This year, for the first time, I planted some dahlias. Some were tubers but I also sowed "Bishop's children" which have been spectacular. Now it's getting closer to the start of frost I am wondering, when should I lift the tubers. Do I wait for the plant to die back or lift them and dry them? Also what's the best way to store them. Will the ones grown from seed have formed tubers and should they be lifted too or should I treat them like annuals? Can I just leave them to overwinter in the ground? Help!
I always leave mine in the ground but I don't know if that would be alright as far north as you are.
I cover them with a thick layer of straw and leave it on all winter, taking it off once the frosts are over, usually in early June.
I too leave mine in the ground most years. but last year dug them up as we were reorganising the garden.
I lost the lot to mould. This year the "Dinner Plate" variety were magnificent and I too will mulch them with compost or straw and take my chances. I live just north of Manchester.
Hi
Yes the ones you grew from seed will have tubers
my dad is a dahliaholic, we always wait until the first frost and then lift.
The longer you leave them right now the larger the tuber will be. and theyve got at least a nother month of flowering to go yet
I would only lift earlier if we have a month of wet and cold weather.
Store them upside down in a box or tray somewhere dry for a month to let them dry out and then somewhere cool and dry for the winter. Or in pots of dry compost.
good luck
x sunloving
Thanks everyone, brilliant advice all round! Seems like I have choices!
I have found that even when the tubers survived the winter that the slugs love them and hoover the growing tips off as soon as they break through the surface, so I tend to cover with plastic bottles and apply some slug pellets.
Grannyjanny told me of a great method of putting the pellets in a plastic box with a hole it it, so the slugs go it and do not come out so the hedgehodge are protected and the pellets do not get on the soil.
I live in soft Hampshire, but we had penetrating hard frosts and snow many times last winter. I lost some mature shrubs and a five year old supposedly hardy eucalyptus debeuzevillei. However, all of my dahlias came through despite me forgetting to mulch them. when I had a poke around in April, some of the tubers had mushy tops, but I left them and they have still regrown.
I wonder if they get hardier with age as these are well-established and enormous plants?