HUGE MISTAKE! IT'S OVER FOR YOU! Kidding. What if it rained? What would you do then? Our ground is sodden down to about a foot. I laugh when I think of the dahlia.net site saying "shake off the loose soil..." there is nothing that moves here besides my weary arms when I shake a clump. It is instead a painstaking labor to poke/prod,dig or divest as much wet soil as possible from clumps. Very hard on tender little tuber necks to carry all that weight when coming out of the ground.

If you read somewhere, dahlia.net possibly, it says to stop watering as the season draws to a close to allow the plants to naturally dry off a bit, something to that effect. Tell that to Mother Nature in Washington, please! You didn't hurt anything and I hear that the Midwest might be in for a run of nice weather so enjoy those blooms for another week while you can.

Thanks for your reassurance. They did frost off about 3-4 days ago and I cut the stalks off. Didn't bother with the foil over the cut stems (maybe my lack of attention will bring a little shower). Anyway I doubt if a gallon of water per plant will do much more than make digging a little easier.

I, too have to laugh when people say not to water in the fall in order to make the tubers hardy-- Who DOESN'T get rain in the fall ... & doesn't said rain, water said tubers??? The husband is, even as we speak out in the rain digging tubers that have had about 10" of rain in the last couple of weeks & it hasn't hurt them a bit! So don't worry about watering them- just let them dry off for awhile after digging them & before storing them.

NW update: we've had 4 inches of rain in the past 48 hours.
If my ground was sodden before, it is a pure cesspool now. Must say that the mud slides right off my rainsuit however LOL! Oh yes, I was out there in the pouring rain cutting down more plants and digging up new clumps thinking of a sunny beach somewhere, or something dry and warm.... a nap perhaps... hot coffee, new dahlias I want to try. And never once did I question my total adoration of this flower. No matter how miserable it became. No matter how many times I changed socks. Gloves. No matter how wet became my Kleenex. I just wish it wouldn't quit pouring as it gets dark. That is just cruel!

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a couple inches. The clouds form and it gives 5 to 6 drips and it's all over. I really fear for some of my perennials as winter sets in.

It is so sad to see the ponds around us drying up!! My dahlias are ready to come out of the ground, tho. Frost has hit several times. These were my lst yr. with these dahlias...someone gave me a bunch of tubers and they are all very dark red. Boo hoo... They are impossible to see unless you are within 3 or 4 feet. I live on a busy highway and want COLOR!!! Better luck next year with something else. Enjoy your day; it's 71 here!!!

Hi ginnier,
Alas, a dahlia grower not to far from home. Have you dug yours yet? Mine are all out and the weather is settling in leaving me glad it is finished.

Will you have any tubers to trade? Take a list at my small offering of tubers to exchange if you are interested. Jean