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What to do in a wet fall?

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Posted by rose_nutty z4b (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 18, 07 at 10:50

I've not experienced a fall like this since I began growing dahlias. It has been a record year for us in the range of precipation for October. We had already broken our record by the middle of the month. I usually have no trouble digging out my dahlias in relatively dry earth. This year, it is and has stayed soggy all month. They are planted on a hillside with a gentle slope, so they are well-drained, but after nearly 6" of rain this past weekend and more cool and rainy weather on the way, I'm really wondering what I should do. We also have not yet had a frost. Should I go ahead and mud them out to keep them from rotting? They are actively growing, but I'm just so afraid of losing my tubers to rot in the ground. And if I dig them while so soggy, will that affect their keeping power over the winter? HELP!

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RE: What to do in a wet fall?

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I would think if they are on a slope they should drain well enough to keep them from rotting. If they are still actively growing and not wilting your tubers should be fine. If they start wilting then your tubers are rotting. You might dig a clump,not your favorite, to see how they look and just pack it back into the ground or go ahead and and clean it up and let it stay in some cool/cold weather for a week or so for it to cure and get hard. Make sure to wrap it in some paper so it won't dry out and keep it out of freezing weather. You can use this technique if you decide to dig them all

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