I successfully stored my dahlias for the first time last year by just putting them in a plastic bin with peat moss. However, I was wondering if this year I could put them in small paper bags, marked with the color, then into the plastic bins with peat moss.

If that would work, should I also put peat moss inside the bag with each clump?

Thank you so much for any information!

The plastic bin, open as it is, is a fine way to store the tuber clumps surrounded by peat moss to keep them from touching one another.

Vermiculite in the volume that would be required to cover such clump would be cost prohibitive; peat moss is relatively inexpensive and can be later used in the garden or in the compost.

The only reason I wanted to use bags this year was because my method of sorting colors was a major disaster. :-)

I have always wondered about using plastic bags though. I thought it would keep moisture in and rot them. Obviously, though, some people swear by it! Whatever works. :-)

I remember being aghast to learn about storing in Saran Wrap and further violating the theory that moisture and darkness harbor all sorts of fungi and bacteria by storing those inside a plastic bin or styrofoam cooler. Same for plastic bags. It seemed contrary to all gardening common sense. But it does work, and works well in most cases.

I use both those methods now with coarse vermiculite or cedar shavings in the plastic bags. The storage media are really not expensive if bought in very large bags. Our feed store carries them both in ~4 cu ft bags that will last for a lot of seasons. The shavings are packed tightly and go a long way. They smell good too.

Bottom line is to use what works for you and suits your time and space constraints. But it never hurts to try something new. I've saved individual tubers in aluminum foil and even newspaper rolled up and taped, just to see how they'd do. They're growing in the garden right now.