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Dahlias Hardy

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Posted by threeorangeboys 7a (My Page) on
Fri, May 12, 06 at 9:46

I recently heard that dahlias might be hardy here??? I thought they were only hardy to zone 8. Has anyone successfully overwintered them in Northern Virginia?

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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Not I. And I have tried, mostly by accident when a hard freeze hit us earlier than expected. Every tuber either turned to mush or just disintegrated over the winter in spite of heavy mulch. Now, if you have them near the house foundation and mulch extra deep, that might fool them into thinking they were in zone 8. Interestingly, elephant's ears and most cannas *can* be overwintered in my area, provided the mulch is thick enough.

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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I'm in zone 7 near Richmond and I've had dahlias survive over winter if I put them near the foundation on the south side of the house and mulch them. They don't make it in any other area of the yard, though. I know you're colder but it's worth a test for a few tubers.

Sandy

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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I'm in Farmville & until I planted them deeply they died. I've had success with them since going just a bit deeper than I had before, about 4 inches instaed of the two or three. I alson keep a much on to of that. I've had no luck with cannas, but am going to try again this year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Virginia Country Life

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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This year my dahlias, cannas and calas are all coming back. Didn't have time last fall to bring them in so I just covered them with a thick layer of composted leaf mulch. I think I'll do that from now on since it was 10 times easier than diging, cleaning, storing, and replanting the tubers in the spring.

Filbert

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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Absolutely. Until now, I have just planted all my dahlias as annuals as it is too much work to bring them in and store them. I am going to try to overwinter them this year.

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RE: Dahlias Hardy

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I have overwintered them for most of the 18 years I have lived in Harrisonburg. The year they froze may have been very cold or I was careless.

Mounded **dry** leaves are essential. I sometimes place a bag of leaves on top of the mound, but my gp finds that not pleasing to the eye. Lately I have used tomato cages to hold the leaves in place.

My dahlias are planted in a permanently mulched bed on the side of a hill. We get frosts here less frequently than two blocks away at the bottom of the hill. How much difference would that make in freezes?
Dave

  
 

 

 


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