[garddwr]

Had a good clear out today of all the borders and pots so I thought you can store dahlia tubers ? If so do I just store he tuber in a frost free place and plant again in spring or leave them as they are ? :

[DD.]

Dry them out, brush off any soil & remove any diseased bits of the tuber.

Pack in boxes of peat (I know, I know), or course - not builder's sand.

Store in cool dry, frost free place.

[garddwr]

will just normal compost do ?

[DD.]

I'll move this to "General Gardening" as GYO is really for the eatables!

[topgardener]

What i do is cut the tops off to about 6 inches clean all the soil from the rizome and stand them upside down to drain any water out. Cut any rizomes of that are rotten and place them in a frost free place for winter. I feb. start them off in compost in trays . When the new shoots are about 4inches high cut them off with a bit of the rizome on and they will root easily. you can get as many as 6 to 8 cuttings this way and each one is a new plant. Hope this helps
Tony

[Debz]

Once I have cut off the tops and let them drain for a few days, I give them a shake to get most of the soil off.  I wrap them in newspaper, put them in a box and put them in the attic.  I forget about them till the end of February and then I plant them again.

[mrs bouquet]

Once I have cut off the tops and let them drain for a few days, I give them a shake to get most of the soil off.  I wrap them in newspaper, put them in a box and put them in the attic.  I forget about them till the end of February and then I plant them again.

Yes thats what I do, although at the moment mine are still in the ground, flowering their little hearts out.  Mrs Bouquet

[Trillium]

Definitely need all the dirt off so you're not bringing in any hidden slugs or other freeloaders, nor diseases. I even give my tubers a good rinse and let them air dry as the others describe, with tops cut reasonably short. Any seeds are also viable so you might want to save them as well. Unlike DD, rolling in peat   , I just put my dry tubers in a slatted tray which goes into my cold cellar for the winter. Come spring they're a tad shriveled, but they'll still plump out again.

[babe]

mine is only now flowering. do i have to dig it up, or can it be left in situ.

[Yorkie]

I'd leave it till after the first frost, then the foliage will be blackened and you can dig it up without losing the benefit of the flowers.

[Nogger]

What i do is cut the tops off to about 6 inches clean all the soil from the rizome and stand them upside down to drain any water out. Cut any rizomes of that are rotten and place them in a frost free place for winter. I feb. start them off in compost in trays . When the new shoots are about 4inches high cut them off with a bit of the rizome on and they will root easily. you can get as many as 6 to 8 cuttings this way and each one is a new plant. Hope this helps
Tony

when you have taken the cuttings Tony do you still plant the tuber?  Ray

[topgardener]

When you have taken several cuttings let the tuber keep producing and when the frosts have gone you can plant them out and you will still get good flowers.
The reason you take these cuttings is that you have good young stock for the next year.
Hope this helps
Tony

[drdave]

Do you need to dig them up and store them? I have left mine in the ground the past 3yrs and they seem to come up fine every year.

[topgardener]

IT is best to lift them when they have been frosted. Dry them out and store them.
Any severe frost and you will lose them
Tony

[love-my-plot]

This is great advice, thanks. I've grown some this year for the first time & the flowers were really stunning! I wasn't sure about how to deal with them once lifted so they're still in a big pot on the patio. I'll lift them out tomorrow & do as suggested. I had no idea about taking cuttings from the rhizomes, so thanks for that!
Cheers