What do I do with a dahlia in winter?

In warmer climates (zone 8 and above) dahlias can remain in the ground all year long. They will just continue to grow as a perennial. 

In colder climates, you have the choice of growing your dahlia plants as an annual and re-purchasing tubers every year. Or, you can lift your tubers out of the ground each year and store them in a cool place. 

To dig and store your dahlias, you will want to begin with cutting your dahlias down, leaving a couple inches of the stem still remaining. You then will want to use a pitch fork and gently dig around the plant, making sure to start about 10 inches from the plant so as not to stab into a tuber. Once the soil is loose all around the plant, you should be able to easily lift the tubers out of the ground by lifting at the remaining stalk piece. 

There are many different methods of storing your tubers. You can even divide your tubers to give yourself even more beautiful plants the following season. 

If you choose to store your tubers as a clump, you would want to shake the excess dirt off of your clumps, but not clean off all of the dirt. Place your clumps inside slightly damp peat moss, wood chips, vermiculite, etc and place where they will be at steady temperatures of 40-55 degrees and 60-75% humidity.  It is very important that your tubers don't freeze! Check on your tubers throughout the cold season making sure that they aren't shriveling or rotting. If they are slightly shriveled, add a little more moisture to the peat moss. If they are starting to mold, add more dry medium. Hold that temperature steady and wait patiently for the spring!

If you decide to separate your tubers for more plants next year, you will want to spray your tuber clumps off with a garden hose, getting all dirt off of the tuber clump.  Allow the clumps to dry approximately 24 hours. There are many videos available that will direct you how to divide your tubers. Below is a link to a  great video put out by Santa Cruz dahlias that shows their method of dividing.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWHgamtJ0Qs/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

 

There are several storage methods for divided dahlia tubers, depending on your climate and storage area. Here at Hillside Home Dahlias our favorite method is using saran wrap to wrap each individual tuber. Here is a link to a wonderful article by the Dahlia Society describing that process. 

https://www.dahlia.org/docsinfo/articles/no-fuss-store-your-tubers-in-plastic-wrap/

You can also store your separated tubers in peat moss, vermiculite, wood chips, etc. in containers. Just don't let the tubers touch each other. You do have to pay close attention to humidity levels when you choose to store this way. You want to make sure your tubers aren't too wet ( starting to mold), or too dry (starting to shrivel) . You should also make sure you have some air holes in the containers as well. As with other storage methods, make sure you are keeping them around 40-55 degrees. Steady temperatures are best and absolutely no freezing temperatures.