Loosen bulbs with a digging fork or spade and lift bulbs by the 
foliage. Cut tops off close to bulbs; remove any adhering soil after 
bulbs have been exposed for a short time and place the bulbs and 
bulblets in wooden trays or clean paper bags, marking each container 
with name of variety. When tops have dried, rake up and burn. 
11. Curing and Cleaning Bulbs — Remove the bulbs to a warm, 
dry place as soon as they are dug. If you use paper bags, open bags to 
allow bulbs to dry. If necessary protect against frost. 
After a period of from three to five weeks, depending 
f\ on temperature of storage room, bulbs will be ready to 
a} be cleaned. When properly dried, the old bulb is 
easily broken away from base of new bulb, leaving a 
clean scar. Leave husks on bulbs as protection during 
storage. If you wish to save bulblets, separate them 
from old bulb roots and soil, and place them in sepa- 
rate, labeled, paper bags. Place cleaned bulbs in original trays or 
bags, and allow them to remain in a warm room three or four weeks 
longer, in order that they be thoroughly cured; then place in winter 
storage. Ideal storage is dry and maintained at temperature between 
35 and 45 degrees. Any thrips remaining on bulbs will not survive 
storage at these low temperatures. If your storage 
room is warm, it may be desirable to treat your cured 
bulbs with naphthalene flakes to destroy thrips. 
These insects will multiply rapidly on bulbs in warm 
storage, and may cause serious injury to bulbs before 
spring. Don’t allow your bulbs to remain in contact 
with naphthalene fumes longer than three weeks, in a 
fairly warm room, after which bulbs must be carefully 
cleaned to remove all traces of naphthalene; don’t allow naphthalene 
flakes to touch bulbs. New roots starting will be seriously damaged by 
naphthalene remaining until spring. After any dusting treatment in 
warm temperature 65°—75°, bulbs should be returned to low temper- 
ature storage. Bulb trays should be checked from time to time during 
storage; any bulbs showing any sign of disease should 
be destroyed. 
Dusting with D.D.T.— Gladiolus thrips on bulbs 
in storage have been controlled (eliminated) by using 
D.D.T. at rate of 1 oz. for each bushel (40 lbs.) of dry 
corms. Powder containing D.D.T. 1%-10% scattered 
on the corms when thoroughly dry will eliminate 
thrips and D.D.T. will not injure bulbs or blooms. 
Treated corms need not be disturbed until planting as D.D.T. ex- 
posure has not had adverse effect on keeping quality or germination. 
Sufficient D.D.T. dust should be used to coat the dry corms. 


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