After having lost less than a dozen of my 700 or so stored saran wrapped tubers the past two years, I guess I've become a little complacent and only check them a couple times all winter. A few days ago I took a look was stunned. I could see black "ooze" through the saran on dozens and others felt like marshmallows. I sorted through and have tossed 75 ... so far! I still have over 200 which will mostly be given to family and friends. I have ordered a ton more. I do a lot of hunting and fishing in the fall. So digging/dividing the tubers is a chore I try to hurry through. My thinking is that I didn't give them enough time to dry before wrapping. Rotting could also be due to the temperature swings in the attic where they're stored. A warm day following by cooling will sometimes leave condensation inside the wrapping. I'll reconsider whether to wash the clumps after digging this fall, although it hasn't been a problem in the past.
Not to go against tradition .... but I don't consider seeing robins to be the first sign of spring. For me it's when stores start displaying their dahlias! Spoken like a true dahliaholic! I needed a cure for the winter blahs so I drove to my favorite garden center last week. And as in years past, I wasn't disappointed. I counted 70+ varieties of packaged dahlias. I don't like buying them too soon but did pick up one hard to find type. I'll be going back soon. The itch has officially been scratched. LOL
