Find a spot to tuck away cannas, dahlias, begonias

Looks like we are going to end the gardening season in grand style this year. Three nights of 15-degree temperatures made sure of that. It is time to dig the cannas, dahlias and begonias.

While the tops will be killed by the cold, the ground should have been warm enough to protect the bulbs. After the frost, cannas and dahlias need a few more days in the ground to harden their skins and absorb moisture. Cut back the stalks to 6 inches. Gently and carefully dig around the clumps to loosen them. Lift out the cluster of dahlia tubers intact. Canna tubers tend to break, but try to lift them as large pieces. Keep any tags with the tubers.

Wash most of the dirt off the tubers (except begonias) and place them in an airy, sunny spot for a few hours to dry completely. Once they are dry, write the variety name on the tuber with a felt marker.

Cannas

Remove old and or damaged tubers from canna clumps, keeping the solid, cream-colored ones. Large clusters can be broken apart into more manageable pieces. Pack the tubers in dry peat moss in boxes or a garbage can and cover. Place them in a 40- to 50-degree dry space. Check periodically through the winter for rot.

Dahlias

Once dahlia clumps are dry, cut them apart with a sharp knife, keeping a pink growing eye with each piece. Write the variety name on each new piece. Dust the pieces with a fungicide to guard against mold and rot. Wrap pieces of each variety loosely in plastic wrap so they don’t touch and pack loosely in flat boxes or foam coolers. This keeps them from drying out. Store them at 40 to 45 degrees in a basement or insulated garage. Check the tuber periodically for rot. If they appear shriveled, mist them lightly and adjust the plastic covering.

Begonias

Once begonias are dug, cut the foliage back to 5 inches and place them in a dry indoor place to cure for a week so the tuber can absorb nutrients from the leaves. Once the stems are dry and loose, remove the remaining stems and roots, but do not wash them. Store the tubers in a mesh bag in peat moss or vermiculite in a dark place at 40 to 50 degrees. Check them for dryness and rot periodically.

Finding the right cool place to store bulbs can be a challenge. Some basements may have an unheated room cool enough. An insulated but unheated attic or three-season porch may also work. The inside wall of a garage may work unless we get a stretch of really cold weather. If so, bring them into the house until it warms up. I have even heard of people using insulated window wells and crawl spaces to store their tubers. The trick seems to be to check them often and change their storage situation as needed.