I'm not sure what zone you will be in, but if you lift them in the winter they should do fine in Utah. I live in Michigan and I force mine early (plant them in pots and put them in a sunny window in mid-April) and I have blooms in late June usually. Look around the forum for info on how to dig out and store dahlias if you've never done it before.

In the next month, eh? And you are preggie with emotional overdrive? Oh, my. What I am about to say might pain you...

Your beloved plants will be in full blooming glory when you need to move them. I suggest sitting on the reverse porch AWAY from the dahlias with a tub of Ben & Jerry's, and have your hubby hack down the plant as close to the ground as possible. NO PEEKING! Have him leverage the five year old clump out of the ground, and split exactly in half, if it's big. In quarters if it's huge. Make sure he understands the importance of keeping a bit of the original stalk with each of the halves/quarters, as they might not grow again if he misjudges.

Have him wrap the clumps in newspaper, then into shopping bags with air space in the top (sealed up might rot it.) You can move them like this, but make sure the plastic tops are undone and air can reach the newspaper once you are moved into your Utah home. Research the climate, and plant immediately or in late spring. I would seek out local dahlia club advice on that, as climates vary drastically.

Let us know how it goes, and good luck!

oh my.... I didn't realize the OP wanted to move them NOW. Yikes. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your comments! (Lol.. cicivacation, that cracked me up, and was also informative, thank you). Unfortunately for my dahlias, I went outside and cut them back myself, since we were having to "scalp" the garden and remulch for some curb appeal anyway. The next day, we found out we're not moving, after all! Hubs job offered him waaaaay more money than we though, in order to stay. Anyway... At least they already have new sprouts/shoots on the stalks that were left? Should be interesting to see what happens as the year goes on, and in subsequent years.

Thanks again! =)

Ha! That's one way to get a raise! I threaten to quit our business once a month, but so far my hubby hasn't given me a single paycheck. Glad you are spared the torture of moving.

I suggest that you plan on digging it up and at least splitting it in quarters, replanting a few feet apart. Now would be the perfect time for it, as the root systems would have time to establish themselves again before the rainy season. The plants will thank you for it, and you'll gain more 'pretties' the next season. Otherwise, overcrowding will eventually effect the bloom size and overall welfare of the clump.