1. After the foliage has yellowed or been killed by a frost in the fall, carefully dig up the bulbs with a spading fork.

2. Discard any wounded, diseased, or deformed bulbs.

3. Cut off the foliage close to the bulb, and shake off any loose soil. Dry the bulbs in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight for about a week.

4. Carefully brush off any soil. To protect the bulbs from storage rots, dust them with a fungicide containing captan.

5. Bulbs are live plants, and continue to breathe. Store them in shallow trays or plastic buckets, covered with dry sand, peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite.

6. Store the bulbs at temperatures between 35° and 45°F. They must not be allowed to freeze.

7. Store until the proper planting time for your plant.

Precooling: In mild-winter areas where the bulbs' chilling requirements are not satisfied, purchase precooled bulbs, or precool them yourself. To do this, place the uncovered bulbs in a shallow pan. Store in the refrigerator or any area where the temperature remains just above freezing for 6 weeks. Plant outdoors or in pots. Blooms will appear in 2 to 4 months, depending on the plant variety.