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Too early to dig & store in CA?

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Posted by dwpc 10 SoCal (My Page) on
Sat, Oct 2, 10 at 1:39

I've posted a few times this season about the dahlias I had to dig up because of a construction project. They grew well and bloomed in their pots through August. Last year I had blooms into October. Around Labor Day though, they developed powdery mildew and before I could treat it the buds and foliage withered. I think I killed off the mildew, but the plants are now not quite brown, but a long way from green. Last year, I dug them up in February and kept them out only long enough to dry out and to divide. My question is, should I cut the foliage off and leave the tubers in the pots with minimal moisture a few more months, or de-pot the tubers now and store them in dry peat until planting season. I hesitate because we still have a lot of warm weather ahead and I don't have any place to keep the tubers dependably cool storage until Feb/Mar.

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RE: Too early to dig & store in CA?

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I suggest that you leave them in the pots. Even though the original tops have almost died off they may continue to grow or a new shoot(s) should be coming out of the tuber since the old one is not growing correctly. Give them sun & water and let them grow during the rest of your growing season.

When your dormant season arrives cut off the sun & water and let them go dormant in the pots. They will be just fine since you have such mild weather.

I do the same thing with a number of pots I grow above ground. When frost takes the tops I just move them into the cool side of my basement (garage) for the winter. I don't have to fool with trying to divide and store them for the winter out of the pots. When I am ready to start cuttings in Jan/Feb I just move the pots I want to take cuttings from into the warm side of my basement, add water & light and another season begins.

Hope that helps.

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