How to Dig and Store Dahlia Tubers Over the Winter
If you're like most dahlia gardeners, you're head over heels for those gorgeous, colorful blooms. But many wonder how to keep dahlia coming back, year after year. After all, dahlia plants are native to warm climates, so they die in freezing temperatures.
Here's the good news: You can store dahlia tubers over the winter. It's a simple process that lets you bring those beautiful plants back each year for summer blooms.
Storing dahlia tubers is an easy way to ensure that you'll always have stunning color in your garden, from mid-summer through fall. Read on to learn what you need to know about how to store dahlia bulbs in winter.
When Should You Dig Up Dahlia Tubers?
Start by determining your USDA hardiness zone. If you live in USDA zones 8, 9 or 10, the ground in your region doesn't freeze over the winter. That means you can simply trim dahlia plants after a frost, then cover the roots with mulch to protect them over the winter.
If you live in USDA hardiness zone 7 and below, you will need to dig up your dahlia tubers and store them over the winter. You need to dig up plants after a frost turns dahlia leaves yellow, but before a hard frost or freeze.
Freezing temperatures can kill the dahlia tubers under the dirt. Check your region's frost dates to ensure you get the timing right.
How to Store Dahlia Tubers in Winter
To store dahlia bulbs, wait until after a frost turns dahlia leaves yellow. Trim the plants back to two to four inches above the soil, and discard the cut foliage.
Using a spade or digging fork, carefully loosen the dirt around the tuber clumps.
Dig on all four sides of dahlia bulbs, starting about a foot away from the clump.
Remove the tubers from the ground, shaking gently to remove excess soil. Remove any large clumps of dirt. You may want to turn the dahlia clumps upside down for a few hours to let water drain out of the stems.
Use a hose to wash excess soil off of tuber clumps. Try to get as much dirt as you can off the tubers. Just be sure not to puncture the tuber skin, as this could cause rot.
Examine each tuber for signs of damage or rot. Remove any rotten bits.
Place the dahlia tubers in the container and fill with vermiculite, sand or peat moss. Leave a bit of space around each individual tuber, so they don't touch and potentially spread rot.
Store the tubers in a dry, frost-free place with adequate ventilation. Ideally, dahlia bulbs should remain at a temperature between 40 and 45 degrees F.
How Long Can You Store Dahlia Tubers?
Store dahlia tubers for several months over the winter. Check them periodically for signs of rot, which may be caused by excess moisture. Look for soft spots, and remove any damaged tubers before they affect the rest.
In early spring, move your bags, boxes or baskets of tubers to a warmer location. Choose a dark place at room temperature. This will help "jump start" the development of eyes.
You may also choose to increase moisture. Simply add a few teaspoons of water to the dahlia tuber container about a week before you plant to plant.
Examining and Trimming Dahlia Tubers
You may choose to examine, trim and divide dahlia tubers before you store them over the winter. You can also split tubers from the mother clump in the spring, before you plant them.
When you're dividing dahlia clumps, make sure that each piece has an eye. Disinfect cutting tools between each clump division by dipping them in a bleach/water solution.
My Tubers Have a Lot of Roots Growing From Them. Should I Trim Those Off?
If you see lots of roots on a tuber, remove them before storing. Feeder roots and stalks tend to make dahlia tubers more susceptible to rot over the winter.
Digging and storing dahlia tubers over the winter helps ensure that you have brilliant color in your garden next summer. These simple steps will help you dig, divide, trim and examine your dahlia bulbs with ease.
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