When I grew these, I grew them in a large pot and simply stored the whole pot in the coldest part of my basement. They resprouted in the spring when temps warmed up. I would think storing them in dry peat in a cold spot would be equally as successful.

Kevin

oh god you brought back some nightmares ... i used to store bulbs all the time.. brrrrrr ....

anyway.. the one time i tried DRY peat.. it was a near failure..

the tubers/bulbs.. need some level of moisture ... or they shrivel too much .. though i am talking minimal moisture.. i found the DRY peat was simply too dry .. and eventually wicked too much moisture from whatever ...

i recall dad.. in the 60's.. having a wood bushel basket.. with canna.. under the basement stairs .. with some soil .. not much.. and once a month in winter.. he would take the watering can.. and add some water to the basket ....

the basement was barely heated, especially under the stairs ..... but the problem is the forced air furnace.. burning all the humidity in the house in mid winter ...

so you have to balance out the moisture with the location ... plus the heating system ... plus the water holding capabilities of the potting media ... and the media is a problem since it is probably peat based.. and will become either too wet.. or too dry in feb .... and either way.. you will have a rotted bulb ...

and all that said.. it might be easier to let it die and buy a new one next spring.. though i would have your client experiment.. but with the full understanding that the odds of success are low .. and that way.. they will be thrilled with success.. but braced for failure ... you surely dont want her showing up next spring crabbing about your failure to solve her problem ...... and then this is were she adds.. it has extreme sentimental value because it was a gift at the death of her mother.. and guilts you all up ....

too bad we dont all have the old root cellars of times gone by .... think potato .. and figure out how you would store a potato for next spring .... and you will succeed ...

ken

Ken

I guess you're right in saying you have to balance your storage method with the type of basement you have and your heating system. The dry peat thing works well for me for a number of things including cannas (when I grew these), but I would always do the big NO No and use dry peat in a covered plastic container. I know, I know everyone says NEVER use a covered plastic container, but it worked. The tubers or bulbs or whatever contain some moisture which balanced the dryness of the peat. The covered plastic container kept that moisture in the container, so the tubers never shriveled nor they ever rot from too much wetness.

I guess I really hate giving advice, because someone is going to tell me I'm doing it wrong even if it works for me.

Kevin

Heather, you could try posting on the Bulb Forum. It is quite active and the users are very helpful.

I've got oodles of alstro's growing in my garden in the N.W. 'burbs of Detroit. Only one of my about 18 plants is a Zone 5 rated variety ("Sweet Laura"). All of the rest are florist's types purchased as potted plants over the years from garden centers, mass merchandisers, or at the O.C. farmer's market.

They overwinter just fine here in Michigan as long as you mulch them deeply. I throw a piece of foamboard or some recycled packaging styrofoam over the top of each clump after the frost kills the foliage, and then I dump about 8 to 12 inches of leaves, preferably oak leaves, in a mound over the foam and extend it out about 2 feet.

I never lost ANY of them to winter cold. I have had some of them damaged by voles, sometimes pretty severely, but if even a few small pieces survive, they regrow pretty rapidly.

I think I got my first one probably 10 years ago, and have been adding to them every time I see a new color variant that I don't have.

You also CAN overwinter them dry in the pot -- just chuck them someplace cool, non-freezing, dark, and dry. The key to this is that they remain in the soil -- if you try to remove the soil and store just the root system, they will dry out and die. The dry soil dramatically slows moisture loss. I've stored many, many a kind of bulb like this in the pot, and never lose any. In fact, I spent a good part of my day today hauling the last of my potted bulb containers indoors for the winter -- I've got about 60 pots and tubs now, so it's kind of a challenge finding spaces to put them all.

Thank you all for your help. I think we'll pack one up and I'll tell her to leave another in the ground in hopes one or both will come back. Plus I've printed this thread out for her so that at least she can see my effort and read what you helpful people have to say,
Thanks again,
Heather

Alstromeria has very fragile roots and resents disturbance, I say just leave it in the ground and mulch deeply

First, Alstroemeria is not a bulb - it is a fleshy rooted perennial somewhat similar to daylilies in growth habit. What many folks regard as tubers or bulbs are really modified roots that act as water storage organs. These are extremely brittle and easily damaged. They can also work themselves down to a significant depth in the soil......18 inches is not uncommon. This, plus their ability to form large colonies and with many of the species, reseed very freely, produces a very aggressive, almost invasive growth habit. FWIW, I have never been able to eradicate or completely transplant a colony of alstroemeria - once you have them you will always have them......and maybe your neighbors will as well :-)

Digging up individual 'tubers' or roots and attempting to store over winter is certainly not a very efficient approach. First you risk damaging the fragile roots when digging. Second, the plants resent disturbance and will bloom very sparsely, if at all, following such activity. In areas where this plant is not hardy, it would be far easier to just grow it in a container, then lift the container in winter and store in a frost-free area.

gardengals last sentence says it all. I have probable 100 Alstroemerias in one gallon pots, that I use for propagation. I divide them yearly and sell them when in bloom. My climate is mild and they are without protection, in the pots year around. If your weather is harsh you could sink the pot in your garden in the spring, pull it up in the fall and store it through the winter. The pot would probably be tight with roots in the fall and need dividing when replanting in the spring. Roots will grow through the drainage holes. Al