbs back into the trays, pro- 

 perly labelled, so as to have them ready 

 for .spring planting. It is recommended 

 to keep the small bulblets dry for the 

 year without planting as it is stated they 

 will do better than if you plant them. 

 Where there are only a few bulbs, many 

 gardeners just cut the .stalks about six 

 inches long, and tie them into a bunch, 

 and hang them up on nails in the potting 

 shed like onions. 



DAHLIAS 



Where the gardeners have a green- 

 house, the usual place for .storing dahlias 

 is under the benches. After the frost has 

 cut the foliage down, cut the stalks off 

 within six or eight inches of the crown 

 of the tubers and dig them. I usually 

 leave them on the top of the ground, just 

 as they are dug and, if the weather is 



J. McPherson Ross, Toronto 



not too severe, leave them out for a day 

 or two to harden and dry, then remove 

 them into the cellar or greenhouse. The 

 best stock advice to amateurs about 

 keeping dahlia tubers is, "Wherever po- 

 tatoes will keep safely so will the 

 dahlia." The proper temperature is 

 about fifty degrees. Any warmer than 

 this is apt to start growth, although a 

 little of this will not matter. 



If you have many, you may store them 

 in heaps of two or three deep with the 

 soil all shaken off. Keep them dry and 

 not too damp. If you have only a few 

 tubers, a good plan is to pack them 

 in sand and towards spring overhaul and 

 divide them into suitable sizes for plant- 

 ing. 



OANNAS 



The next important summer flowering 

 plant is the canna. This plant being a 

 native of India, is a tropical plant and re- 

 quires more care than the 

 gladioli or dahlia and, if 

 kept at a lower temperature 

 than forty or fifty degrees, 

 they are apt to rot, particu- 

 larly if too damp. If kept 

 too warm they are apt to 

 grow like the dahlia, al- 

 though a little growth will 

 not hurt them ; still they are 

 better dormant. They 



should be stored in the 

 warmest corner of the cel- 

 lar, out of draught, leaving 

 the soil on the clumps as 

 they come in, or they may 

 be kept covered witb saw- 

 dust in boxes a couple of 

 feet from the ground, as 

 the dampness and coolness 

 of the soil is apt to rot 

 them. 



It is a good practice after the frost 

 has cut down the foliage to leave them 

 for a week in the ground to ripen the 

 tubers. Some of the more valued sorts 

 should be potted and kept in the semi- 

 growing state all winter. You can hard- 

 ly keep them too warm and there is no 

 difficulty in keeping them safe under dry 

 benches in the ordinary greenhouse. 



Towards March they may be divided 

 and potted or placed on benches to start 

 into growth to have them fairly well ad- 

 vanced for outdoor planting about June 

 I St. Some of the growers have conven- 

 ient bins for them under the benches, 

 shaking all the soil off and piling them 

 two or three feet deep. An occasional 

 turning over arrests the growth and 

 keeps you in touch with the condition 

 of the plants. 



TUBEROUS BEGONIAS 



Tuberous begonias are coming into 

 such general cultivation and are such 



219 



showy free flowering plants that I ex- 

 pect to see a more general and increas- 

 ing use made of them in our flower gar- 

 dens. Although commonly supposed to 

 flourish only in partially shaded spots, I 

 have seen some fine beds of them fully 

 exposed to the sun. They thrive finely 

 and give great satisfaction when they 

 have light, rich, spongy soil and are 

 kept well watered. 



When frost comes remove them into 

 boxes and let the soil and tubers dry to- 

 gether. Keep them at a temperature of 

 fifty degrees and pot early in spring 

 for planting outdoors. I have planted 

 the tubers right out in the garden but 

 this throws them a little too late. The 

 flowering season is altogether too short 

 as it is. 



There are a few more plants that 1 

 might mention, both bulbous and herb- 

 aceous, but such advice as given for 



A Prince Edward U\u)i Garden and Orchard 



At home of Mr. J. ¥,. Lapthorn, Char:ottetown. 



to the 

 of the 



cannas and dahlias will apply 

 rest. Lilies and all members 

 lily tribe in the borders should receive 

 a bountiful mulch of leaves or long man- 

 ure to preserve them from too severe 

 freezings. Keep the bed well rounded 

 up to insure free drainage. You cannot 

 have the flower border too dry in winter. 

 When manure, leaves or other litter 

 cannot be had conveniently, a top-dress 

 ing of soil three inches deep dug from 

 the side of the bed and spread evenly 

 over the tops of plants is beneficial. It 

 prevents upheaval in stiff soils from frost 

 and does good all around. 



Send for bulb catalogues of seeds- 

 men and get the best varieties for plant- 

 ing both outside and in the house. 



When sending photographs that you 

 want returned, write on the back of them 

 to that effect. They will be well cared 

 for, and returned as soon as used. 



