Dahlias

[digitS']

I prepare beds for setting out annual plants each spring - snapdragons, zinnias, those sorts of things. Digging dahlias in the fall is just prepping the bed for next spring, to my way of thinking. In April, I can just rake in some fertilizer and plunk in the annuals, if I want to.

Washing off the dahlia roots, tossing the old ones and storing the healthy roots in peat moss for the winter is some bother but not a lot. Digging a hole deeper than I would for snapdragons and such is a bother but, at least, I don't dig as many holes to fill a bed .

Leaving them in the ground for the winter? Let's see, you can buy new dahlias for $6 or $7 each! Or, you can dig this year's clump of dahlias and separate each into 3 to 5 new plants . . .

I once asked a guy with a dahlia business in zone 6 if he ever advises people to leave their dahlia roots in the garden overwinter. He said, "Only under 8 or 10 inches of hay. . . !"

I leave dahlia roots in the garden every winter. The ones that I don't want to come back the next year. That never disappoints me -- they are always dead, dead, dead by spring.

Steve

 

[OurGardenGate.com]

Thanks for your help, Steve. I guess I'll be digging, even the ones I didn't dig last year. No need to chance it twice, plus I forgot about the dividing to get more plants. Do you divide them before you put them into storage or as you take them out?

 

[digitS']

I divide the tubers when planting out in the spring.

The buds will have begun to break by that time in my a-little-warmer-than-perfect basement storage room. That actually helps so as to figure out which ones have good viability.

They don't quite multiply like rabbits . . . but, you can see that in half a dozen years - you can establish quite a dahlia garden !

Steve

 

[OurGardenGate.com]

Thanks again for your help Steve. I'm already becoming Dahlia savvy.
Like you, my basement isn't as cool as it should be because the furnace down there warms it up too much. So storage places are limited.

 

[RustyDHart]

Wow.....That's good that some came up from last year......I would have thought they would have all froze...... I would ONLY leave tubers in the ground that you can afford to lose if they DO freeze..... I never take the chance.... Post some photos if you have any..... I'm going to start digging tubers this weekend...... 400 plants is alot easier than the 2,000 +.....I had the year before. Happy digging everyone! Rusty

 

[OurGardenGate.com]

If I can figure out how, I will post some pictures.

 

[LG]

Glad to help.....it's too bad about "Connell's".....I used to get tubers from them...very nice company..... If you have any extra "Lady Darlenes" to sell next Spring...I'd love to buy one......I've liked that variety and just never purchased any.....keep me posted! Rusty

Rusty, I'd be happy to send you a tuber (as a gift). It looks like we'll have a frost tonight in the Boston area (actually it's snowing on October 27 here; we're all freaked out). So sometime next week I should be able to dig them up and see how many there are. Then they get to winter over in a friend's basement (I don't have a basement).

I'll report back when I dig them up. I didn't look back at this board after my last post, which is why I took several days to respond. But I'll post again next week.

 

[OurGardenGate.com]

Trying to post photos of my dahlias.

 

[digitS']

Hey, GardenGate!

Those are nice!

Good combination with the cosmos foliage.

Steve

 

[OurGardenGate.com]

Thanks, and I realized I hadn't even taken photos of my favorites. I, like a dummy, went out to take a snap this afternoon and found them all dead and gone. I've taken pictures all summer, all over the garden, can't believe I failed to get those. Oh well, next year.