Over Wintering Dahlias
(Last Updated October 18, 2007)

Hello from the Colorado Dahlia Society.

At this time of year we receive many questions about digging, dividing and storing dahlia tubers. Most of these inquiries are variations of the two basic questions stated below. Hopefully, our answers will be useful to you.

Question #1: Do I have to dig up my dahlias?

Dahlia tubers grow very close to the surface and will be lost if they freeze. So, unless you live in an almost freeze proof area you will lose them if you don't over winter them in a protected environment.

However, if you have only a few dahlias you may find that the cost of replacements is so reasonable that you may not want to bother. With dahlias costing only $2, $3 or $4 each you really don't have to feel guilty if you just grow your dahlias for enjoyment, and then replace them or try new and different varieties the following year.

Question #2: If I want to give it a try, how do I go about it?

Digging, dividing and storing dahlia tubers is a process that varies greatly from grower to grower. If you want to know how some of us do it in Colorado, there is a well illustrated, step by step, article on this subject on the web site of the Colorado Dahlia Society. The address is: http://dahlias.net/dahwebpg/TuberStor/TuberStor1.htm

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In addition, there are three internet articles on digging, dividing and/or storing dahlia tubers that I would like to recommend to you.

The web site of the American Dahlia Society contains an excellent article titled "DIGGING, DIVIDING, AND STORING TUBERS". The author, Alan Fisher, is an expert dahlia grower from Maryland, and the article can be found at: http://www.dahlia.org/seasonal.guides/tubers.html

One of the better personal web pages on dahlia care is by Wayne Holland, a dahlia grower and breeder from British Columbia. Among the topics Wayne has addressed is an article called "TUBERS" which covers lifting, dividing and storing dahlia tubers. This article has illustrations covering key points and is located at: http://www.members.shaw.ca/hydahlia/tubers.html

There is also something a bit different in storing dahlias. It is called the (Bernie) "Mandella" or "Saran Wrap" storage method, and it is a technique for reducing storage losses by storing dahlia tubers wrapped in plastic food wrap.

The "No Fuss: Store Your Tubers in Plastic Wrap" article describing this method was published in the September 2001 Quarterly Bulletin of the American Dahlia Society. and an online version of this article is available on the website of the Michigan Dahlia Association at: http://tinyurl.com/vigg .

Finally, right out of the September 2006 Bulletin of the American Dahlia Society we have an article called “Tuber Storage For The Small Grower”. In this article Heather Drope of Halifax, Nova Scotia documents how she has successfully over wintered dahlia tubers in her refrigerator. This article is located at: http://www.dahlias.net/seabox/refrigem.htm and could well be an answer for smaller growers looking for a cool place to store a limited number of dahlias.

Don McAllister
Colorado Dahlia Society
donmc00@yahoo.com