Gardening: Dahlias need special care to survive Spokane winters
We’ve had one brush with frost so far this fall, but it won’t be long before even the warmest corners of our region will wake up to black and droopy plants. I know a lot of us gamble with frost until the last minute, but sometimes it’s worth trying if you plan ahead.
We’ve had one brush with frost so far this fall, but it won’t be long before even the warmest corners of our region will wake up to black and droopy plants. I know a lot of us gamble with frost until the last minute, but sometimes it’s worth trying if you plan ahead. In our climate we have to dig dahlia tubers every fall because they will freeze if we leave them in the ground over the winter.
Here are some tips on how to dig and store your tubers so you can replant them in the spring. Dahlia tubers should be dug after they have succumbed to the first frost, and the foliage has turned black. Leave them in the ground for one to two weeks to toughen up the tuber skin and transfer energy from the leaves to the tuber.
During this time, the pink growing “eyes” develop and are more visible which helps when dividing the tubers. Cut down the foliage to about 3 to 4 inches above the ground and with a shovel, gently work your way around the clump about a foot out from the stem to loosen the clump. Using a digging fork work the clump out of the ground being careful not to break the fragile tubers.
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Remove any broken tubers and gently wash the dirt off the clump. Dry the tubers for one to two days in a dry, shaded area on cardboard or newspaper. Once the tubers are dry, check them again and trim away any rot and damage.
To divide the clumps, locate the pink growing eyes at the upper end of the tuber near the stem. Using a sharp, clean knife or pruners cut the individual tuber away from the stem. Some gardeners will dip their cutting tools in a bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) between cuts to avoid transferring disease organisms between tubers.
If you are keeping track of the variety names, write it on the tuber with a felt marker. The trick to storing dahlia tubers over the winter is to make sure they don’t dry out or freeze. Tubers should be stored at 40–50 °F with humidity at around 50–60% in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place like a garage, basement or a temperature-controlled shed.
I store mine in my garage until we get a deep cold snap and then bring them into the basement until the cold snap ends. The tubers are best stored in boxes lined loosely with plastic or tubs that allow air movement. Do not put them in sealed plastic bags; they will rot.
The tubers should be packed into the container layered and surrounded with damp peat moss, sand or sawdust/wood chips. The trick is to not get the material too damp which can introduce rot. I pack mine in plastic tubs with loose-fitting lids using damp wood chips.
Check periodically through the winter for moisture and remove any that show signs of rot.
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