How to Dry Garden Bulbs

Drying a garden bulb is also known as curing. It keeps the bulb plant-ready and able to be planted the following spring. There are many plants where the bulb will need to be dug up and kept through the winter, to be replanted in the next growing season.

Materials You’ll Need

• Shovel


• Garden fork


• Garden hose


• Towel


• Box


• Pen or Marker


• Fungicide


• Brown Paper Bag


• Sand

1. Take the shovel and place it directly under the bulb you want to dry. Go three inches away from the base of where the plant is and go about a half-foot deep. Loosen the soil around the bulb with a garden fork to keep from damaging the bulb when you remove it.


2. Take the bulb out of the ground and wash the loose dirt off them. Dry them with a towel.


3. When you’ve dug all the bulbs of one plant type or cultivar, put them all in a box that is labeled with the name of the plant.


4. Keep in an area that is between 60 degrees and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the bulb type, drying them may take days or weeks.


5. When the bulb is dry, take them out and give them a light dusting with the fungicide to kill off spores that may be growing.


6. Put the bulbs into a brown paper sack, relabel them and store them in the bag with some sand. This will keep them plant-ready until you need them. Store them in a dry dark area.