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These tuberous flowers are perennials that do not hibernate in open ground. Therefore, the underground part of the plants is dug up in order to preserve until the next season. Novice flower growers want to know more about dahlias how to store them in a basement or apartment in winter. This will be discussed below.
Stages of preparing tubers for storage
The question of whether it is necessary to dig up dahlias for the winter should not even arise - the pineal tubers will simply freeze over in the cold ground. In addition, there are vegetative buds on the root collar, with the help of which the bush develops. Already from February they begin to swell in order to give new shoots in May (which is unrealistic in winter soil conditions).
How to store dahlias in winter
Tubers are not just dug out of the ground - they also need to be properly prepared for storage. The whole procedure can be broken down into a step-by-step algorithm of actions:
- digging out root tubers;
- treatment;
- drying of rhizomes;
- division for subsequent reproduction.
First of all, you need to take care of the room in which the tubers will be stored. It should be moderately cool and humid, which is quite consistent with the conditions of the cellar. If there is no way to store dahlias in the country, summer residents will have to transfer the tubers to the apartment, creating a suitable atmosphere there. Based on the storage conditions, options for processing rhizomes are selected.
Tuber storage methods:
- in a clay "casing";
- in wet sand;
- in lime;
- in paraffin;
- in cling film;
- in vermiculite.
How to properly dig dahlia tubers
As soon as the bush fades, not allowing warm days to pass, they begin to prepare the dahlia for the winter. In the Moscow region, this period usually falls on the beginning of October. Frosts come to the Urals and Siberia earlier. The Krasnodar Territory, where autumn is always warm, can enjoy lush flowers until November.
If the frost begins earlier than the expected time, the dahlia bushes may freeze. In order to have time to save at least the tubers, they must be dug out within 2-3 days.
Even if, after a short cold snap, warmth comes again, this is already bad for dahlias. From such temperature changes, the buds can grow, this will lead to the death of the plant.
How to properly dig dahlia tubers
Having decided when to dig dahlias, they begin to ask how to do it correctly. It is important that the weather is dry outside - after removing the tubers from the ground, it is advisable to leave the tubers in the flower bed for several hours so that the sun warms them up. The best time for this job is in the morning.
After the dahlias lie down, the earth is shaken off them, and the rhizomes are washed well with water, and then examined. Thin and damaged growths must be trimmed off immediately. Nodules with signs of the disease are also cut off.
Having treated the roots with fungicides, they are brought into a cool, ventilated room for a week for further drying. After that, the stems are cut, leaving hemp 8-10 cm.
If breeding of the bush is planned next year, the rhizome is divided into separate nodules. Already in this form, they begin subsequent processing, ensuring high-quality storage.
How to store dahlias in winter
The subsequent actions of the grower depend on where the root tubers will be stored. The main thing is that the air temperature is within 3-8 degrees Celsius. At a lower temperature, dahlias will freeze, in a warmer room they will mummify and become unusable.
Basement storage
If there is a similar room in the country, this is the best option for the preservation of dahlias. It remains only to choose the most suitable method of root processing.
Methods for preparing dahlia tubers for storage
| Way | Description |
|---|---|
| Clay | Prepare a mash with a creamy consistency and dip each tuber into it. Then they are dried and placed in containers |
| Paraffin | An excellent alternative to clay. Paraffin is heated in a water bath and nodules are dipped in it for several minutes. After letting the first layer dry, the roots are again dipped into the solution. Having folded the tubers in plastic bags, they are placed in a box where sawdust is stored |
| Lime | Knead the thick solution and coat the tubers. When the coating is dry, the dahlias are taken to the basement, which is periodically recommended to be ventilated. |
| Sand | If the cellar in the house is dry, then sand is the best storage option. In this case, the owner must monitor its humidity. The method has a small disadvantage - sprouts begin to form too early. Those that grow more than 10 cm will have to be removed if an early planting is not expected |
If the summer resident is a beginner in floriculture, for a start you can try all the processing options (when there are a lot of rhizomes). This will help you choose a more suitable method for yourself in the future.
The processed dahlias are freed from the protective "cover" before germination. Paraffin is easily removed by rubbing the tubers with your hands. Clay and lime are removed by soaking.
Basement storage
How to store tubers in an apartment
It is difficult to create suitable conditions in an apartment - room mode is not suitable for this. But even here you can find an alternative - a warmed loggia. Tubers are treated with clay or paraffin, buried in dry sawdust, which are filled with cardboard boxes.
Another option for keeping dahlias in your apartment until spring is on the refrigerator door, away from the freezer. To do this, each root is wrapped with cling film. But then the effect of condensation must be taken into account. To prevent the tubers from rotting, they will have to be pulled out from time to time and unfold for airing.
How to store tubers in an apartment
How to preserve with vermiculite
Mineral chips are actively used in garden and home floriculture: as drainage, mulch, substrate for sprouting. Vermiculite is also excellent in deciding how to store dahlias at home in winter.
The product attracts with its versatility - the mineral will allow you to save tubers not only in the basement, but also in the apartment. To do this, it is enough to prepare plastic bags, cardboard boxes and make small holes in them for ventilation.
Coarse vermiculite is poured into a container and tubers are buried in it. Such a package can be safely stored indoors by the balcony door. In boxes with mineral chips, dahlias can be laid out in several layers.
How to preserve with vermiculite
Alternative option
You can make it easier for yourself to care for dahlias if you grow bushes in pots with a diameter of at least 10 cm. In the spring they are dug into the ground in a flower bed, and in the fall they are removed from there, after cutting off the stems.
All parts of the rhizome that look out to the surface are cut off. The earth is moistened, the pot is wrapped in newspapers, put in a dark bag and tied. They are stored in the basement, garage, loggia and even in the storeroom of the apartment.
Useful Tips
To ensure normal storage for dahlias in winter, the correct approach to the process is necessary at all stages:
- It is most convenient to remove the tubers from the ground if you first dig a shallow trench at a distance of 25 cm around the bush;
- experienced summer residents got used to digging not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork (then the grooves will be superfluous);
- it was mentioned above that the stems are cut off after drying, but you can do this earlier, even before the digging is done, as it is more convenient for anyone;
- when the rhizome is divided into tubers, they try to ensure that at least one bud is present on each cut;
- before processing the tubers, the sections on them should be thoroughly dried;
- when using paraffin, no open fire is allowed in order to avoid ignition of the material - only an electric stove;
- the obligatory moment of storage is maintaining the temperature and humidity at the same level; drops lead to the formation of condensation, and it provokes rotting;
- air stagnation should not be allowed; if the basement is not equipped with ventilation, it should be periodically ventilated;
- tubers are best stored in a cellar, laid out in one layer on wooden shelves; if there is not enough space, you can use boxes with ventilation holes, but then each tuber should be wrapped in non-rigid paper;
- a proper examination is carried out every 2-3 weeks; finding spoiled tubers, they are thrown away; if they were stored in sand or sawdust, the substrate is completely changed;
- on partially damaged rhizomes, the rotted area is removed, and the cut is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, brilliant green or fungicides;
- slightly wilted nodules are a sign of a lack of moisture; they must be sprinkled with water from a spray bottle;
- if dahlias began to sprout, they can not be broken off, but brought into the living room and planted in a pot of vermiculite, in May a small bush can be planted on a flower bed.
The more varieties of dahlias are grown on the site, the greater the risk of getting tangled in the roots. It is recommended to prepare nodules from each bush separately for winter storage, marking them in the process. Having your own color catalog makes it easier to avoid confusion.
