Is this the place to just vent?

Newbie at DG. (Made several first posts to different forums today.) This looks like the "catch-all" site - ok if I vent?

I have spent several hours on the internet the last few nights trying to see at what temperature I should store my calla lily bulbs over the winter. I went way over budget this year so I've got to save my bulbs instead of buying new ones.

Wish I had counted how many sites I went to. I do know that I got at least a 25 degree difference in recommended temperature ranges!!!! 70 -75, 60-65, over 65, 50 -60, over 55, and on and on!!! What are we poor beginner backyard gardeners supposed to do when the experts don't agree? One site was quite adamant abt the temperature range warning of dire consequences if the temp dropped below 70 for any length of time.

I seem to find this with almost everything I research on the net. It's soooooooo frustrating!!!!!

Thanks for listening (well, reading).
Sherry


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Welcome firstyard! I'm in zone 8 and leave my calla lilies in the ground.
What zone are you?

Welcome to DG!

"What are we poor beginner backyard gardeners supposed to do when the experts don't agree? "

It doesn't get any better :) There is no such thing as an exact science and when it deals with living things it's often down to what works for you. This can sometimes be a hard lesson and we all need some guidance but a lot of gardening is experimenting.

We do have some very knowledgeable Calla growers here so if you haven't already done so, a quick post in the Bulbs forum should reveal some ideas for you.

Welcome to DG, firstyard. I sympathize. While researching plants, I have seen hardiness zone ratings range by as much as three or more zones! Same goes for many attributes such as light and water requirements. DG is a great source but your local extension is really one of the most reliable sources. Not only are the people well-informed, but they are in your backyard! Good luck and don't worry - before you know it, others will be asking you for advice. Just be prepared to make mistakes, lose plants and learn from it.

Victor

Welcome, firstyard, you have already gotten the advice I was prepared to give. There are no "experts" in any area. They have all their knowledge usually from trial and error. I would think that you would not need to dig and store your bulbs, however, in my zone 6, I do. The winters here are unpredictable, and usually use caution when dealing with bulbs. However, as you garden, there will be times you "throw caution to the winds" and do what all "experts" advise against, sometimes you are sucessful, and sometimes not, that is the true fun of gardening, do it just to see if you can!!

Good luck.

I am a relaxed gardener and have lost several and remember every one. The successes I don't know what I did right or wrong. First of all differences in degrees of temp are not that important. Only humidity where you store the bulbs is paramont. In GA I doubt that you need to worry about anything but rot. Keep them dry and not frozen. Preparation is most important in bulb storage not temps. But you must remember I have only learned by not drying mine out enough before storage. I live in montana and keep my Calla lillies in the basement in a dry not heated area in perlite. Things are different in GA. Ask a gardener along the street that has the lillies.

I see we have some late nighters! Thanks for posting. I'm up early waiting for daylight so I can get out there and get a little work done before it gets too hot.

As long as we continue to have mild winters I probably can leave my callas in the ground - with plentiful mulch (I'm in 7a). I left my cannas in the ground last year and they were fine. I'm not as attached to my cannas tho. It's going to be painful to experiment with my callas.

I guess I'll leave some in the ground and dig/store some. I keep my house fairly cool in the winter and the closets stay even cooler so I'll probably store the bulbs there. Don't have a basement or garage.

Still frustrated tho. Seems like such a simple question. I can see how planting and care would be complex questions - so many factors to take into consideration. But inside temperature for storage? It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the true range. Oh well, at least all the "experts" agreed that the bulbs should be kept dry. I suppose I should be thankul for that!
Sherry
P.S. Thanks for recommending the Bulbs forum. I hadn't even noticed it. Maybe there will be some 7a'ers who can tell me their experiences.

I'm north of you by a bit, but still on the 6b/7a line and my neighbor never digs her callas. They stay in the ground through the winter.

I've warned her that if we have an especially harsh one, she might lose them, but they've been there 5 years....and we had one of the coldest winters around here in a long time last year.