Problems storing bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, etc.

sunsetsammy

17 years ago

Hello again,

I really have no clue about the correct terminology.

I'm trying to store some of my tropicalesque plants for the winter. Musa Basjoo, Cannas, Elephant ears, etc.

I live in the Pacific Northwest. Vancouver Island.

I've dug the plants up or removed them from their pots after the first light frost.

I cleaned and trimmed the roots and let them all dry out. Many have been packed in paper bags, cardboard boxes. Some packed in peat moss.

I'm having a problem with mold. Most of the plants are beginning to show signs of mold forming.

I thought I was storing these plants in a dark, cool, dry place but it seems that just keeping them out of the rain isn't good enough. There is too much moisture in the air.

My storage shed is definitely cool but it just isn't dry enough. The air is very damp these days.

Any ideas on how I can save these plants?

I've thought about leaving a light on in the shed to help keep it dry may help but the shed is quite small and I fear even a single light bulb might warm the shed too much.

What is more important when storing these plants?

Cool? Dry? Dark?

Thanks.

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Comments (3)

rusty_blackhaw
17 years ago
You should be able to overwinter some or all of these plants in the ground. Musa basjoo is hardy easily to zone 6 with mulch. Cannas and some elephant ears can handle zone 7 winters.

Indoors, mold forming on stored tubers suggests the storage medium is too damp. As long as tubers (i.e. those of cannas) are covered with dry peat moss, the ambient humidity shouldn't be a significant problem.
sunsetsammy
Original Author
17 years ago
Hello Eric,

Thanks for the response. This is quite a slow moving forum.

I'm not really sure what my Zone is? A search on different internet weather sites shows it to be anywhere from 6-8. I've also had other people tell me similar numbers.

Normally I don't think the cold around my area is a problem. Our winters are normally quite mild. The problem is the extreme wetness. The area has some heavy rainfall in the winter. My yard becomes a sponge. The dampness permeates everything. The plants I have packed in dry peat moss still seem to be forming mold under the peat. Its possible the bulbs never dried out enough due to the constant dampness.

I've heard rolling the bulbs in corn meal helps take the mold off.

I've left a few of my tropicalesque plants outside this winter as an experiment. Right now though we are having one of the worst snow storms and coldest temperatures we've seen since 1985. I'm not expecting many of these plants to make it.

Thanks for the time.
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sandy0225
17 years ago
I would think that the dark wouldn't be all that important. The dampness of the shed is probably the problem. Spray or dust them with a good fungicide that you can get at a local garden center or big box store -like daconil or there are some specific types of bulb dust you can buy with fungicide like bonide, if you go to a good garden center, ask them.
I'd do it right away though. It's easier to keep the fungus off a bulb than to cure it once it starts. Physan 20 is another one you can mix up and dip the bulbs in, and then air dry them again in a warm place. Maybe you should store them in a different place next time. Like in the house where it's dryer.
Sandy