Hi, Cadence. I am way down Sound from you, near Seattle. Are you near sea level too? I start my dahlias in pots inside in March and grow them in my greenhouse until they are about 2' tall, then plant them out in May when the weather seems to be warming up. I usually get some blooms in early July from these pre-started dahlias, but most of them bloom in August. They will keep blooming into late October, with the first freeze coming around Halloween for me. Mine like all the sun they can get, and they want the best drainage they can get. I lost most of them that were toward the bottom of a slight north slope last winter but most years they are fine left in the ground over winter for me. This year I will make sure they all have a 6" cover of dirt or mulch. That is how deep the ground appeared to have frozen them last year.

Hi lizalily, thank you for all your help. I'm wondering if I just leave them in the ground all winter, will they come back in the spring? My dahlias are about 2' tall and are really bushy and still blooming with lots of buds still. Maybe they will bloom right to the end of October like yours. I'm just debating whether to take them out of the ground or leave them with lots of BMulch around them. They get morning shade and afternoon sun. Thanks for your help.

If you leave the dahlias in the ground you always risk loosing them, but For me, after 20 years of raising them, it comes down to two things....do you have good drainage? Do you cover them at least 6" with mulch or soil? I loose a few but probably not as many as when I tried digging and storing.

It is predicted to be as bad a winter as last year or worse. I did loose a few dahlias but not as many as I thought. Some sprouted late, probably a tuber on the bottom of the pile that was protected by the ones above it. Some of those probably won't bloom this year and they are still only about 1-2' tall...but I hope to save them and have them bloom next year.

I wish you good luck with how ever you decide to preserve yours this year!

Thank you lizalily.
If I remove the tubers, how would I store them? Do you place them in a paper bag and store in them in a dark place for the winter? should they be dried out before storing? and when would I plant them again? Please forgive all my questions as this is the first time I've ever planted dahlias? Your help is really appreciated.