Dig-out at GGP’s Dahlia Dell

First Step: Dig-Out begins with Diggers

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Top from left: Mike Dietz from Boise, ID; Tinnee on the Hillside; Erik Gaensler with volunteers from One Brick
Bottom from left: Erik and John Dale; Nicholas Gaensler learns; Lou Lombardo moves extricated clumps into flats; Dick and Barbara did the same.

Second Step: First Wash. Getting rid of the soil

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with rainman Craig and on-site Deborah

Third Step: Transport to the Workshop

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thanks to Bob and his pick-up

Fourth Step: Arriving at the Workshop, the tubers get a thorough rinse before they are divided

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Fifth Step: Lopping off dead stem helps things get off to a good start.

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Ron Dingwall coaches Barbara and Melissa,

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“Find the eyes, be careful with the crown…

…beautiful eyes on a solid crown.”

Sixth Step: Divided tubers get a good final wash & are bleached

in a 10% bleach:water solution for 5 minutes in screened bottom buckets

Seventh and Final Step: Pedigreed tubers are labelled with name, size, form and color. Use “A bottle of ink in a pencil” for indelible writing.

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Elsie Mueller leads the labeling team while other volunteers leave the Dahlia Dell spotless.

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Photographs by Franck Avril

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