RE: RE: RE: over winter storing by Paul (Author) - written 13/07/2011 21:05:55
Hello Mike
Youre very welcome.  To be fair Im not very well travelled and do not know a lot about weather in other Countys.  But here in Cornwall we have a 'reasonable' amount of rain, and they say we cant grow roses because the air is too clean!  If a method works for you then carry on with it I say.  Your method sounds like that of growing 'pot tubers' which even if you were to propagate from field tubers then always useful to have pot tubers as a fallback at the very least.  Regards the winter just past, all I have spoken to have said how it was an exceptionally bad winter, so youre not alone.  I myself as Ive said from 50 odd tubers would lose 1 maybe 2, but the winter just past I lost something like 15 tubers.  However Im not perturbed for the reason just given.  In summary if I were you then I would consider, space permitting, trying both storage methods, being my 'growing on' method together with the 'pot tuber' one.  I am glad you and other readers ask questions because I have long felt that as growers we could save ourselves much money by simply 'talking and sharing'. 
Regards, Paul

Mike wrote (12/07/2011 12:14:38):

Hi Paul

Many thanks for the prompt and detailed reply. I'll certainly give it a try. Do you think the somewhat warmer winters in Cornwass as opposed to Essex might make some difference? For the last couple of years I've been following a system used by the renowned dahlia gardeners at Anglesey Abbey - they plant theirs in large pots and keep them in those pots over winter. I had success the first time but lost them all this last winter.

Mike

Paul (Author) wrote (11/07/2011 20:34:10):

Hello Mike

The method I describe in my Advise Sheet 1. is exactly the method I use.  I use a system of keeping the tubers 'growing on'.  I do not dry them out, chop pieces off etc etc. as has been the method for many many years.  I think where you may be confused is that you have as do many growers, a preconcieved idea of tuber storage based on decades of 'thats the way to do it'.  I found by chance, better to leave the tubers 'intact' complete with soil and store them as described on my sheet.  In my experience as soon as you start chopping bits off you are open to disease.  My method I am confident will give you 100% tuber keeping or very near.  In any average winter out of say 50 - 55 tubers stored I would not expect to lose more than 1 or even 2 ifunlucky.  Could you read my sheet again with a completely open mind and see how it reads thereon.  Then I'd be interested to read your reply.  This is why I clearly state these are my methods.  Incidentally, I attended my County dahlia societys agm about 5 years ago and the speaker described tuber storage and bingo it was the method I had been using for 2 years already.  On a seperate note regards supplementary feeding most growers in my County use Chempak.  For years I have used Maxicrops products.  I always 'think outside of the box' and ask why a method is carried out and if there is a better one.

Trust this helps.

Regards, Paul

Mike wrote (11/07/2011 18:08:50):

Hi Paul

Have just found your site - very good and interesting. Having lost a number (most!) of my tubers last winter I was interested to see what system you use. Must say that I'm very confused as you do not make any comment about drying out the tubers (by inverting them) or removing the soil - both of which are pretty basic in all the other articles I've read. Are we to assume that you do this before laying down the tubers for their winter rest?

Hope to hear from you.

Regards

Mike

 







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