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question on when to wrap
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Posted by linda0210 5(MA) (My Page) on Mon, Nov 2, 09 at 7:03
| We have had a few frosts over the past 3 weeks, enough to knock back half of the dahlia foliage and definately inhibit any more flowers. During this very unseasonablely nice Saturday, I dug out most of my dahlias, even with green foliage, cut the stems and set out to dry.
I wrapped in plastic bags last year with great success, so am going to do it this year. But this morning, when i set up to start wrapping, I had to recut some stems a little shorter, which were still green at the cut site.
My question - is the letting dry for a day or two for the tubers or for the stem too, and should I wait another day or two until the new cut stem is dry too before I wrap up?
Thanks
Linda |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: question on when to wrap
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| I will add to that also being in MA. My tubers are still airing out. Has anyone ever used a cooler like you take camping? I would line it with the newspaper and pupt the tubers in plastic bags with peat but than close the cooler up? I am light on cardboard boxes. |
RE: question on when to wrap
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| Linda, I've read to cut away as much of the green moist stem as possible before storage, then let that cut surface dry. you don't want the tubers to dry excessively, just so their skins are dry to touch and toughened up a bit. PD, I use styrofoam coolers every year, with tight-fitting lids. I don't know why a camping Coleman type cooler wouldn't work as long as you check the tubers periodically, as usual. Still waiting for a frost here, but the digging has begun. |
RE: question on when to wrap
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| thanks all, I ended up unbagging the ones that I had wrapped up and the inside of the bags were damp...ish. so I'll let them dry another day or two and then bag them...again. I didn't cut the tubers up last year before I put them away, just wrapped them loosly in plastic grocery bags and store them in plastic plant trays (looks like a lower rectangular milk crate) in a cool closet. I lost only 2 last year out of 80 so am going that route this year. |
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