Instructions for excavating and storing

The best time is after the first frost

Please be patient with wintering Dahliasuntil all the flowers and leaves have wilted completely. This process should not be interrupted prematurely. All nutrients are shifted to the storage organs in the soil as an energy reserve for the next season. At the same time, new buds are formed on the tubers. This rule of thumb has proven itself for determining the date:

• Dahlia bulbs winter after the first frost, when above-ground parts of the plant have died

There is nothing to worry about, though Dahlias be surprised by the first light ground frost, if the frost does not reach the tubers.

Hibernate dahlia bulbs - step-by-step instructions

The soil should be as dry as possible down to the tuber depth when you are wintering Dahlias dedicate. If this is the case, the root stocks can be lifted out of the ground with less effort. Proceed correctly in this order:

Cut and dig up

• Cut dahlia stems up to 10 cm above the ground
• Rhizomes with a Digging fork loosen on all sides
• Lift the tubers out of the ground with the garden fork
• Shake off the earth
• Cut off small roots and fiber roots with secateurs

Mark the dahlia bulbs that have been dug up in the bed with a label on which the name of the variety and flower color are noted.

Sort out the battered tubers

After digging out, you will subject each rhizome to an initial critical examination. Dispose of damaged rootstocks along with the dead plant stems on the compost. Only intact dahlia bulbs without rotten spots are suitable for wintering. In the winter quarters at the latest, battered tubers spoil and, in the worst case, drag neighboring specimens with them.

Clean and dry dahlia bulbs

Please clean dahlia bulbs without water. A brush with hard bristles or a painter's tassel is helpful. Take this opportunity to hold the hollow stem ends upside down so that any water residue can run off. Then let the tubers dry for a few days in an airy, frost-free and rain-proof place.

Store the tubers in a cool, dark place

The dried dahlia bulbs are now perfectly prepared for storage in the winter quarters. The location should be dark and cool with temperatures around 5 ° Celsius. This is how dahlia bulbs overwinter correctly:

1. Line the wooden box with newspaper
2. Cover the newspaper with a thin layer of a peat-sand mixture or unfertilized coconut soil
3. Place the dahlia bulbs side by side on the substrate without touching them
4. Cover the tubers completely with the substrate mix

Put the hibernation crate in the dark basement, a windowless garage or in a darkened one Garden shed(€ 39.99 at Amazon *) with frost guard. From now on you will visit the dormant dahlias every 14 days to remove rotten tubers.