DON’T LOSE YOUR DAHLIAS! 🌸 How to Overwinter Dahlias for Next Year, by Gardening With Ray on YouTube. 7 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 7 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Wait until the first frost blackens the foliage, or lift in late autumn before hard frost sets in. In the UK this is usually late October to November.
Cut the stems back to about 10 to 15 cm above soil level with clean secateurs. Leave a short stub so you can handle the plant and label it.
Loosen the soil in a wide circle around the plant with a garden fork, working well away from the stem so you do not spear the tubers.
Lift the whole clump gently by the stem stub and ease it out. Do not pull hard or the tubers will snap off.
Shake off loose soil but do not wash the tubers. Cut away any damaged or rotten pieces with a sharp knife and dust the cuts if you have sulphur.
Label each clump with its variety name and colour. Once the stems are gone you will not be able to tell them apart.
Dry the clumps upside down in a cool, airy, frost-free place for a week or two so moisture drains from the stems.
Pack the tubers in a crate or box with dry compost, sand or newspaper between them. Keep them in a dark, frost-free spot at around 5 to 10C.
Check every few weeks over winter. Remove any soft or mouldy tubers and dampen the packing only if the tubers look shrivelled.
In early spring, pot the tubers up in moist compost indoors and keep them warm to start shoots before planting out after the last frost.
Tips and common mistakes
Never store damp tubers in a sealed bag, as trapped moisture causes rot.
Keep the variety labels with the tubers, because bare tubers all look alike.
A cool garage, shed or spare room works well as long as it stays above freezing.
Do not cut the stems right to the crown, as the hollow stub helps water drain out.
Questions
Can I leave dahlias in the ground over winter?
In mild, well-drained spots you can leave them in with a thick mulch over the crown. In cold or wet UK gardens, lifting is safer because waterlogged soil rots the tubers.
What temperature should I store dahlia tubers at?
Aim for a frost-free spot around 5 to 10C. Below freezing damages the tubers, and warm rooms make them sprout too early.
Why are my stored tubers going soft and mouldy?
Usually too much moisture or poor airflow. Discard affected tubers, let the rest dry and use fresh dry packing material.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
