Take a few minutes this month to check the condition of flower bulbs, tubers, and corms and vegetables including squash, garlic, onions and potatoes stored away for the winter.
"Too often stored plants, tubers and bulbs are neglected," said Ross Penhallegon, horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "The key is to check every few weeks to see how your plant materials are doing."
Check stored gladiola corms and dahlia tubers for rot or desiccation. If stored tubers, bulbs, or corm's show signs of mold, the storage conditions are too wet and too warm. Take out the affected plant parts. Then mix in some dry sawdust with the storage medium and put the storage box in a cooler area. If the plant parts are shriveled, storage conditions are too dry. Add some water to the packing medium.
Water stored plants such as fuchsias and geraniums infrequently, just often enough to keep the roots alive and slowly growing. Remove all dead leaves and stems to prevent mold from forming. In late February or early March, move fuchsias and geraniums into warmer conditions so normal growth can begin.
Check through onions and garlic. Remove all soft, moldy or discolored bulbs. Most garlic and onions will last only until June at the latest.
Throw out potatoes with signs of softness, slime or rot. And make sure the potatoes are kept away from the light.
Squash need to be stored so they are not touching each other. Check through them and remove any that have mold or soft spots.
Make notes in your gardening notebook about which types of stored vegetables are not being eaten. Grow fewer of those next year. Which ones did you eat up right away? Grow more of those.
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