Where do you store your tubers? What percentage actually survive?

12 years ago

There really aren't any places in most homes where the temperature stays at a convenient 50 degree F all through winter, even when the outside temps drop below 15 degrees or less.

So the only place I could find is the attic, which because of the unusual design of our early 70's contemporary house, is actually beside my bedroom, instead of over it. So there is a door about 4.5 feet tall, and 2.5 feet wide that leads into the side-attic(there is also a regular over head attic above the other bedrooms, but getting to it on a regular basis is tricky).

The temperature in that side attic stays around 10-15 degrees above the outside temp, except when I crack the door and it then will warm up even more. But so far, the temps have been unusually warm in Nov, and Dec, and have been in the 40's, 50,s and 60,s during the day. But now we are in the 40's as a high. I keep a thermometer in there, and I check it 2 times a day at least.

I placed the tubers in slightly moist sterile potting soil, wrapped in newspaper, then placed some in a plastic box with lid, and others in plastic bags with a small air hole at the top, then into cardboard boxes. They've been in the attic for 1 month now, and I'll be checking them soon.

But I'm wondering how many will survive, and not shrivel up and dry out. Also, most didn't have obvious eyes(although I'm not an expert in finding eyes), so I'm wondering whether the eyes will develop and become more obvious as winter progresses and they spend more time dormant? Do they become easier to spot in winter, or spring?

I decided to separate my tubers, even though I'm no expert in doing it, and couldn't locate most eyes. I knew there was a possibility that as I cut them apart, I might even end up cutting them right through some eyes that weren't yet obvious to find. Others might not have enough of the stem left on them to form eyes later. But I took my time and separated them pretty equally and carefully, so I'm hopeful if they survive.

So here it is:

*1. Where did you decide to store your tubers, and how safe is it from freezing or warming too

much?

*2. What percentage of your tubers usually survive winter storage and grow the next year?

*3. Will the eyes develop a little, so they become easier to locate later in winter or spring?

Comments (5)

redmond_phyllis
12 years ago
We have a well insulated shed in our Pacific NW backyard. The shed generally keeps temp of between 30-50. Sometimes, in the coldest of winter, we tun on the little heater out there and bring the temp back to 35-40. Then of course, when spring comes, I have to be careful of the temp going over 50. Not a lot I can do then, except get the tubers in the ground (if it's time.)

Last year, I probably had 80% survival. Most of what didn't survive were the little pencil width tubers. And when I checked up on them in late January, there were some bad spots in some of the larger tubers. If the bad spots were away from the collar (eye holder?) then I cut them out like the bad spot in produce. After "surgery" I sprayed the open spot with Lysol and let it dry out a little, then put it back into the box. In most cases, that took care of rot in process. Not every time, but saved most.

This is my second year digging clumps in the fall. The only time that finding eyes is easy for me is when I dig in the spring, and the sprouts are already coming up out of the clump.
teddahlia
12 years ago
Will the eyes develop a little, so they become easier to locate later in winter or spring?

The eyes will swell when the tubers are exposed to warmer temps in the Spring.

Digging and dividing tuber clumps is not all that hard but as with anything else you need to do it and probably make some mistakes to learn how. Two hints for beginners:
(1) grow several varieties that are known for having lots of nice fat, easy to divide tubers. Start dividing them to learn. Examples are Chilsons Pride, Cornel, Mingus Toni, or just about any Swan Island Dahlia variety.
(2) Before you dig the tubers out of the ground, cut off the stalk about 6 inches above soil level one week before digging. This will cause the eyes to swell and to be easily seen.
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redmond_phyllis
12 years ago
Hi Ted

Maybe with some varieties it's easy, but there are many times I just aim for the places where there should be an eye. More often than not, I seem to have success. But some varieties are harder than others! For example, Holly Hills Spider Woman seems to have no . . . what I call a collar. Or the two plants I had seemed to have collarless tubers. So while I divided my HHSW tubers as best I could, I've got little hope that I really will have one viable tuber. It may be one variety in 2012 where I plant all the tubers I have (all the HHSW) at the same stake and hope for action!
teddahlia
12 years ago
Hollyhill Spiderwoman is blessed with lots of eyes that you may not see. The tubers are bit small and a bit ugly but save them all and I bet you will find sprouts on many of them in the Spring. Even a small tuber of it will grow well.

Aiming for places where there should be an eye is easy to say to the experienced dahlia grower but is difficult to explain to the beginner. Eyes occur where the tuber attaches to the stalk and if you cut them off of the tuber, the tuber will not sprout no matter how big it is. The eyes are actually in sets of three: a large one in the middle and a small one on each side. Any of the three can sprout but the middle one does so first. If it is lost one of the others takes over.

On tree dahlias the tubers can be three feet long and are difficult to divide. Also,on a tree dahlia there are inter nodes on the stem that can be used in place of tubers. They can be planted and will grow into a full sized plant. This can be done with our dahlias once in a while. For example if you grow a dahlia in a very small pot to make a "pot tuber" the plants will make very small tubers. If you happen to cut off the stem a few inches above the pot, you sometimes leave a leaf node on the stem and it may sprout in the Spring before the eyes on the tubers below it sprout.
redmond_phyllis
12 years ago
Thanks for the insight Ted. You're the expert on that variety.