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jroot_gw

dahlias are in for the winter.

jroot
15 years ago

We've had 4 frosts now, so the dahlias were brought in the past few days.

Here are some that I worked on this morning.

{{gwi:663216}}
Yes, there are a few cannas in the photo as well, as I got along further than I thought I would. The rest of the cannas will be processed tomorrow.

The tops are cut off; the rat tails cut off; washed well, and then let to surface dry. The next morning, they are dusted with bulb dust ( fungicide ); wrapped loosely with old grocery store bags; packed into card board boxes, and then put into the cold cellar for the winter.

This way, I hardly lose any. Last year, I think I lost only one out of a couple of hundred tubers. I lose more in the garden to slugs, I think.

Russ, I have somethings for you. Give me an e-shout. :)

Comments (46)

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    I am looking out at the garden now. The grass is white and I see dahlias but they could be frozen. I won't go out yet. Where did you get those labels? I like the ones that are attached with a wire.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I make my own labels using old metal venetian blinds which I rescued from the side of the road one day during a large item garbage pickup. I cut them to a reasonable length with tin snips, punch a hole in them, and then tie them to the plant with twine, or bury them beside the plant. I use a permanent marker to indicate the name, size, and colour. Usually it works, although last year, I had someone play a trick on my and exchanged some of the ones in the ground. Fortunately I caught the error when I was lifting them. (That's a bonus for lifting before a MAJOR frost, as the flowers are still on the plant, and one can see if the label is correct.)

  • vikingcraftsman
    15 years ago

    Jroot how many plants do you think you will have for next year? I estimated you had 150 if you sperate what is on the table. My attack cats and combat chihuahua with the German Shepherd keep all away from my dahlia markers.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I have no idea how many right now, other than I have two BIG boxes packed full of them. Space here is at a premium, so if there is any doubt about any of them, there is no "maybe", it is simply "compost".

  • sturgeonguy
    15 years ago

    jroot,

    We still haven't had a frost yet (it was 32.4 at 7:30am yesterday though) and mine are still in full bloom so it will be a while before I lift them.

    When do you separate your tubers?

    Cheers,
    Russ

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Russ,

    There is so much to do in the fall, in the garden getting the beds ready for winter, that I tend to split them in the spring when I have more time.

    John

  • anna_in_quebec
    15 years ago

    John, you look so organized! I awoke to cooked spinach this morning- a sad sight since so many buds were still to open. We have had frost warnings since mid-September, but last night was the big one. Snapdragons, late Rudbeckias, Nicotianas, and mini Rose are still ok however. I hope tomorrow will provide relatively good weather to dig up the tubers. How fast the season seems to have flown...

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    So you were the one who took my plastiv venetian blinds from the side of the road??? Just kidding. Wish I had known they had a purpose. I will muddle through. Don't you let them dry for more than a day?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    We had another heavy frost last night. Right now at 8:38 a.m., it is -3C ( 26.6F ) degrees. I still have to get my geraniums in, and clean up the pond. This morning, to my surprise, I saw another large pot of dahlias sitting on the deck that I had completely forgotten about. Ah well, what's a little more work :(

    pdshop, yes I do not dry them for more than a day before I dust them, sometimes even less if they are dry to the touch. They shrivel up too much. I find that with the recycled plastic grocery bags ( most of which are recycled plastic anyway), they don't dehydrate so much. So, one wants the tubers to be dry to the touch on the outside, but not shrivelled.

    Good luck. I wish you 100% survival.

  • mantorvillain
    15 years ago

    Wow, you are a busy fellow. I've seen you active over on the brug forum (needed to rest, watch the vikings, and surf after moving my 30 odd pots of brugs down into the cool room last pm and this am. My Dahlias (just getting started on these again after 'wandering' for a few years and cannas are all frosted on top and will have to wait til next weekend for digging, dusting etc.
    Thanks for your tip on wrapping in bags as I've let things get too dry over the winter months in peat and had less than ideal startup. I'll give this a try.
    Life's an experiment,
    Will

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    I like that approach. I have not been so lucky with wintering over. The saran wrap in the veg drawer didn't work. I will do the plastic route anad dry and think of a place that will be cold enough but not too cold.

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    Did you say you used plastic store bags or paper? Do you close the top of the box?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I use the recycled plastic grocery store bags. Why send them to the dump, when I can use them effectively to stop dehydration. They will also stop any spread of rot, IF there is any at all. I do not close them tightly however... just tuck the top of the bag under when I place them into the cardboard orange box ( which does have some breathing holes in it already ). Yes I do close the top and stack a couple of boxes on top of each other.

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    Great, Thanks. It is going to snow here.

  • LindaMA
    15 years ago

    I am about to dig up my first dahlia tuber and try to overwinter it in my basement. I do not have any powder to dust with, do you think the tuber will be okay if I wrap it in a plastic bag and place it in a box down in my basement?

    Funny, last Sunday, people were commenting on how lovely my Dahlias were, there were about 8-9 newly opened buds and more to come. I went to bed Sunday night and woke up to ice on my windshield, Dahlias were all dead! I was going to cut some off on Monday too and place them in a vase in my kitchen, should have done it on Sunday.

    Linda

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    It's me again. Can I put rows of dahlias in the box or can't they have anything on them?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    lindama,

    I have not had as much success without the bulb dust. It helps to prevent rot. Once a fungus sets in, the tuber will surely rot. I did not find any in the large department type stores like Canadian Tire, but the hardware stores carry bulb dust. It should be prevalent now, as most gardeners who wish to keep their bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes tend to use it. If you don't use excessive amounts, it should last for many years, and is not very expensive.

    pdshop,

    I pack many rows in the box. In fact, the boxes are full to the top with loosely wrapped, dusted, ID'd, and cleaned tubers.

    Good luck with your storage.

    John

  • pdshop
    15 years ago

    Well let me tell you. My dahlia tubers are the size of shrubs. They are so heavy that some of the tubers break at the ends when I lift them to be cleaned. The big stalks are the size of my forearm. Now their stalks are hollow and full of water. Isn't it going to take them more than one day to dry out?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Of course, you are going to cut off the "shrub" part of the plant. Cut off the stem about 2 inches above the tuber cluster, being certain to leave the section where the "eyes" are. The stem might be hollow, but tubers certainly won't be. I should think you only want the tubers to be dry to the touch with no moisture on the tuber and remaining stem. Be sure to clean off the dirt also before drying. You do NOT want the tuber to be dry and shrivelled, but dry to the touch and firm,- like a healthy carrot.

  • greenbug
    15 years ago

    Guys,

    We had our first frost this Monday morning and all my Dahlias are "spinach" but I just haven't had the time to cut the top off and its already Wednesday night, so I am wondering if it is too late now. Should I still go ahead and cut the top off and then leave the tubers in for a week before digging them up? Or alls lost?
    I am a first timer so need advice. Please advise.
    Thanks.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    No, it is not too late. Go ahead and cut the tops off when you get a chance tomorrow. You can bring the dahlia tubers in then, or wait for a few days. Your choice.

    All is not lost. :)

  • abrodie
    15 years ago

    I dug mine up last Saturday and left them in the carport to dry out. Of course I forgot about them, and they were out there last night and it was minus 3 c or so. Have I lost them?

    Brodie

  • caroline_2008
    15 years ago

    OK, I just dug one bunch of dahlias, do these look ok ?

    Do I take them all apart , little and big ones ?

    Then wrap and store in card board box. Thanks for
    info. Happy gardening,caroline {{gwi:663218}}From garden flowers 3

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Wow! What a mass! This is often what happens when we don't split the tubers prior to planting. I can see at least 4 recent plant stems and several older stems there as well. This makes it that much more difficult.

    To answer your question, yes they look okay, in that I mean viable and show potential for next year.

    However, before you tackle separating them, remember that the eyes will appear at the top of the tuber / base of the NEW stem. You do not want to lose those eyes, as they have to stay attached to the tuber, as the tuber will feed the new plant next spring. I recall a nice friend who gave me quite a few tubers that she had cleaned, and every one of them had the eyes cut off. Alas, no plants. :(

    First, get rid of all the rat tails ( thin roots ) that will not produce new plants, and only server to feed the tuber when it grows. They serve no purpose now.

    I still see dirt in the tuber mass. That should be washed out, being careful not to scrape the skin of the tuber too much.

    You will see a difference in some of the tubers. Some are young and fine skinned, while others are old and wrinkled. The old ones were from last year. They can be carefully cut off, as can the old stems.

    If you can separate the tubers, still attached to the fresh stem, you should be able to actually have 3 or 4 smaller clumps. These can be split, as per the other posts here, or you can wait until spring, start them under lights to see which are viable, and then separate them. If you can't separate them, you can store them ( I have given how I do that above ) and separate them in the spring. Don't make the same mistake next spring and plant the entire mass, as you will have smaller flowers and a plant that is not as robust.

    That is what I would do. However, I am only one person. Other view may differ.

  • caroline_2008
    15 years ago

    jroot, thanks for all the info. I haven't dug them for
    at least 3 years, I thought that was the reason for so
    many roots and small tubers. I tried jet spraying and
    will prob have to divide to get all the dirt out. I had
    cut them to about 2 ft. earlier, and they grew back from
    the ground like bushes.Maybe the reason for so many stems.
    I had some beautifull blooms, and just may get some new
    ones come spring. Thanks again for the interesting info.
    Happy gardening, caroline

  • gladzoe
    15 years ago

    I can't get some of this tough clay dirt off the tuber, will it kill it to leave it on?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    It shouldn't bother it, if it is dry. Try to get as much off as possible, but don't lose any sleep over it.

  • misslucinda
    15 years ago

    This is off topic, Jroot, but as you've given us a photo of your lovely, cleaned canna tubers as well, did I make a mistake by cutting off almost all of my green stem? You seem to have precisely left about 3 inches of top growth on each of yours.

    BTW, I like the tarp idea.

    Lucinda

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Not necessarily so, Lucinda. I leave a little extra so I can see (fading eyesight LOL) where the eyes should be. I usually end up nipping more off in the spring when I lay them out under lights.

  • tiffy_z5_6_can
    15 years ago

    John,

    How do you apply the fungicide? I hate using such stuff, but read your post here yesterday and bought some today. I got some tubers from a good friend this past spring and want to really - REALLY - keep these Dahlias as they are such a beautiful peach/orange/rose colour.

    Thanks for any help. Some tubers are a reasonable size but I must admit that I have clumps1.5 feet wide and 1 foot deep. Broke a shovel taking them out.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hi Tiffy,

    How do I apply the fungicide ( aka bulb dust )?

    I put the tuber/tuber clump (whatever you have) into a plastic bag. Shake a little of the bulb dust onto them. Close the bag, and shake ( like shake and bake LOL ). Then I take the tuber out, and put it into another bag for storage.

    I ALWAYS do this outside, as I do not wish to get any of the dust into the house or my lungs. I also hold my breath while I do so.

    If you have clumps that large, I suspect that they haven't been divided in a while. See above my note to Caroline.
    That being said, I also get some clumps which are quite large, and others that are small. My red dahlia put out HUGE tubers, whereas my dinnerplate yellows look like a dog's testicles ( REALLY small ). Sorry about that analogy, but it seemed to describe the size well.

    How is zone 6 treating you tonight? Is it as cold there as it is here? -3C LOL

  • misslucinda
    15 years ago

    Thank you John! I too, was wondering about the "dust" (which I purchased this weekend on your repeated recommendation in posts past. My issue was not the 'shake and bake' which I instinctively did, but getting that shtuff out of the squeeze bottle---annoyingly weensy dust doses. But they are covered and now my only problem is that I ignored Jroot procedure and mixed my canna before marking! 2009 will be an interesting summer (oh, man..).

  • tiffy_z5_6_can
    15 years ago

    John,

    Thanks for the info. The winds are a bit strong today so I'll work on rebuilding my fourth compost bin and keep the tuber dusting for after work tomorrow and I'll do it outside.

    Woke-up to our first 'gotta scrape it off the windshield' frost this morning. We live on a peninsula close to Halifax so we get much milder winters than you most times due to the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic.

    Used to do Dahlias 10 years ago on another property but gave them up due to a back issue. Fell in love with them again this year when my friend gave me tubers and I stuck them in the holding bed. They were gorgeous!! Hope this works. :O)

  • runningtrails
    15 years ago

    I fell in love iwth dahlias this year and have been on the lookout for any and all available! I've read that ground cinnamon makes a good fungicide. Has anyone tried this? i have also read other gardeners say they spray their cannas while in storage. Will this help dahlias too? Does it make a difference with cannas? I have those too.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    runningtrails,

    I understand your love for Dahlias. For some folks, the dahlias require too much work. For me, it is worth the effort. I love them also.

    To answer your questions:
    1) Yes, I have also heard that cinnamon makes a good fungicide. Poochella commented on this in this forum on another discussion. To me, I would rather use my cinnamon in muffins, pies, or cookies. LOL

    2) Cannas can wither in storage, so a light misting can help if they are drying out too much. Personally I have not done this.

    3) I wouldn't spray my dahlias during the winter, as I have found that moisture is a cause of rot. In the spring ( March ), when I start them up again, they will welcome the moisture which I give them when I start them up again. You will see other links in this forum for starting them up.

    4) Can it help and does it make a difference? I suppose it depends on the conditions which they are in. Most of us check out tubers every month or so, just to be sure they are okay, pulling out any that have gone mushy ( if indeed they do). Hopefully they will be okay and not go soft during the winter.

    Good luck with your tubers. Remember that your dahlia tubers will prefer a cooler temperature than your canna rhizomes. I like to keep my dahlia tubers around 40 F and my cannas around 55 F , if possible.

  • tiffy_z5_6_can
    15 years ago

    Me again John with a couple more Qs.

    1) You say you start your Dahlias in March. In pots inside? I've always planted in the ground in late May but would like to start some in pots next year. Outside, March would be too early for me as we still have some snowfalls sometimes into early April.

    2) Just split and dusted and bagged half of my tubers today as per your instructions. Will do the other half tomorrow. When I dusted it looked like the tubers had been floured rather heavily. I shook them off a bit but the stuff still looked thick on them even though they were dry. Is this normal?

    3) When you take them out to plant in the spring, do you wash the bulb dust before you plant?

    Thanks for any and all your help. :O)

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Good morning, Tiffy.

    1) Actually, I start them in trays where they are slightly covered with potting soil. When they sprout, I then pot them up, or separate them if necessary. It doesn't make sense to pot them up, if they don't sprout, so I only pot the sprouted tubers. We also have snow and definitely frost at this time. I am in zone 5, in Rockwood near Guelph, so I appreciate what you say. However, I do take the potted dahlias ( 10 to a tray )outside on warm days, to get them used to the sun. On cold days, they are religated to the garage.

    2) I agree, they look like they are floured LOL. I do shake off excess, but it is normal for the dust to stick to the tubers. It is the dust that help prevent any fungus growth and/or rot.

    3) No, I don't wash them in the spring. I just lay them on some of the potting mix,;and then sprinkle some more to slightly cover most of them; moisten them SLIGHTLY; put a plastic dome on top of them with air holes ( or a recycled plastic dry cleaning bag with an air space between the plastic and the tubers )place them under lights ( or in a window); and watch them sprout. :)

    John

  • tiffy_z5_6_can
    15 years ago

    Thanks again for the info John. Much appreciated. :O)

  • sturgeonguy
    15 years ago

    FWIW tiffy, I have already started my next year tubers and I'm slightly north of John. Mine are in trays under lights now, and I'll take cuttings soon and plant those up (and eventually just discard the tubers themselves.)

    My goal is to have them all in bloom for May 24, before they actually go into the ground...;-] We'll see...

    Cheers,
    Russ

  • loswan
    15 years ago

    Is it warm enough on Long Island or should my Dahlias come in? This is my first year! And once they started blooming they didn't stop. The more I cut the more buds kept reappearing! It's been around 20F in the mornings. Could they still come back next year if I don't pull them up? Out of 7 bulbs 4 plants actually came up. Do I dig for the lost bulbs? Anyone hear of a 'Dahlias for Dummies' manual? First year with a garden and the zucchini's wouldn't stop flowering and coming up. All beginner's luck and I feel like I didn't know what I was doing the whole time.

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    loswan,

    That is the beauty of dahlias. Once they start blooming, if we do the dead heading, they will keep on blooming until frost. I love them for that.

    You have obviously had frost. They might come back, but I have my doubts, unless you pull them up and store them. I have given many details about how I store mine.

    If I were you, on the first sunny day, I would dig them up and quickly get them into the garage for "processing". I wouldn't worry abut the "lost tubers". They might be the basis of an experiment to see if they will actually make it through the winter. You might even want to try to over winter some just to find out if they return, but that choice would be yours. You are in a different grow zone, so I cannot speak authoritatively on your specific area.

    I hope that helps.

  • loswan
    15 years ago

    jroot-- I got them stored!!! I only had yellow ones!!

    Flower compatibility? With Dahlias? They are so tall I figured some low to the ground impatiens would work and they grow like bushes on Long Island. The ones in the ground around the Dahlias died. I put some in flowerpots and hanging baskets and they really took off. Are they incompatible? Petunias and Marigolds did the same thing. Maybe it was the combination of all three low to the ground plants. However, by themselves in the vegetable garden, the marigolds and petunias took off. The Dahlias did look great this year! I hope the storage plan works! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    15 years ago

    What with one thing or another (and another and anotherÂ) I never got my dahlias dug after they were frosted. They were frosted over 3 weeks ago. IÂm Zone 5 Chicago; it seemed like winter came much earlier this year. We have had a lot of days and nights below freezing so far. There is a kind of frozen crust on the top of the soil now, which I saw when I tried to plant bulbs yesterday.
    Will it be too late now? How will I be able to tell if they are still alive?

  • jroot
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Loswan, it is good that you got them in. Were they still firm? I sure hope so.

    Linnea56, we know that they won't survive where they are, so really I don't see much choice for you. Either dig them up, and hope for the best ( quickly get them indoors so they don't get frozen. ) or let them go and become instant compost in the soil. It is too bad, because if I remember correctly, you had some nice ones. If the top of the soil is frozen, it doesn't necessarily mean that a couple of inches below are frozen. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

  • loswan
    15 years ago

    Thank you jroot--I did a double check on the bulbs and they seem firm. Except one of them looks more like a chopped onion on one side. Did I break it digging it up? I'll tell you one thing, I don't know what happens down under but they don't look the same from what I planted in May. Now 40 degrees will be the cue on when to replant them next spring? I may buy some more bulbs. I just want to be conservative with costs on gardening. With a new vegetable garden, I can see how costs escallate on these things. I worked with seedlings and buying flats is so much easier but 10 times the cost.

    Good luck Linnea56. I think you may wind up with a white holiday. My husband is from Chicago. I love the Sears tower.

  • glaswegian
    15 years ago

    Wow...nice pics and tubers. Please if anyone has extras, don't compost it, I'll be more than happy to take them off ya

    Cheers