How to Remove Bulbs, Fuss-Free
In some instances, bulbs are best removed for storage instead of being left in the ground.
- – Dig bulbs up carefully when the plant leaves become drier, and store them in a dry place until replanting the following year.
- – Some bulbs are very sensitive to wet or hot conditions: many tulips, daffodils, gladiolus and some dahlias, for instance, survive best if they’re lifted (because they become dormant), then stored away until the next season.
- – Save time by preparing for bulb removal at the time you plant. If you decide to plant a group of flowers in a clump or a lawn, place them on a bed of good soil in a small plastic pot.
- – Make a hole with a flat bottom in the ground to bury the container at the right depth.
- – To remove them, just lift up the container with a fork to pull out the whole clump together and take the bulbs away to store.
Originally Published: August 24, 2010