Many flower bulb varieties are hardy, but unfortunately not all of them. Those with an exotic origin cannot tolerate frost at all. But since they are perennial, they should not be sacrificed to the cold. Dig them up, overwinter them and enjoy their flowers again.
When and how should you dig up flower bulbs?
Flower bulbs should be dug up before the onset of winter to protect them from frost. Use special digging tools, a small shovel or digging fork, to carefully remove them from the soil. Shorten the stems to 10 cm, remove any remaining soil from the bulbs and let them dry for a few days before storing them separately by variety.
Need for winter storage
Summer bloomers would freeze to death outside in sub-zero temperatures. They must therefore overwinter in a frost-free room. But to do this, the tubers have to be dug up. These include the following popular flower bulb varieties:
- Royal Crowns
- Gladiolus
- Dahlias
- and lilies
Spring bloomers are hardy and can welcome the winter where they are. But they can also be dug up to overwinter. They are safe in a room, especially in rough areas. But there is also the risk that they will dry out or that fungi will spread.
When to dig up
Even summer bloomers survive the first short frosts. But that was it. They must be dug up before the onset of winter. Otherwise they will become mushy and rotten. The current weather dictates the exact date. This can vary from year to year.
Required tools
The gardening store offers special tools (€8.00 on Amazon) with which flower bulbs can be easily dug up without being damaged. If you have a lot of flower bulbs in your garden, it will definitely be worth purchasing them.
A small shovel and digging fork are also good for this activity. They are usually available in every garden shed and do not have to be purchased separately.
Tip
Digging is particularly easy if the bulbs have been planted in pots or special baskets that protect them from voles.
What you need to pay attention to
The flower bulbs must not be damaged when digging up and must also survive winter storage undamaged. Please pay attention to the following points:
- Short the flower stems of the summer bloomers to 10 cm
- excavate carefully, loosen the soil around it
- Removing soil residue from onions
- sort out damaged copies
- Sort onions by variety
- Let flower bulbs dry for a few days
Keep the flower bulbs separated by variety and labeled if necessary. They must not be layered on top of each other. The ideal storage room is dark, airy and with temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius.
