I looked at this photo and felt your pain. I, unfortunately, can relate to this. We've just had 9 days of rain and my dahlias took a severe beating. After getting all that rain the high wind gusts came in to finish the job. The stakes didn't break but the ground was too wet for them to stay upright. We got a total of 12 inches of rain in those 9 days. I didn't have the heart to photograph the devastation. I almost cried when I first saw it. I don't want a permanent reminder. I am a little worried about the tubers rotting. There is no standing water in or around that garden bed but I think I'll be taking up some of them this weekend too.

HI Poochella, I grow dahlias also and they are my favort flowers beside daylilies. I planted over 75 of dahlia tubers last spring, I support my dahlias in tomato cage, we had two weeks ago wind and rain we lost two trees in front my yard I did not loose any dahlias, try the tomato cages special the large once... good luck

I am bullheaded about those tomato cages! They're expensive and I stubbornly refuse to believe they would work for my tall dahlias. BUT- willing to try something new that has worked for others, I promise I will try a couple next year (with my trusty metal stakes at the ready in case the cages fail!) I've read about how to modify them and such. Might as well use them as I can't grow tomatoes to ripeness out here.
Glad they worked for you. Sorry about your tree too!

You must have had some winds. Guess I've never had wind totally flatten my plant. So frustrating after you try to care for each one so diligently.

Poochella....so sorry for your loss...i am another that has been thru it...several years ago ..hubby found a large roll of concrete wire at a yard sale.....he made cages for his tomatoes with it..he made dahlia cages for me with what was left.....i do stake mine at first...then when they get a bit taller i put the cages around them...better protection than just stakes alone.....but....if he hadnt found this cheap deal.....i would probably use metal stakes..