How to Store Flower Bulbs
Flowering bulbs add beauty to any landscape. They come in a variety of brilliant colors which brighten up things. Bulbs are very sturdy and have a long life. Most of them bloom during summer and spring and go into dormancy during the winter. It is better if you dig them up and store them indoors in the warmth during the cold water so that they can be planted back for the spring to bloom. This way you do not have to buy new bulbs each year. You just have to store the old ones after every bloom season. There are specific conditions for the storage that you should follow so that you can ensure that the bulbs are in good shape to bloom again.
Instructions
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1
Dig up the bulbs very carefully. Make sure that you do not damage the bulbs because this reduces their viability to re-bloom.
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2
Take the bulbs indoors and place them in a cool location, away from the direct weather effects. Now clean the bulbs which will have remains of the soil that can cause them to rot during storage. Use an old brush to get rid of the dirt. Look for any bulbs that are damaged. It is better to displace any bulbs that are damaged as they have less chances of re-blooming. However, if the damage is very light, they can be saved by applying a little bit of Sulphur on the damaged parts.
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3
Now place the bulbs in the sun for a week. This will dry them up completely as even the smallest amount of dampness can cause them to rot.
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4
Bring the bulbs inside. Prepare a cardboard box filled with layers of newspaper, peat moss, packing peanuts, sawdust. These dry materials act as insulation. However, do not pack the box tightly as you still want the air to circulate between the bulbs. Place the bulbs inside the box, upside down, just like the way you would while planting them in the ground. After placing them, cover the bulbs loosely with the insulation material you used.
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5
Now place the cardboard boxes in a cool and dry place until the plantation season. Closets, garages and basements are usually the best places for the storage. Remember it is a good idea to label or mark the storage containers so that you will remember when you put the bulbs in storage. This will definitely help you out before re-planting the bulbs in the next season.
