Dahlias are deservedly popular ‚”summer bulbs”– wonderful flowers for the garden and excellent cut flowers as well. In warm climates (zone 8 or warmer) they are perennial and may be left in the garden year round. But in colder climates, the tubers (dahlia roots) must be “lifted” or dug up each fall and stored safely indoors for the winter. Next spring, replant the dahlia tubers in your flower garden. Use extra tubers to increase your stock or share and swap with friends.
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The digging process is straightforward. Wait until about a week after frost kills and blackens the top growth. Cut the stalk down to six inches. Dig up the tubers using a garden fork or spade. Start digging about a foot away from the stem because the clump of tubers will be much larger than what you planted. Dig around the clump in a circle, then pry it up from the bottom. Try not to damage the tubers. Important: Leave the stem intact with the clump.
Gently brush off excess soil and rinse clean with a garden hose. Do not wash the skin off the tubers. Air dry the clumps upside down in a dry place at room temperature for a day or so. Do not wait so long that they turn hard.
Label the clumps so you know which is which. Use a tie-on label for each clump, or write the name on the tubers with a permanent marker.
Some gardeners treat the cleaned tubers with a fungicide such as powdered garden sulfur to help prevent rot during storage. Read and follow the label directions carefully if you opt to do this extra step.
Tubers should be kept in the dark at a steady, cool temperature so they stay firm without rotting, shriveling or sprouting prematurely. The storage place should be dry and safely above freezing but below 50 degrees. Aim for 40 to 45 degrees. An old fashioned root cellar is perfect. Consider an unheated basement, attic, crawl space, attached garage or even a refrigerator.
Tubers may be packed in a plastic bag with holes punched in it, or in a loosely closed plastic bag, or in a closed cardboard box or paper bag. Surround the tubers with milled sphagnum peat moss, dry shavings, coarse sand, coarse vermiculite, or newspaper to both insulate and separate them. The tubers should not touch each other. They must be kept dark.
Check the tubers periodically during storage. If they begin to shrivel, mist with a little tepid water. If there is condensation, allow to air dry a bit. Remove any rotting tubers. Most problems seem to be related to storing damaged tubers which are prone to rot, and to unsuitable storage temperature. Check the temperature range inside the storage container with a min-max thermometer.
Every dahlia grower has their own favorite technique for storing dahlias. Be prepared to experiment a little and see what works best for you.
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