[little dixie]

Hi guys I hope that you all survived the winds ?.......I wondered if anyone could help me with something that has been worrying me all summer ...What is the best way to store dahlia tubers?everyone seems to do it differently and it all seems very confusing...I really want to try to save tubers if poss as my hubby brought the tubers for valentines day ..Do any of you have a tried and tested method,many thanks .Lindy

[sunshineband]

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=23263.msg275736#msg275736

here is some advice from an expert that will help you Dixie

Welcome to the forum -- perhaps you would like to start another thread to introduce yourself so you can get a proper welcome 

(I shall ask one of the other mods to move this one to General gardening, so you can get other replies about dahlias)

[mumofstig]

Obviously you don't have to take cuttings, if you don't want to make more,
you can pot them up individually and keep them somewhere frost free until it's safe to plant them out.
Or replant the dahlia tubers direct after your last frost date.

[sunshineband]

I didn't want to edit Yabba's post there MoS, as that didn't seem right 

[mumofstig]

I know  I just thought it needed clarifying...............he would have, if he could

[sunshineband]

Of course   

[little dixie]

Thankyou  so much  for the advice I did  take some cuttings which did   produce some nice blooms  but I m so apprehensive about storing the tubers,  a grower said to me to store in sand and not to   let the tubers dry out  but I wondered if anyone else did anything different ....I  have  used this site before Sunshine to ask questions but not very often  and  for some reason come up as  up as a newbie..My dahlias on my allotment took a beating in all the wind ........  thanks again 

[Trillium]

Sounds daft but yes, sand is a good storage medium for dahlia bulbs. Same with dry peat if you have any.  Be sure to layer the bulbs in between layers of sand or peat so that none touch other tubers. I like to start mine next year by early March as the bulbs are slow to start and will later flower sooner than usual.

[topgardener]

Sounds daft but yes, sand is a good storage medium for dahlia bulbs. Same with dry peat if you have any.  Be sure to layer the bulbs in between layers of sand or peat so that none touch other tubers. I like to start mine next year by early March as the bulbs are slow to start and will later flower sooner than usual.

 

 Hi little dixie
When the plants have been frosted lift them and cut off the tops. After that you need to turn them upside down to drain any water away, when they are dry  clean as much soil off the roots and wrap them in layers of newspaper or any carpet  remnants and place in a frostproof shed for the winter hope this helps

[Hey Jude]

Hi Dixie, I followed the advice here last year and after digging up and draining upside down I then took a chance and put them in a cardboard box and stored them in the loft - they were fine this year to plant again, maybe I got lucky by not covering them with sand or similar 

[Dahliaman]

Hey Jude, maybe you did get lucky but like myself stored some unwanted tubers in the utility room which survived the long cold wet winter, however my stock tubers that were stored on the plot did not.
Little Dixie, judging what I get the gist from you only have a few tubers so heres my advise. The rule of thumb is, I try to dig up November 5th why? its a date I can remember plus leaving them any longer would lead to them not drying out properly also where I live I don't wait for the frost they hit me much too late.
Once dug up, shake surplus soil off the plant and let it sit in to dry out, weather permitting  alturnately chop down the dahlia stems to 3 or 4 inches "9cm"  take indoors frost free shed, greenhouse, place them on a bench or shelve to dry out naturally, they don't need heat.
You can turn them upside down to drain excess water/sap away if you can see water lying in the stems, but make sure you get them sat back on the tuber to carry on drying out and visit them regarly once or twice a week giving them a little shake to tease away excess soil until perfectly dry, then if you have the space store them individualy, close but not touching each other in a frost free place.
everybody will have their ideas from burying to wrapping them up, me I like to see them in sight so I can inspect at will, any rot I will cut it out before it spreads any further, and hopefully I will have some to propagate from come early Febuary.
Plain and simple, cool but frost free environment, hope this helps.

[rowlandwells]

on the question of dahlia tubers if you grow dahlia's from seed and your left with a tuber come the end of the growing season is it worth saving the tuber will it grow a better plant if set as a tuber next season as most of the seed varieties are classed as an annual 

and if you take cuttings from these tuber are they any good as the humble dahlia tuber is quite expensive these days like the chrysanthemum years ago they where cheep and cheerful yet  dahlia seed does come somewhat cheaper and  gives many pleasant colours when grown into your bedding schemes