3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Let a killing frost blacken all your foliage. Cut off the main stalks leaving about a 6-8 inch "handle." Some people protect the open end of the stalk from rain at this point with foil or such. I use milk cartons and what a sight that is! You should transfer a label to the stalk or a stem so you know what variety you're dealing with- alot of them look exactly alike when out of the ground!

Wait a couple days then, using a tined fork or a carefully operated shovel, loosen the soil around 3 sides of the clump. I aim for about 8 or so inches out from all sides of the stalk and about a foot deep- often they are much shallower. Then you can get under the clump and gently rock it out of the ground; sometimes using the handle stalk to help lift it. Don't know if that will hurt your perennials or not, but they should be able to be patted down in place again, no sweat.

Once out of the ground, you can gently work off the big soil bits, rocks, worms etc, then wash it all well with a hose. Some people swirl the clump in a final wash of 10% bleach water, I save that for the individual tubers because there is invariably more dirt in tiny crevices you can't get to when they're still clumped. And a worm or two. At this point I jot down the variety on a couple good tuber candidates in case the label comes off. There are good pencils available that write on damp tubers without hurting them. No Blot Ink Pencil is one. Some use Sharpies on a drier tuber.

Let your washed clump dry a few hours, or overnight in a shaded, dry, non freezing place. Then cut off tubers (see link,) to prepare for your storage method. I use gallon zip lock bags with a little vermiculite inside to let the tubers dry a bit more before final storage. The bags are labelled for each variety.

If you read back to October/November of 04 you will find no end of threads on digging, dividing, storing tubers. I am a recent convert to the Saran Wrap method and will do that again this year for its excellent results.

If you do a search of dahlia websites available, almost all of them have advice on this process and a Midwest one might have more specific pointers for your zone.

Here is a link that might be useful: digging and storing

I don't think you need to worry about heat in BC, but I wish you could squeak in a little earlier sunshine.

I have dahlias in a garden that really don't get warm sun until about 11 a.m.- 5 pm and they do fine, but 2p.m. seems late to me. Is the new place going to be just for dahlias? Maybe you could try a couple and see how they do there.

It would mainly be for dahlias yes. I'm already looking ahead for suppliers here in BC lol. I know it's only barely September, but the earlier the better (in my books lol)

Where my Dahlias are now, they get the morning sun, and when the sun goes around the side of the trailer they're rather shaded. (we live in a mobile home park and our space is limited) I would have to say the new spot would have more sunlight opposed to what they get now.

I guess I kinda answered my own question hu? lol.

Nikki~

This is my first year having Dahlias -
and I'm really diggin' em!

For your hummers, how about some red-flowering Cannas?
And I've got your Golden Jubillee Augustache (seed), and maybe some Dragon Arum tubers?

I may be able to tuck in some young Kalanchoe plants also, and Jerusalem Artichoke tubers if you like. I always have lots of seed for German Chammomile, which grows nicely in around other tall plants...and alyssum seed for edges.

Just let me know if you are interested. (Lots of veggie seed too...)

Julie, in Portland

I would love to make a home for your babies. I have wanted some dahlias for the longest time but can't afford to buy any. Please take a look at my exchange list and see if there's anything you are interested in.

Ara

Here is a link that might be useful: My Trade List

Hi amymalia. You have large aspirations and enthusiasm to match! Unfortunately, I can't answer as we have no gophers here. Moles, chipmunks, pine squirrels, bears, deer and other big scary things, but no gophers. Only the moles to date have neared the dahlias but not harmed them, and an occasional bouquet of planted sunflower seeds shows up as evidence of the passing squirrel.

Anyone else have gophers?

Welcome, and congratulations on your major overhaul and garden plans. I'm not sure about your zone, but it could be too late to plant dahlias for this season, or did you mean next year?

Yes, yes, yes--next year. This year is winding down with a lovely show of the handful of dahlias that I picked up last year. Being the aforementioned novice and a little daunted by the prices of dahlia bulbs at my favorite nursey I only picked up 6 or so (however, I hear that Costco carries them early in the year...)but they are gorgeous. These were planted into my raised bed and so are protected by some serious Alcatraz gopher wire. The new additions, however, wil likely be on the own. It's not that I won't dig trenches and line it with wire if need be, it's just that I'd RATHER NOT do if unecessary.

Anyway, thanks for the laundry list of other if not less likely predators. No bears in my neck of the woods however my black cat has lately taken on the appearance of a very obese black bear cub, but I digress....

thanks for your input poochella....anyone else out there with input on gophers?

Happy gardening to you...

I wouldn't do it. Mine you, I am in zone 5, and you are in zone 8. You might get away with it, but if you want tubers to be a good size, for overwintering, then you want to starve the plant somewhat.

Could be earwigs. I am also plagued with cucumber beetles. :-(

It could be those little ___'s They are pesky aren't they?

I haven't tried it but I've been plastic wrapping my tubers for many years with great success. Recently I've also wrapped some in aluminum foil with with similar results.
Sealing them with the sticky wrap may not be the best idea since gases which form during storage should have an avenue of escape. One of my dahlia buddies tried vacuum sealing one year and lost them all to rot. Let us know how you make out.