Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: thestens on November 01, 2012, 13:41
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I was given some Gladdies in mid-summer and just popped them in a pot. They grew and flowered ( a bit). My question is should I take the pots into a greenhouse( I have 2 one heated the other cold) or lift the corms and store as recommended. I have searched the forum but not got a conclusive answer.
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Hey,
You should really lift and store them, especially as they're in pots.
It is possible to leave them in the ground year after year. But you increase the risk of the bulb dying to rot. More importantly the cormlets fight the main bulb for nutrients, so they all throw up loads of greenery but struggle to flower.
If you need advice on lifting and storing just give me a PM. I've just finished cleaning mine up for the year and they're in storage now till summer.
- Gary.
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If you need advice on lifting and storing just give me a PM. I've just finished cleaning mine up for the year and they're in storage now till summer.
- Gary.
Or, even better, post a request for the advice so that the reply can be put on here for all to see ;) :)
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If you need advice on lifting and storing just give me a PM. I've just finished cleaning mine up for the year and they're in storage now till summer.
- Gary.
Or, even better, post a request for the advice so that the reply can be put on here for all to see ;) :)
Yes please,
I will be lifting mine this week so would like to know if you store dry or like dahlias. Also can I grow on the little cormlets that are attached to the main ones?
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Sorry for the slow reply guys!
The key is to store them dry and clean.
My 'comprehensive' method has a few more steps than normal, but works well.
1. Lift the bulbs with all greenery attacked.
2. Wash them gently by dunking in a bucket of water a few times.
3. Dry them out either in a greenhouse or by hanging in a shed.
4. When completely dry peel the dead bulb below off and ALL the skin (this feels strange, and I was apprehensive when I first did it. But it allows you to see any rotten bulbs to throw out and means there's nowhere for mould or fungus to hide).
5. Wrap individually in news paper and store somewhere cool and dry till spring.
- Gary.
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I dug up the last of my glads today from the plot.
I cut off the greenery at about two inches, remove as much mud (and I mean mud as the soil is so wet) as possible without dislodging any of the mini corms that have formed, and then consign them to brown paper carrier bags for the winter. These stay in our frost free garage.
Giving them a squeeze helps weed out anything likely to rot
Next spring the big corms are planted out in flowering positions, while the tiny ones are grown on in a row or two on the plot - the following year they are dug up and stored, then year 3 they tend to be big enough to flower