3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Everyone stores their dahlias for the winter differently or have their own method so you will find many ways for storing them.
I recommend that you store them in boxes using coarse vermiculite, not the small vermiculite. Coarse vermiculite holds just enough moisture to keep your tubers firm & plump during the winter where other mediums tend to dry out your tubers.
This transfer of moisture is most important during storage and coarse vermiculite does it the best. Small vermiculite holds too much moisture and sticks to the tubers and can cause them to rot.
Store your tubers in the coolest (not freezing) area you have available below 55%. Check each month to see how they are getting along.
FWIW, I used the saran method (search google with "saran dahlias"). Basically, you just wrap up the tubers in saran wrap, put them in bags that keep out the light (I used eco-friendly cloth grocery bags with newspaper over the top.)
I stored mine in a beer fridge I have in the garage. I didn't check them until I took them out in January to start them.
None rotted.
Cheers,
Russ
Here is a link that might be useful: Saran Wrap Method Of Storing Dahlia Tubers
My neighbor is calling me farmer Brown, so now that I know he is jelous I have started taking cuttings from my Dahlias. I will over winter them in my indoor green house. Then next spring I will line both sides of my drive way with pots of Dahlias.
If you want to grow dahlias from seed take your own seedheads and let them mature and shuck them in January and plant them inside in March/April and transplant them after frost. You will have all brand new dahlias, some bad some good, but they will be yours and if you get a really good one you could even put it in a trial garden.
Xanadu is correct in rooting shoots coming out of the ground. That is how I start many of my pot roots for the next season. Just pull them off the planted tuber carefully or you will jerk the entire plant out of the ground, put them in damp potting soil and in bright shade until they stand up. Harden them off in the sun and grow as pot roots.
Usually you want your tubers to stay reasonably dry so they'll promote root growth and avoid tuber rot. Self watering can be fine, but keep the water to a minimum until buds start to appear.
As far as which way is up, there should be some crown material left where the sprouts are. Crown material is where last year's stalk was cut off the tuber. The sprouts go up, and should be considerably thicker than roots. The tuber should be planted on its side.
As far as bringing them in goes, you're likely going to need to augment the sunlight to get blooms. A grow light would definitely help. Otherwise, you're likely to have a lot of foliage and few blooms.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Russ
How long has it been wilty for? A few of mine were wilted today after yesterday's torrential rain but I'm sure they will bounce back. They are in the ground though. Is there any other way you can dry out the soil without removing it all from the pot? Maybe move it somewhere to get A LOT of sun? Is it blooming? If so, I would put it somewhere sunny and enjoy the blooms for as long as possible and hope the plant doesn't die. I would rather enjoy the blooms now and replace the tuber later if I have to if it is an easily obtained variety.
Restrict your shoots coming out of the ground to the strongest two or three and then reduce it to one by pinching them off at ground level. They will not grow back. This will restrict the number of tubers growing under the ground and you should only need to divide them once a year and flower production will remain at a high level.
Does JAARS fly into your location? I have a good friend who is a JARRS pilot.
I'm going to try some Dahalias here at about 7400 feet in the Colombian Andes. Temps sound about right, but we may be just a bit cooler. We also have a place at about 5500 feet (Medellin).
It's great to hear form someone else in a tropical montane environemnt. I'd like to stay in touch as things grow differently in tropical areas due mostly to minimal variation in temperature ranges and photoperiods.
Phil Bunch
Medellin/Piedras Blancas, Colombia
rcnan,
If you can plant them in pots you can probably have blooms around Christmas inside...;-] If not, I'd toss them and avoid being disappointed next spring (or thinking you have Dahlias when you likely won't...storing them that long I think might be a problem.)
Cheers,
Russ
pdshop,
Lol, I usually state the names as well as the "specs." Actually, if you just hold your mouse over each picture you'll get the names...;-]
The BFD is "A La Mode" and the BBWL is "Sandia Joy."
FWIW, so far this year Sandia Joy is the heartiest. Every single plant I put in the ground has bloomed (25+). China Doll next, and Sayonara after that. Tahiti Sunrise has been fickle (earlier cuttings have done well, later cuttings didn't) and Firepot, which I was really looking forward to hasn't had a bloom yet (irregardless how long the cutting had been taken.)
My first dark purples have bloomed (Purple Taiheijo), but I can't get a good picture yet.
Cheers,
Russ
Those are some neat looking dahlias, Russ. You are the envy of the neighbourhood.
I've been away for a while, and when I came back, mine are not as pristine as usual. Too much rain, I think, and not a regular deadheading.
Good to see that wonderful looking "bodacious", and really neat "a la mode".
pdshop,
FWIW, the pens I bought from Lee Valley did not stand up when used on their wooden stakes, the writing faded to red and then disappeared.
What has worked is the drawing I did of the beds. I just drew a very vague representation of the bed, and indicated where and what each Dahlia were. Worked like a charm, and nobody can muck it up. I did it in Excel so I don't even have to worry about losing the paper. Even worked on my 100+ bed.
Cheers,
Russ
That is really great. Thhanks. as I mentioned before ion the site, I got about 6 dahlias that were not what I ordered. It is so annoying when I try and do a color scheme. At least they are pretty and healthy. In MA., we have had driving rains for days and I am so worried about the tubers. Everything is staked well though.
Thank you huey ga. I would appreciate your recommendations on commercial growers. My email address is trustmissy@chartermi.net. I think that the rest of the people on this forum would like to see the list too.
FWIW, all of mine were planted from cuttings this year. They are planted in basically the same soil conditions, get equal water and sun, yet some grow faster than others. I have several that were listed as early bloomers which have not yet bloomed, while others not listed as such are in full bloom.
IOWs, its not necessarily the tuber. It may be the variety, conditions, etc...
When I started my tubers this year to take cuttings, some sprouted, others didn't. Any that did grew...so if you've got growth, planted them at roughly the right time of the year (for you that'd be late May early June), and have given them sufficient water and sun...they'll likely bloom.
FWIW, I have noticed that most of mine are not as tall as I expected them to be (and not as tall as they were last year) but are blooming never-the-less. I attribute this to the excess rainfall we've had this summer (and the equal lack of sunshine.)
Next year you might want to try putting your tubers in a flat under a grow-light for a week or two to get the eyes to pop and start sprouting. It could be that you planted some tubers upside-down, which would have made them slower than others with visible eyes.
Cheers,
Russ