Is there a scenario in which this dahlia survives the winter in situ?

last month

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For the past several years, each late October or early November I dig up this dahlia ("Mystic Illusion") and store the tuber inside and then start it up again come the spring. Each year I get lazier and lazier (or lets call it, more efficient ;)) in my garden practices and so looking at it this morning, after cutting back the dead from frost foliage I wonder if it might be possible for it to survive the winter as it is so close to our home's foundation. Given that it is so near the house I am thinking it isnt the cold that will be the problem but rather the wet. Has anyone been successful in a zone 6? To have the best chance of success what do you suggest I do? For example, piling lots of leaves on it? Or.....?

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subk3

18 days ago

I technically live in a newer 7a area but I still have to treat my garden like 6b. I can grow a z8 rose mutiblis against a stone, NW facing chimney without much die back do don't discredit how much the wall can mitigate cold. I also don't do more that a few inches of mulch over my dalias and I get about 2/3 of them back each year--even with a couple winter nights in single digits. I would throw mulch on it and hope for the best

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Comments (9)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last month
Maybe under a couple of feet of insulating leaves. The ground must never freeze around the tuber. An advantage of lifting them is that you can propagate from the new shoots.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
For sure. I have lifted dahlias lots of times to then use them again the following season.

It will be an experiment. Losing one wont be the end of the world. (I had already piled tons of leaves on it).
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last month
Ah. I see. I thought you only had one clump.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
last month
Were I to try, I’d pile the leaves and anchor plastic over top to prevent the ground from getting wet.

tj
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
diggerdee zone 6 CT
last month
I have had dahlias come back for me, left in the ground. Usually, or I guess I should say always, because I forgot one here or there. So they have overwintered successfully in my zone 6 garden.

This has happened maybe 5-6 times. Most were in my garden, out in a rather open area, with no extra protection (because I didn't know they were there lol). Twice or so they've overwintered in my daughter's front foundation bed, where, as you mentioned, they were close to the house and it was a very sunny area.

I would say go for it! If you have other clumps or tubers and don't mind losing this if it doesn't work, then there's no harm in trying. Digging and storing dahlias (and then dealing with them in spring) is a major pain in the neck. If you can save yourself a bit of work, more power to you!

:)

Dee
FrozeBudd_z3/4
last month
For two years, I had a dahlia come back that was planted against the foundation, the tuber must have been down a good three inches or more and never had I given it any bit of extra insulation, it only perished for me digging and discarding it. Tomorrow, am gonna tuck a salvia and some tender penstemon next to the foundation rather than bringing them into the garage.
indianagardengirl
last month
Add me to the list of ’experiments’. This thread jogged a memory of Polianthes tuberosa, which a previous homeowner planted right up against the foundation - south facing exposure. It came back for a few years although I eventually lost it. So today, I took some dahlia tubers out of pots and tucked them into the dirt in that southern exposure, tight up against the foundation. Since I‘ve never successfully overwintered dahlia tubers I figure what’s to lose?
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked indianagardengirl
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
12 days ago
I would throw mulch on it and hope for the best

Done and dusted!