Everything You Need To Know to Successfully Store Your Dahlias Over Winter
In many areas of the world, you have to manually dig up and store your dahlia tubers over the winter. Dahlia tubers do not typically survive in growing regions below 7. Cold and wet winters will cause your tubers to rot in the ground. If you’re new to dahlias or you’ve never dug up your dahlia tubers before, this post will help you with five steps to divide your dahlia tubers for next season.
Even if you live in a growing region where dahlia tubers can survive in the ground over winter, it’s still a good idea to dig them up every few years and divide your tuber stock. The mother tuber (the initial one you planted) will eventually begin to decay and it will not produce as many blooms. Dividing your tubers allows for new growth each season and for your tuber stock to remain healthy.
Multiply Your Dahlia Tuber Stock By Dividing Dahlias
Digging up dahlia tubers is a tedious process. However, you will be rewarded with even more viable tubers for the following summer! Dahlia tubers are expensive. One of the best ways to multiply your stock is to dig up your tubers at the end of the growing season and divide them. One healthy plant can give you anywhere from 3-20 new tubers for the following season!
Preparing to remove your dahlia tubers from the ground
Most people prefer to wait to remove their dahlia tubers from the ground until after their first killing frost. You will know when you’ve had a killing frost because your dahlia plants will be black in the morning and your growing season will abruptly be over. However, once your dahlia tubers have been in the ground and growing for at least 120 days, you can actually dig them up for storage. I used to always wait for our first killing frost, but now that I grow over 500 dahlias each season, it’s a long process to get them all out of the ground. If I have not had a hard frost by mid-October, I begin removing mine from the ground to prepare for winter storage.
What You need to dig up your dahlia tubers
To prepare to remove your dahlia tubers from the ground you will need the following:
Before any chance of a killing frost, you will want to make sure that your dahlia tubers are labeled. I like to use garden labels to put around the base stem of my tubers. On the label, I use a Permanent Garden Marker to write the name of each variety so I know which variety I have.
You will also want to make sure that you have a pitch fork and a good set of loppers for removing your dahlias from the ground. I prefer to use a pitch fork over a shovel as it allows me to gently lift the tubers from the ground. The loppers make cutting the dahlia plant down so much easier!
Removing Your Dahlia Tubers From The Ground
It’s time to remove your dahlias once you’ve either had your first killing frost OR your dahlia tubers have been in the ground for at least 120 days. The first thing you will want to do is cut back your dahlia plants so that you have about 6’’ of stem remaining on the plant. This will make it easier for you to grab the plant with a handle when you remove it from the ground.
Once all dahlia plants have been cut back to only 6’’ of stem remaining, it’s time to start removing the tubers from the ground. Using your pitchfork, gently put the pitchfork into the ground (I like to be at least 10” from where the dahlia stock is. Gently rock the pitchfork back and forth until you’re able to lift the clump of dahlias. Once you have the clump out of the ground, carefully shake off the excess dirt. You want to leave some dirt around the tubers to help retain moisture.
You can watch my remove a clump of dahlia tubers in the YouTube video below:
How To Clean Your Dahlia Tubers
Before you can divide or store your dahlia tubers, you will need to clean them first. This is a messy process so I suggest wearing clothes that are waterproof and that you don’t mind getting wet. I like to also wear a waterproof pair of heavy duty gloves. You will need a hose and a good hose nozzle to spray off the dahlias. Be careful not to spray at too high of a setting as you can break or damage the tubers. Watch my YouTube video below to see how I clean my dahlia tubers.
How To Divide And Store Your Dahlia Tubers
What You Need to Divide & Store:
Once you have washed your dahlia tubers, it’s time to get them ready to go into storage. I like to divide my dahlias before storing them, but you can also wait to divide them in the spring. My dahlia tubers are stored in plastic containers with vermiculite. You can also store your dahlias in peat moss. Don’t store your dahlias in cardboard boxes as the cardboard will suck the moisture out of your tubers.
Dividing Your Dahlia Tubers To Increase Your Tuber Stock
You can divide your dahlia tubers in either the winter or springtime. You may want to wait until spring when the tuber eyes are more visible. To get started you will want a clean workspace, a good pair of garden scissors, cinnamon, and bleach. I bleach my tools between each set of tubers to make sure I don’t spread any potential disease.
Your one dahlia tuber from last spring has likely produced additional tubers. Most of my dahlias produce between 5-20 new tubers each season (some varieties produce more than others). When you divide the tubers, it is important that each tuber has part of the original tuber stock along with a neck, body and eye. Without these parts, you will not be able to grow a new dahlia plant.
I like to start by dividing my tuber clump in half. This allows me to get in and divide the tuber clump into individual tubers. To see this process, be sure to watch the YouTube video below as I show you how i divide a clump of tubers. Dip the cut portion in cinnamon as this helps to prevent any bacterial or fungal growth.
Once your dahlia tubers are divided, it’s time to put them in your storage containers. I line my plastic bins with about 2” of vermiculite. Then I place my tubers in the container (with the eye face up). Once you have a layer full, cover it in vermiculite and repeat. Your plastic bins should be stored in an area that has temperatures between 40-50 degrees. You do not want your tubers to freeze.
Periodically check your dahlia tubers for signs of rot
You should periodically check on your dahlia tubers over the winter. Check for any signs of mold or rot. If you find any, immediately remove those tubers from the container.
I know that all of this seems like a lot of work and effort. Trust me, it’s well worth it in the end. Dahlia tubers are expensive. The best way to increase your stock is to store and divide your tubers each year. If you find you have some extra, I’m sure your friend or neighbor would be grateful to receive any extra tubers you have.
I hope that you’ve found these steps helpful in understanding how to store and divide your dahlia tubers. Be sure to grab your FREE checklist below with tips for storing and dividing your dahlia tubers. If this was helpful, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! You can also help by pinning this post to Pinterest. And don’t forget to check out our Dahlia Tuber sale where we will have over 30 varieties of tubers for sale. Happy Gardening!
Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
Gardener’s Christmas Gift Guide
The Flowering Farmhouse Pilot TV Episode To Air on BloomTV Network
The Best Sourdough Crepes Recipe
11 Best Places To Buy Flower Seeds Online
SHOP OUR COLLECTION OF DAHLIA TUBERS FOR SALE
Dahlia Tubers For Sale
We are now sold out for the 2022 Growing Season. Be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter to be the first to know about our 2023 dahlia tuber sale!
The Flowering Farmhouse is excited to be offering some of our favorite dahlia varieties for sale in our online store! We have been growing dahlias since 2014 and are excited to share our dahlia tubers with you!
We are licensed and inspected by the State of Oregon Department of Agriculture. We carefully inspect and cull for any disease. We take this very seriously and provide only the best tubers for sale.
We will be offering a limited number of dahlia tubers for sale in 2022. We are tripling the size of our field this summer so we won’t be selling as many tubers as we normally do. We look forward to having a larger selection again in 2023. Dahlia tubers will begin shipping in April 2022 when temperatures are warm enough to safely ship.
You may notice that not all varieties are available when our store opens. We are holding back many varieties this year as we are expanding our field. This means we will have even more available next year!
Be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter to be among the first to know when our dahlia tubers are available for sale.
Be sure to check out our Dahlia FAQ’s page before placing an order.
New to growing dahlias? Be sure to check out our Beginner’s Guide to Growing Dahlias
When to Lift and Divide. Tubers will continue to take up and store nutrients until it becomes too cold and they go dormant. The American Dahlia Society recommends lifting the tubers every year, either 120 days after planting, or in cooler climates, after the first frost that's cold enough to kill the foliage.
Do You Soak Dahlia Tubers Before Planting? Generally, dahlia tubers do not need to soak before planting. However, if they appear dried out and shriveled, you may want to soak them in a bucket of tepid water for one hour before planting.
Make sure not to puncture the skin of your tubers, as this could cause them to rot over the winter months in storage. Gently rinse excess dirt off of the tubers with a garden hose or in a tub of water.
Though the foliage may be dead, dahlia tubers will continue to develop for a time. Delay cutting dahlia stems until right before digging, because the stems are hollow and can collect water, which in turn promotes crown rot and tuber decay.
Dahlias will die if hit by a long frost, so it is wise to dig them up at the end of the summer and overwinter the tubers indoors. This is an ideal time for splitting dahlia tubers. In spring, plant each healthy one for even more of these lovelies. Dahlias can be propagated through seed, cuttings, and root division.
After a hard frost, when the dahlia foliage and stalks die back, cut the plant back to about 6 inches from the ground. Some growers prefer not to cut them back because the stems are hollow and cut stems can fill with water and potentially cause the tubers to rot.
Each plant will produce a clump of new tubers which, undivided, will produce smaller plants with poorer quality blooms. Eventually the plant will become so congested and the results so poor that it should be lifted and divided.
You can also store dahlia tubers in vermiculite, or wrap them in dry newspaper. Once packed into their pots, store your tubers in a frost-free place, such as under the greenhouse staging, in a dry shed or garage.
When planting dahlias, it is important to allow them enough space to grow. Some varieties can become quite large and planting too close can cause plants to not receive enough light or air flow which can lead to mildew issues later.
Most Dahlias are spaced with approximately one tuber per square foot. The largest varieties of Dinner Plate Dahlias will do best with wider spacing, about 12-18 inches apart, to allow for foliage and flowers to grow. Compact varieties can be planted with multiple tubers per square foot.
As you get towards spring and are ready to start planning your garden or farm season, we recommend pulling your tubers out of storage and waking them up by bringing them into a warmer environment with temperatures in the 60s two weeks before planting.
Dahlias love to be in the dirt. The dirt is a friend to Dahlia Tubers. They prefer loosened and well drained soil. If you have clay or thick/heavy soil, loosen it well, and you can add sand or peat to help with drainage.
Dahlia tubers should be planted 10cm deep in fertile well-drained soil, outdoors in spring when the frost has disappeared. They prefer to be in a sunny location and spaced at approximately 45cm apart. In areas where there is extreme cold, dig up dahlias and store in a cool peat over the winter.
In short, when you are looking at dahlias that seem dried out, it does not mean they will not be viable. You can tell by the feel of the tuber if there is still moisture inside and as long as they are not dried out, they will be fine.
Waking up your tubers 10 to 12 weeks before your region's average last-frost date will help ensure that you have healthy plants—not too leggy or root-bound—ready to set out in the garden in early summer.
Next, there must be the right amount of moisture in the storage medium. Too much water will encourage rotting of the tubers. On the other hand, if the medium is too dry, the tubers will begin to shrivel, and if enough moisture is lost, they'll die.
Store in a well-ventilated, frost-free space: 40º to 45ºF is ideal, 35º to 50ºF is acceptable. Check on the dahlia tubers occasionally over the winter. Remove any tubers that have started to rot before the decay spreads to healthy tubers.
Cut away feeder roots and the bottoms of the tubers.
Neither the roots nor the tuber tips are required to regrow the dahlia in the spring. If you can obviously see the 'eyes' of the tubers, which look like little pink bumps, you can cut back the stalk and crown even further, so long as you don't remove the eyes.
If you can't bring yourself to wrap the tubers in plastic, store them in a loose, barely moist, non-soil medium, such as peat moss, sawdust, sand, or vermiculite.
What month do you cut back dahlias? Cut back dahlias in late fall – October and November, however don't cut them back immediately. 'Leave the stems to go black from the first frost for approximately a two weeks to allow the sugars to go back down the stems to feed the tuber.
The key to successfully storing dahlia tubers for the winter is making sure they stay dry, have good air circulation and are in a cool, dark spot. You can store the tubers in a variety of containers – milk crates, plastic bins, paper bags, and cardboard boxes all do the trick. You may choose to pack them in peat moss.
A dahlia that's pinched produces twice as many branches from each leaf node. This gives you a stronger, bushier dahlia with more flower stems. Though pinching slows growth for about 2 weeks, the plants quickly catch up. Dahlias can also get leggy if they are not receiving enough light.
Dahlias are vigorous plants and the stems can become overcrowded. You may wish to thin them out in June/July to improve the overall display: Aim to keep seven to ten sturdy stems per plant.
It's also a good idea to divide dahlias every year because of how quickly the tubers grow. If they get too large, they will rot or become too heavy to lift and store.
Similar to a potato, the tuber sends up a shoot that becomes the plant, which produces leaves and flowers. Underground, the tubers multiply each year (again, like a potato). You only need one tuber with one "eye" to successfully grow a vigorous dahlia plant.
The size of the tuber is irrelevant in most cases. We grow some varieties of dahlias that never produce tubers larger than our pinky, while some produce HUGE tubers that we have to cut down to size. It all depends on the variety of dahlia.
The first application of fertilizer for your dahlias should be about 30 after planting and repeated every 3-4 weeks throughout the season. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the application amount. One of the biggest mistakes with dahlias is overfeeding them with high nitrogen fertilizer.
Towards the end of the year (October or November), dig up the tubers and store them just as you would potatoes -- a cool, dark, dry place with air flow is best. Separate the tubers. Then wrap them in paper towel, place in sawdust or kitty litter, or hang in discarded stockings.
After cutting, dipping, and marking the tubers, let them dry. Expect to let the tubers dry for about 24 hours for small roots and 24 to 36 hours for medium to large roots.
I like to divide my dahlias before storing them, but you can also wait to divide them in the spring. My dahlia tubers are stored in plastic containers with vermiculite. You can also store your dahlias in peat moss. Don't store your dahlias in cardboard boxes as the cardboard will suck the moisture out of your tubers.
If you don't have space to plant the tubers in pots first, you can put them straight into the ground in spring – just make sure the frosts are nearly over. Plant the tubers just under the soil surface and ensure they are approximately 75cm (30in) apart, depending on variety.
Most Dahlias are spaced with approximately one tuber per square foot. The largest varieties of Dinner Plate Dahlias will do best with wider spacing, about 12-18 inches apart, to allow for foliage and flowers to grow.
How many dahlia plants can I get from a tuber? One tuber = one dahlia plant = many blooms per plant. The number of blooms per plant varies, depending on the variety (the smaller the bloom, the more you tend to get per plant). Some people will take cuttings from their dahlia tubers (do so at your own risk).
In short, when you are looking at dahlias that seem dried out, it does not mean they will not be viable. You can tell by the feel of the tuber if there is still moisture inside and as long as they are not dried out, they will be fine.
Dahlias do not like mulch or store-bought garden soil, as many of these products can possibly harm the tubers. Once soil is loosened and dry and about 12-15 C (55-60F) you are ready to plant!
Bulbs should be planted pointy-side up, but if you placed them upside down don't worry. Bulbs know “which way is up” and they will turn themselves around.
It may be feeling distinctly autumnal right now, but if you've planted dahlias the good news is they will keep on flowering right through to the first frosts. There's just one catch: to prolong flowering you will need to keep deadheading them, thereby encouraging the plant to produce new buds.
Dahlia tubers should be planted 10cm deep in fertile well-drained soil, outdoors in spring when the frost has disappeared. They prefer to be in a sunny location and spaced at approximately 45cm apart. In areas where there is extreme cold, dig up dahlias and store in a cool peat over the winter.
The tubers should be planted in full sun and well-drained soil with lots of organic matter after the risk of frost is over. Make sure you do not over water dahlias after they are planted. They need very little water until the plants are at least 6”-12” tall.
Hobby: Flower arranging, Yo-yoing, Tai chi, Rowing, Macrame, Urban exploration, Knife making
Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.