The Dahlias (Dahlia) with its colorful flowers blooms throughout the summer in the garden, whether in a bed, border, isolated clump, in the ...
The Dahlias (Dahlia) with its colorful flowers blooms throughout the summer in the garden, whether in a bed, border, isolated clump, in the vegetable garden or in a pot, depending on the thousands of cultivars available. In order to be able to enjoy their flowers again the following year, dahlias must be protected from frost as soon as autumn has set in, with the humidity and cooler temperatures. Indeed, if this perennial can withstand a thermometer that falls punctually just below 0°C, it will not recover from a cold that reaches -6 to -8°C. This is why it is advisable to bring in the dahlia tubers to overwinter them.
When to bring in the dahlias for winter?
Don't rush to pull out your dahlias as early as September, you would deprive yourself of their still full and beautifully colored bloom during the fall. Whether your dahlias are in pots or in the ground, wait until the first frosts have blackened the foliage: this will be a sign that it is time to act to save them from the cold periods ahead. Don't wait any longer, or your rhizomes may freeze or rot if the soil is poorly drained. Usually this is in October or November, depending on the region.
Before uprooting dahlias, identify each plant with labels, noting if possible: variety name, height, color and shape of flowers. This will greatly help you, the following spring, to compose your beds and pots in order to adapt the height and colors to each location.
Enjoy a day of good weather when the earth is not soggy and, to put all the chances on your side, observe the lunar calendar and act as a waning moon on a "flower" day.
In areas with a mild climate, not subject to frost, tubers can stay in the ground if the soil is well drained, protecting them with dry mulch if there is a risk of occasional frost.
How to pull up dahlias in the fall?
On the day you start this work, start by cutting down the stems to about 20cm from the ground. Collect the flowers that are still beautiful and make a nice bouquet for the house! Put the rest of the foliage and stems on the compost heap.
Take a spade fork and gently lift the root ball by taking several angles so as not to touch the tubers. Once removed, the bundle of tubers should be removed from the soil that made up the root ball, which is much easier when the soil is dry. This is easier when the soil is dry. Leave the stump in the sun for a few days if the weather permits, or out of the rain and frost if the forecast is bad.
Store dahlias well during the winter.
Collect crates and line them with straw, sand or newspaper and place the tuber strains with their respective labels.
Then store them in a frost-free, airy, dark, dry or at least not too damp to avoid rot. It is also best that rodents do not have access to this storage area.
When the time comes to replant the dahlias in the ground, usually in the spring around May when the frost is no longer threatening, you can then divide the tubers, taking care that each piece has at least one shoot a few centimeters long.
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