dividing and over wintering Dahlias

8 years ago

I've grown Dahlias before but always as annuals. Last year I grew one I'd like to keep for next year. I bought and planted a couple of tubers of a 2 foot tall red and white Dahlia with medium large flowers. We've had a couple of frosts so I dug up the tubers. I was amazed at how many tubers there were. There must be 30 tubers on each plant.

So now comes my problem. How do I store the tubers and when and how do I divide them. My basement is heated slightly to a temperature of about 60 degrees so not the ideal temperature I think it should be for storing Dahlias. I do have an old Styrofoam cooler that I thought I might use and maybe put them under the stairs where it is a bit cooler.

I know that as with anything in gardening everyone has a way they get the best results with so give me your best way. Tell me how I should overwinter my tubers and how and when should I divide them?

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Comment (1)

cicivacation
8 years ago
If you search 'storing dahlias' and 'dividing dahlias' in the above search box, there will be tons of past posts for your perusal.

For your particular situation, with only a few clumps and storage temps of 60, I'd suggest popping them into an OPEN shopping bag with a layer of newspapers so the tubers won't touch the plastic. Having a space for extra moisture to escape is important, as you will likely get mush with a sealed container.

The Styrofoam is best used when you are afraid of sharp drops in temp, and the foam might buffer the freezing temps for a while. Not foolproof, by any means. I had limited success when experimenting with such boxes.

As you so adroitly mentioned earlier, methods are as numerous as bad articles in those newspapers, with some that might not lead to success in the end. You might want to try your hand in judicious dividing (only separating clump in half or fourths) with the help of YouTube videos, and store each half/quarter differently as a safe-guard. You will have a better idea NEXT fall which method works best for you in your particular situation.

Good Luck!
CiCi
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