Written by Dottie Baltz
After a frost has blackened the foliage on your dahlias is a good time to
prepare them for winter storage. Depending on your area, this could be
in late September or some time in October.
Cut the stalks down to about 6”-8”. Wait a week and then carefully dig
up the tubers. Waiting a while before digging ensures that the tubers have
formed eyes for next year.
If you are expecting a hard freeze, then dig them immediately after cutting
the stems. I like to use a potato fork to dig them up, though a shovel will
do if you are careful where you dig. Take the fork or shovel and stick it
into the soil about a foot from the center of the stem and rock it back and
forth to loosen the soil. Do this all around the stem. Once you have
loosened the soil, you can easily left the tubers by the stem, using the fork
as leverage to push the tubers up out of the ground.
After a frost has blackened the foliage on your dahlias is a good time to
prepare them for winter storage. Depending on your area, this could be
in late September or some time in October.
Cut the stalks down to about 6”-8”. Wait a week and then carefully dig
up the tubers. Waiting a while before digging ensures that the tubers have
formed eyes for next year.
If you are expecting a hard freeze, then dig them immediately after cutting
the stems. I like to use a potato fork to dig them up, though a shovel will
do if you are careful where you dig. Take the fork or shovel and stick it
into the soil about a foot from the center of the stem and rock it back and
forth to loosen the soil. Do this all around the stem. Once you have
loosened the soil, you can easily left the tubers by the stem, using the fork
as leverage to push the tubers up out of the ground.
| Last Updated on March 6, 2010 |
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| Winter Dahlia Storage |
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Once the tubers are dug, shake off any excess soil and rinse them well. Allow them to dry thoroughly on a screen, turning them
occasionally, in an enclosed, frost free area that gets good ventilation. Make sure there is no water inside the stems. At this point, you
can cut the stem shorter, if you like. After about a week, I cut the tubers apart, keeping the ones that have not been damaged and that
have visible eyes, then return them to the screen to finish drying. You can also cut them apart at the time of the initial digging, if you
prefer. Drying time can be shorted if the humidity is very low, so check them every day before they start to shrivel.
Once dry, the tubers can be stored in dry peat moss, sand, vermiculite, sawdust, or wood shavings in a cool dry place such as a cellar or
garage. Gallon vegetable storage bags from your local market work great because there are already little tiny ventilation holes in the bag.
You can always make your own holes using an awl, if necessary. Sprinkling them with a fungicide or powdered sulfur will ensure a
better rate of survival. Temperatures should be around 40-50 degrees F. If stored at a higher temperature,
shriveling and/or rotting can occur. If stored at lower temps, then the tubers could freeze and turn to mush. Make sure you mark the
bag with the name of variety you are storing and put them into a box with a lid so that no light can get to them. Any type of container,
made from any type of material will do as long as it does not let light into the container. I’ve had good success with storing them in a
cooler. The cooler also helps to keep the temperature constant when the exterior temps may fluctuate from time to time.
Inspect the tubers every few weeks and remove any diseased or mushy tubers. If you notice any that have started to shrivel, you can
either sprinkle a little water on them, spray them with water using a spray bottle or take them out, soak the tubers in water over night,
dry them as you did before and put them back into the peat moss. Do not expect a 100% survival rate, but 80% or better is very likely
under optimum conditions.
Find more gardening tips here. If you liked this article, you may also like "Dividing Perennials".
occasionally, in an enclosed, frost free area that gets good ventilation. Make sure there is no water inside the stems. At this point, you
can cut the stem shorter, if you like. After about a week, I cut the tubers apart, keeping the ones that have not been damaged and that
have visible eyes, then return them to the screen to finish drying. You can also cut them apart at the time of the initial digging, if you
prefer. Drying time can be shorted if the humidity is very low, so check them every day before they start to shrivel.
Once dry, the tubers can be stored in dry peat moss, sand, vermiculite, sawdust, or wood shavings in a cool dry place such as a cellar or
garage. Gallon vegetable storage bags from your local market work great because there are already little tiny ventilation holes in the bag.
You can always make your own holes using an awl, if necessary. Sprinkling them with a fungicide or powdered sulfur will ensure a
better rate of survival. Temperatures should be around 40-50 degrees F. If stored at a higher temperature,
shriveling and/or rotting can occur. If stored at lower temps, then the tubers could freeze and turn to mush. Make sure you mark the
bag with the name of variety you are storing and put them into a box with a lid so that no light can get to them. Any type of container,
made from any type of material will do as long as it does not let light into the container. I’ve had good success with storing them in a
cooler. The cooler also helps to keep the temperature constant when the exterior temps may fluctuate from time to time.
Inspect the tubers every few weeks and remove any diseased or mushy tubers. If you notice any that have started to shrivel, you can
either sprinkle a little water on them, spray them with water using a spray bottle or take them out, soak the tubers in water over night,
dry them as you did before and put them back into the peat moss. Do not expect a 100% survival rate, but 80% or better is very likely
under optimum conditions.
Find more gardening tips here. If you liked this article, you may also like "Dividing Perennials".
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