Hi jimscott,
Honestly, I don't know. Some put their plants in the fridge potted. I have way too many for that--unless I want to buy another fridge lol.
But for those that DO use bags--try ziplock sandwich bags, if you've been having problems.
Hi peter,
I think you'll have a LOT better success if You just skip the "Neem oil and other natural products" all together. My guess is that they are whats killing your plants.
I don't use any fungicide at all, and most sources I've come across say its an O-P-T-I-O-N, not a requirement. This last winter I had a 100% success rate with fridge dormancy on about 20 VFTs.
I see some fungal spots on the paper towels, but I don't sweat it, and everything comes out fine.
This is the long and short of what I do and how I do it:
I gently unpot the plants, rinse them in the sink to remove as much dirt as possible. Wrap them entirely--leaves and all--in damp-to barely wet paper towels, put them in ziplock sandwich bags in the top of the fridge and come back in 3 months. I may open the bags once or twice for air exchange---I may not. Just depends.
When many people are having success with something and You are not--it just means that You are doing something improper and need to re-evaluate each step. In this case, I would say u need to eliminate one step: Neem Oil et al.
All the reading that you are doing is great, but life will teach you that E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E is the teacher. "Book Knowledge" is only a tool. Experience teaches your class. I've learned this the hard way. I'm not one to just follow along behind the others and just do what they do. I'm always looking for some "Better" way of doing things. After many failures---one learns to pay attention to what others do, how they do it and WHY!
By being open now to both sides of the fence I feel that I am in a better position to make "Continual Process Improvements" on whatever the endeavor. I'm probably wrong, but it sure sounds like progress!
Anyway, here's a thought for You: If You want to try my method--use some riskable plants this winter, and do what You feel is best for your more valuable plants. You can email me at any time with any questions that You may have on it, and I've no doubt that there are plenty of others here that would be willing to offer info.
You've done TOOOO much reading and are putting WAY too much thought into all of this. I know that sounds crazy, but this is the voice of Experience tapping you on the shoulder. Life moves towards life. If you give it the room to move, to do its thing, it will move in the direction that you want it to. You're smothering it with all your "Thought" and "Knowledge". Give it some room.
Gee, wish someone would have shared those thoughts with me along time ago. I wouldn't have listened
, but that seed might have sprouted a little sooner.