store dahlia tubers | Gardening 101: How to Store Dahlia Tub

Store dahlia tubers — a short introduction to this piece.

Store dahlia tubers: Quick Notes

I don’t know any gardeners who casually grow dahlias. Their fireworks riot of color has an intoxicating effect. You may start with one dahlia, but before you know it you have torn out the roses, planted five hundred tubers and (in at least one documented case), transformed an old tennis court into a fenced garden to make room for more flowers.

But dahlia devotees pay a price. In cold climates (read: the ground freezes), dahlia tubers need to come out of the garden if they are to survive the winter. Dig them up and store them in the basement, garage, or a protected shed—and dahlias will reward you next summer with more enormous puffball blooms. It’s worth the effort.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to store dahlia tubers in winter:

Photography by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.

1. Wait for the first frost.

dahlias will bloom well into autumn if you deadhead them to coax more flowers. but frost will put a stop to that. — Above: Dahlias will bloom well into autumn if you deadhead them to coax more flowers. But frost will put a stop to that.

Flowers will wilt, leaves will blacken, and dahlia stems will die back after the first frost; you’ll know it’s time to store tubers in a safe spot for the winter.

2. Dig up dahlias.

be careful when you dig up dahlias because, as you can see, a single plant may have a clump of connected tubers and a far-reaching root system. — Above: Be careful when you dig up dahlias because, as you can see, a single plant may have a clump of connected tubers and a far-reaching root system.

To dig up, first cut back stalks to a height of 2 to 3 inches. Then start about a foot away from the plant, loosening soil all around the roots and digging deep enough (18 to 24 inches) to get your shovel underneath the dahlia to tease it out of the ground.

Dig up one clump of tubers at a time and be gentle; the tubers are fragile and break apart easily.

Store dahlia tubers appears here to highlight key ideas for readers.