Thanks Doug. Good point about the potatoes.
Is that what happens if they freeze, they turn to soup. a couple were
mush. I think that is what happened to mine. Maybe it wasn't too much
moisture but the freezing temps that got them. I'm in a bad situation.
My main basement is like 65 and the storage part that also houses the
furnace is like 70. At first last year I bought some off of eBay and
they started to grow in the basement. The garage has two walls towards
the house and one un-insulated but sheet rocked and insulated garage
doors. I stored them towards the front of the garage near the doors,
the only place I had room. Maybe I should store them towards the
warmer corner of the garage.
Thanks. Fred

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ...
They're better off in the basement, unless your basement is quite warm. I
used to have a root cellar that stayed between 35 and 45 degrees all winter,
and that worked fine. If your garage gets below freezing, the roots won't be
happy - they're sometimes better off in the ground under a lot of mulch, as
opposed to hanging in the garage. It all depends on your weather. One of my
dahlias was accidentally left in the ground one winter and it survived. It
was up against the East wall of the house, which got lots of sun. I put a
foot of straw on top of it after I realized my mistake, and the plant came
back healthy.

Indoors, the goal isn't much different than storing potatoes. You don't want
to let them get dry & shriveled, but you don't want them too wet. Too warm
and they'll start growing. Too cold and they'll freeze and become soup. So,
you have to keep a thermometer nearby, and fondle the tubers from time to
time. The best way to add water is with a misting bottle.

Fred, get yourself a basic recording thermometer at a real garden center.
It's an essential garden tool. It's got a U-shaped glass tube with liquid
inside, and markers which stay in place to tell you the highest & lowest
temps reached during any particular period. After you check it, you push a
button and the markers are reset. No electricity. It'll help figure out the
best storage places for your bulbs.

"TheCouchCruncher" wrote in message
m...
Thanks Doug. Good point about the potatoes.
Is that what happens if they freeze, they turn to soup. a couple were
mush. I think that is what happened to mine. Maybe it wasn't too much
moisture but the freezing temps that got them. I'm in a bad situation.
My main basement is like 65 and the storage part that also houses the
furnace is like 70. At first last year I bought some off of eBay and
they started to grow in the basement. The garage has two walls towards
the house and one un-insulated but sheet rocked and insulated garage
doors. I stored them towards the front of the garage near the doors,
the only place I had room. Maybe I should store them towards the
warmer corner of the garage.
Thanks. Fred

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
They're better off in the basement, unless your basement is quite
warm. I
used to have a root cellar that stayed between 35 and 45 degrees all
winter,
and that worked fine. If your garage gets below freezing, the roots
won't be
happy - they're sometimes better off in the ground under a lot of mulch,
as
opposed to hanging in the garage. It all depends on your weather. One of
my
dahlias was accidentally left in the ground one winter and it survived.
It
was up against the East wall of the house, which got lots of sun. I put
a
foot of straw on top of it after I realized my mistake, and the plant
came
back healthy.

Indoors, the goal isn't much different than storing potatoes. You don't
want
to let them get dry & shriveled, but you don't want them too wet. Too
warm
and they'll start growing. Too cold and they'll freeze and become soup.
So,
you have to keep a thermometer nearby, and fondle the tubers from time
to
time. The best way to add water is with a misting bottle.

I only leave about 1 or 2 inch of the old stalk on the RHIZOME ( canna don't
have Tubers, Dahlias do not canna ). But then I leave mine in the ground
too, just cover with leaves from the trees.


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"TheCouchCruncher" wrote in message
m...
How much of the old stem should you leave on the tuber?

My experience so far. I planted this plant for the first time last
year. The lady that gave them to me said just dig them up shake off
most of the dirt and put them in plastic shopping bags and hang in the
garage. I did and a good amount of my tubers turned to mush. I think I
put too many in each bag and I should have dried them out a day or two
out side in the sun to get rid of the extra moisture. I guess it is a
fine line. They are a live plant that can't dry out but you can't have
too much moisture either.


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