Is it necessary to dig up dahlias for the winter

Dahlias are loved by gardeners for an abundant and long blooming, large variety of shapes and colors of flowers. When growing these plants it is important to ensure that storage of the tuber, often during storage, the tubers podgniet or wither, losing germination.

When you need to dig dahlias

Dahlias – perennial culture, but in the open ground in winter, the tubers can not leave because they can't stand low temperatures. After the first autumn frosts should Spud the stems of plants to avoid damage by frost growth point. Once the stems hit by frost, dig up dahlias. Depending on the region, this time at the end of September-beginning of October.

The tuber of this plant grows quite large, so the digging should be especially careful. To dig up the plant better together. All sides should dig a flower, to extract the root from the soil completely and allow to dry. Do not pull on the stems as this will damage the plant and in the site of the fracture then it may develop rot. After this you should cut shears the stems of the plants at a distance of 15-20 cm from the root collar and tie tag indicating the name of the variety or its characteristics – in this case, the planting does not arise confusion.

After the drain. tubers should be scrubbed with them too much land, rinse well in running water and dry. Some growers recommend immediately produce the division of the Bush and prune excess roots, but this procedure is fraught with complications and loss of planting material. It is better to leave this work in the spring before planting, inspect and cut out the sore spots, cut the extra roots to make the division of the tuber. All sections need to sprinkle wood ashes, and the knife should be disinfected with alcohol or calcination.

How to store Dahlia tubers

Before storage it is necessary to treat the tubers from infection. For this you need to put them for 10-15 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried for 7-10 days in the shade to dry. If special places for storage of dahlias no, it is better to treat the tubers in a liquid paraffin – in this case, they will not dry out, will germinate early and well preserved even in room conditions. For this purpose, the paraffin should be melted in a water bath and dip it in the tuber as a whole, including root collar. In the spring the emerging shoots can easily penetrate thin paraffin crust.

If you have a cold basement, Dahlia tubers should be spread out in one layer in wooden boxes, pour dry sand or sawdust from coniferous trees. Before storing, you can powder them in wood ashes. Optimal humidity for storage of the tubers should be in the range of 55-60% and temperature of air +4-6оС. In winter, you should regularly check the safety of planting material, to reject or isolate decayed or dried tubers.

Order Dahlia tubers were stored better, you should stop watering the plants for 2-3 weeks before digging. Before a bookmark on storage, after processing the tubers should closely evaluate the quality of the planting material and to reject dubious instances of spotted rot, signs of disease. You can use the following method: omit the potatoes in a deep container of water. Those that remained on the surface, are not suitable for storage.

By following these rules, you can successfully save Dahlia tubers for extended periods of time without experiencing frustration.