How to properly prepare dahlias for winter storage. Preparing dahlias for winter: what care is needed. What care does the plant need in autumn

Hello dear flower growers! Let's talk about dahlias. What's new can be said about the grandmother's flower? Everything seems to be simple. Planted, dug in the fall. And if there is nothing to plant in the spring? Lost roots over the winter? It's because gardeners don't know how to store dahlias in winter. Let's cultivate botanical literacy in ourselves. ways to save dahlias for the winter some. Professionals do "according to science", someone as their ancestors taught. Let's try to figure out what methods are in place.

First, let's ask ourselves the question, is it possible NOT to dig up dahlias for the winter? Solid no. This is a thermophilic plant. It cannot stay winter - it will die. Here are gladiolus or tulip bulbs, accidentally forgotten in the soil, can endure minus temperature. And you can’t experiment with a dahlia.

Secondly, find out when to dig up dahlias for the winter? Since it loves warmth, the answer is simple. Before the onset of severe frosts. We live climatically differently, so the timing may fluctuate - plus or minus two weeks. In the old days, the Orthodox believed that growing in the ground should be removed before September 26. "Saint Cornelius - rhizomes out of the ground". It was believed that after the twenty-sixth in the earth, the roots do not grow, but chill.

Whether dahlias, whether other plants, good owners dug up for the winter until this day. The first cold hit the bushes, we saw drooping stems, withered heads - it's time to come!

How to dig

Taking a shovel and turning out a root with a clod of earth is not about good specialists.

It would be simple at first, if the storage conditions for dahlias were not violated later, they would not disappear by the spring season. Do it right like this:

• cut long stems, leaving peduncles 15-20 cm from the soil surface;
• remove the peg to which the flower was tied;
• we dig a bush from all sides;
• we help ourselves with a shovel, and carefully pull the contents out of the hole with our hands;
• we clear the earth from the outside, inside (do not use sharp tools);
• cut off the remains of the stem that are now unnecessary.

On a note! In mature flowers, the pipes are thick, with a wide inlet. It is advisable to dig them out in dry weather so that the trunks of dahlias do not rot during storage in winter.

How to prepare tubers for storage

Before preparing dahlias for storage, we process root tubers:

• wash under running water from dirt;
• remove small plant debris;
• spray from a spray bottle with a strong solution of potassium permanganate;
• dry anywhere, most importantly under a canopy, two weeks.

Attention! When processing dahlias for the winter, save your neck. Propagating them with a piece of root will not work. The whole trick is in the presence of a root neck, from which the kidneys will wake up later and give rise to a new plant.

Is there a difference between perennial and annual tubers? Yes. The former have an old tuber that is left over from last year. Quite often, it rots in winter when storing dahlias.

We examine the roots of not the first year of life more closely: they seem to be normal in appearance, but with dark pulp, hollow. Tap on them and a characteristic dull sound will be heard. Down with them!

Sometimes, in order to remove, somehow you have to divide the dahlia tubers: make several out of one. You can’t get inside, for the old junk - cut boldly and put away the updated dahlia tubers for storage.

Treatment

Dry for two or three weeks. The question arises, how to keep clean and dry dahlia tubers until spring?

• It is necessary to cut off all thin, broken, dried processes.
• Stump, places of cuts, breakdowns, pickle with fungicides: "Maxim", "Vitaros".

On a note! Instead of chemicals, you can use environmentally friendly penny greens. It is convenient to smear wounds with a brush ...

Methods and conditions for storing dahlias in winter

1. Clay talker: water with clay (like sour cream).
2. Or technical paraffin: melt in a saucepan with water, do not bring to a boil.

Of course, we will not process large giants in this way: they will not enter the pan. This processing method will allow you to store small dahlia roots in an apartment, for example, on an insulated balcony. Not everyone has a suitable cool room in the garden.

Interesting on the topic:

In the spring, when planting, we do not remove the paraffin, we plant it like this. And carefully free the roots from the clay - not a complicated process. Processed and then choose how to store dahlias in winter. Or rather, we decide where we clean it, how we pack it. Let's discuss some well-known and not so well-known methods.

Did you know? There is an opinion how it is impossible to store dahlia tubers in winter: in cellophane. If you do not tie, then you can. Moreover, it will prevent the evaporation of excess moisture from them.

In my head…..Sawdust?

How to store dahlia tubers there, in sawdust? Owners of more than a dozen varieties, there is no time to shake over each. They need a fast technological way. And there is one. Invented by breeder O.A. Daraganov.

No washing, trimming, processing are no longer considered - there is no time.

• Take a box with holes, line it with foil, cover it with wet sawdust.
• Process them in advance: 1 tbsp. blue vitriol+ 1.5 liters of boiling water.
• The amount of this solution is enough to process two buckets of sawdust.
• The color of sawdust will change from yellow to bluish. Don't be scared, that's how it should be.

We scatter them along the bottom with a layer of 4-5 cm. We lay the roots of dahlias with the base up, fall asleep with a second layer and store in the cellar, basement.

Humidity. What's with the cones?

Important! We put it in storage. And again the question arises of how to save dahlias until spring. The temperature should be cold - five to ten degrees Celsius. And the humidity is high: 65-75%.

How to define it?

• You come to the place of storage, and it's dry there. Badly!
• Or mold. Even worse!
• What to do? Buying a hygrometer, thermohygrometer is expensive.
• Take a dry thermometer, wind a cloth, moisten it with some water, take measurements after 10 minutes, make a table and calculate - in general, a Chinese letter!

Let's remember the biology course from the school curriculum - stock up on ordinary forest cones. They will be our controllers.

We will lower one into the water, after a short time we will make sure that the knob is completely closed. This indicates 95-100% humidity for a forest guest. Fully opened, speaks about 30-40%. If we see half-opened plates at an angle of 15-25 °, this is the golden mean.

Attention! Watch in winter places for storing dahlia tubers for the opening of scales at the cones. Take the right action to fix the situation.

Interesting on the topic:

Wallpaper glue! It's a joke?

Many complain that when storing dahlias at home, in warm temperatures and dry air, the roots shrivel, dry out and then do not germinate. On the other hand, bulbs grow moldy in a too damp room. Also unpleasant. They require extra care and fungicidal treatments. If everything is properly organized, then dahlias can be kept healthy, viable at home.

There is a 100% way to avoid unnecessary fuss.

• Prepare a solution of crushed (half a bucket) and nine liters of boiling water.
• Cool down, become dark brown, mix with standard wallpaper glue with antifungal additives.
• You should get the consistency of jelly.
• The finished broth will keep the onions from all diseases and microbes, protect them from drying out.
• A full bucket of composition is enough for a pack of 200 grams.
• We bathe our blanks in a basin with healing infusion, put them to dry on a newspaper.

After drying, put in a suitable container and clean.

Important! When choosing this method, avoid pre-drying. Dig up → mine → process → store.

In sand

The most widely known, popular summer residents in the world. Let's say right away that you have to fork out to buy sand.

• We take a pouring basin, a large enameled pan, at least twenty liters.
• Pour dry sand → flowers in one or two layers on top → pieces of burlap.
• The advantage of this method- the ability to easily see the "health status" of plants.
• Minus- the risk of early awakening of the kidneys, tk. sand is highly absorbent.

Starting in March, monitor the condition of dahlias more often. For residents of apartments, this is inconvenient; you don’t run into a dacha every week.

We don't do anything

How to store dahlias in the winter in the garage? It's quite appropriate place by temperature and humidity. Pre-treated roots are put in boxes, boxes and cleaned.

But there are craftsmen who do not think about how to store dahlias in winter, and generally do nothing with the roots after digging. They just take them with clods of earth, put them in a potato bag and that's it! So, unprocessed, they are put away for storage . All processing manipulations begin in the spring, before planting. Absolutely barbaric method.

Attention! There is a big risk of not keeping the planting material healthy. And in general, it may not lie at all - it will rot from the fungus. Because, under the clod of soil, old or infected tubers are not visible.

And the most unpleasant - the severity of the "design". Try to pick up a bag full of earth mixed with roots! In this case, rough man's hands. Enormous power to lift, lower. The woman can't handle it. And transport to transport it all from point A to point B. Nevertheless, there is such a way: it is divided between unfortunate summer residents.

When cleaning in the garage, do not be lazy, process the tubers as expected.

How to store dahlias in winter in an apartment? We wrap with foil!

If you choose to process dahlias before we store them for the winter, then cling film from the store is suitable for home conditions. Can't be? Maybe!

So exactly it is. Incredible - it allows corms to breathe. They do not fade, do not rot, do not dry out. First, we process, divide by grade → wrap → sign with a marker (very convenient) → put in a box and look for a cool place in the apartment.

Video: When to dig up dahlias and how to save without a cellar

So, in order to decide how to store dahlias in winter, enough to choose for yourself suitable way. And then, the needle handsome man will forever settle in the garden. It will become a true decoration of the "hacienda". On a warm summer evening, while drinking tea on the veranda, you will inhale its subtle aroma and admire the dazzling Mexican. Can you call him that? Yes. He comes from that area.

More than 500 articles on the channel of the same name in Yandex Zen . It is with great pleasure that we invite you to visit

Dahlias are luxurious flowers, the variety of their colors and shapes allows the grower to experiment. Caring for them is relatively simple, but it is necessary to send dahlias for the winter on time and in accordance with all the rules: they do not tolerate frost at all.

Caring for dahlias in the fall

In order not to lose your favorite flowers, in autumn you need to follow only a few rules: after all, dahlias bloom until frost, and it seems that with the advent of autumn nothing needs to be done with them. This is not so: it is necessary to dig up the tubers immediately after the first frosts, and shortly before that, start preparing the flowers for winter.

Preparing to dig

Preparing dahlias for digging tubers is nothing complicated, you just need to do the following:

Digging up tubers

Dahlias are dug up immediately after the first frost: they kill the entire above-ground part. Of course, it would be possible to carry out the operation in advance, but this is not worth doing.

Freezing of stems and leaves gives the plant a signal of the upcoming wintering, putting it into a dormant state; at the same time, a significant part of the nutrients quickly migrates from the stems to the tubers.

Since frost occurs in different time, it is difficult to name the timing of digging: it happens in September or October. However, if the first frosts hit unexpectedly early, when the tubers are clearly not yet ready for wintering, you can, leaving a part of the stem about 15 cm tall, keep them in the ground for another 10-15 days. Dig in dry weather better in the morning: then the tubers after washing for a day will dry in the air. The digging process is simple:

1. Cut the stems with a clean pruner, leaving no more than 15 cm above the ground.

   The stems are cut so that it is convenient to dig up the tubers

2. Dig bushes at a distance of 20-25 cm from them to a depth of one and a half spade bayonet.
3. Prying the tuber with a pitchfork, lightly pull on the remains of the stem. This is a crucial moment: excessive force can lead to stem breakage, followed by a violation of the integrity of the root collar.

   When digging tubers, it is better not to use a shovel, so as not to chop them

4. After removing the rhizome from the ground, the tubers are washed well warm water and air dry them. If the soil is sandy and does not adhere well to the tubers, you can not wash them, but only thoroughly clean them after drying.

   It is advisable to remove all the soil from the tubers, which is difficult to achieve without washing

It is at the very base of the stem that the buds are laid, which will give life to new stems for the next year. Therefore, the violation of their integrity leads to the death of the plant.

Trimming and dividing

If minor damage is found on clean, dried tubers, the adjacent areas are carefully cut out and sprinkled with wood ash. Heavily damaged specimens are best thrown away. Then cut off the old roots, too long and thin roots.

Without waiting for spring, tubers are also divided, if necessary. They are divided so that a fragment of the root collar remains on each part. This is more important than leaving large "potatoes": it is from the root collar that young shoots will appear in spring.

When dividing the tubers, you can use a knife or secateurs, but they must be clean

Places of cuts are sprinkled with ash and the cuts are sent for final drying. It is better if the room is about 10 o C: when room temperature there is a danger of drying out and death of tubers. In a ventilated room, drying takes about 10 days, after which the tubers are placed for wintering, after cutting the stems to a length of 3–4 cm.

Some flower growers, before storing, additionally process the planting material (wax, cover with a layer egg white or disinfected with copper-containing preparations).

Winter storage

The tubers are stored in a basement or dry cellar at a temperature of 3–6 ° C and an air humidity of 60–80%. If there is no ventilation, airing is carried out weekly. The tubers are placed in wooden boxes or cardboard boxes, putting newspapers on the bottom. A layer of sand or sawdust is poured onto the newspapers and the tubers are laid out in one layer. It is advisable to sprinkle them on top with slaked lime.

Before sending for storage, planting material must be signed

It is important to periodically review planting material. If in the middle of winter damaged areas are found on the tubers, they are cut out, the sections are disinfected with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with crushed coal. The sand in the box is changed to fresh. When the tubers dry, moisten the sand.

Dahlias are considered troublesome flowers, because they must be dug up in time in the fall and properly prepared for the winter. However, there is nothing complicated in this, you just need to do everything carefully and accurately.

Care for dahlias in the open field begins with their proper fit. Flowers should be planted when return frosts are no longer terrible, and the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Mostly experienced gardeners recommend to be guided by the climatic features of each region.

Features of care

So, in Central Russia, these flowers are usually planted already grown and not earlier than June 10th. An earlier disembarkation is possible, but several conditions must be met. As soon as the earth warms up reliably, by about May 18, divided tubers without shoots, but with well-defined eyes, can be lowered into the soil. After about 10-15 days, sprouts will appear. Because in early spring frosts are still possible, young shoots need protection. Even with a slight drop in temperature, it is better to cover the flowers.

Sometimes it is allowed to plant grown tubers ahead of schedule. But in such cases, it is necessary to stock up on covering material. Moreover, in conditions with a harsh climate, it is better not to practice this method.

Dahlia

In any case, you need to plant a plant on a site prepared in advance, where stakes are driven in and holes are dug. The approximate interval between flowers should be at least half the height of an adult bush. On average, this value reaches 70 cm. Starting a new row, you will have to retreat at least 1 meter. As for the stakes, they must be strong, more than one and a half meters in height. Often summer residents use wooden rods as such supports. In this case, it is recommended to choose conifers. They are more durable. You can also extend their service life with the help of special impregnations. But more practical option is still the use of metal stakes. And it is not at all necessary to buy them in garden stores. For this role, unnecessary pipes or fittings are perfect. The main thing is that their radius is not less than 10 mm. The support is driven into the ground by 40 cm, then a flower is planted close to it. In this case, you need to generously water the hole. The tuber neck should be 5 cm below ground level. Landing is recommended in cloudy weather or late in the evening.

When choosing a place for planting flowers, it is necessary to take into account some of their features: a relatively short growing season, the need for in large numbers water, especially when high temperatures, the fragility of the stems, requiring protection from strong winds.

In order for plants to develop properly and bloom on time, they need to be well looked after. It is important to provide dahlias with sufficient moisture. The frequency of watering varies, depending on the temperature and humidity of the external environment. The first 7 days after planting, it is recommended to water the flowers daily, especially in the heat. Later, the frequency of irrigation can be reduced, but to reasonable limits, so that the soil under the bush is always moist. It is also necessary to remove weeds in time and loosen the soil. This event is usually carried out after each watering and fertilization. When the buds are formed, loosening should be stopped. Instead, you need to mulch the ground with peat or humus. In order for the dahlia to grow well, the mulch must be of high quality. Such a measure will allow the soil to stay moist longer, delay the growth of weeds and protect against the formation of a crust on the ground.

On a note. In the fall, summer residents often wonder if dahlias should be spudded. The answer is quite simple: such a measure will protect the roots from early frosts.

How to care for dahlias by periods

Caring for dahlias in the garden suburban area depends on the time of year. In the cold season, all forces are directed to proper training for winter and secure storage until the next planting. More details on how to care for dahlias in the country in autumn and winter will be described in another section of the article. Here it is worth dwelling in detail on the spring and summer periods.

Dahlia bushes need moisture. The soil, like the air, should not be dry. For irrigation, it is recommended to use small sprinklers and water for at least 15 minutes. For this plant will thank the lush flowering.

When the dahlia takes root, you will need to make top dressing organic and mineral fertilizers. Bring cow and bird droppings at the rate of 1:10. To them add 15 g of potassium or ammonium nitrate, the same amount of potassium sulfate and superphosphate. Grooves are made around each flower, up to 6 cm deep, and fertilizers are poured into them. 10 liters of the mixture should be enough for 5 bushes. Such top dressing is carried out once every 2 weeks until mid-summer. After each time, the plants are watered abundantly.

How to care for dahlias in summer

Starting from mid-July, potash-phosphorus fertilizers are applied. For 10 liters of water, dilute 15 g of potassium sulfate and the same amount of potassium nitrate, plus fifty grams of superphosphate. So until the second half of August.
By the end of summer, more phosphorus should be added to the soil. Without this element, together with potassium and a sufficient amount of water, the outflow of carbohydrates from the stem and leaves of the plant to the tubers occurs slowly and incompletely.

Whole warm season, in addition to watering and fertilizing, it is necessary to carry out weeding of the site, loosening the soil, pinching lateral shoots from axillary buds, removing lateral shoots of the peduncle.

If the dahlia has a powerful vegetative system, then it is better to cut off the lower leaves at a distance of 35 cm from the ground. This will improve the flow of air to the roots and prevent overgrowth of the stem. Consequently, the root tuber will be less prone to rotting.

What is applicable in care

Now, undersized dahlias grown from seeds are becoming increasingly popular. Such annual crops do not need a garter; if desired, you can grow them even at home in a pot. But connoisseurs of tall varieties of this flower should know how to tie up dahlias. This plant looks great against the background of a forged fence or original stakes. The latter mainly must be strong and reliable in order to protect the dahlias from breakage due to wind or increase in their own weight. Good for these purposes metal constructions or specialized supports for flowers.

How to care for dahlias in autumn

Many are interested in the question of how to tie up dahlias so that they do not fall. Usually, this is done when the height of the stem reaches 60 cm. You can fix the entire bush or each shoot separately. In any case, the longest stem is always tied in two places.

In order for a homemade dahlia to look neat and well-groomed, it must be cut off. Moreover, it is better to start the procedure when the shoots have just begun to grow. It is required to leave 3-4 of the strongest sprouts, and remove the rest. This will be quite enough for a chic bush. Until it grows to 40 cm, all side shoots must also be removed. They overly thicken the plant and inhibit its flowering.

For more inflorescences, it is recommended to pinch the main shoot over 4 pairs of leaves. Otherwise, the dahlia will use all its strength to form one strong bud with seeds.

Dahlias are prone to diseases and often suffer from pests. Every gardener needs to have in his arsenal the means to deal with these troubles. If the plant is struck powdery mildew or viral mosaic, then spots and yellowing will appear on the leaves. Other symptoms include pathologically low bush growth, unnatural leaf color, and a short pedicel. When such characteristics are found on a flower best solution will dig it out with big ball earth and burn. Do the same with the tubers, if atypical formations are found on them during the autumn harvest. They indicate bacterial cancer.

In case of damage by slobbering pennitsa or flower beetles, dahlias are sprayed with urea or mullein.

For your information. From aphids, an infusion of onion or garlic husks helps, wood ash. Slugs are afraid of a decoction of capsicum, and two-tails that eat buds cannot stand the smell of celandine and wormwood.

How to cut a plant

One of the popular questions remains how to cut dahlias. Starting in February, the process becomes possible. But optimal time still falls on March-April, when daylight hours increase. This method of propagation is considered one of the best for valuable flower varieties, especially if there are not so many tubers. Subject to the rules, up to 50 cuttings can be removed from one root tuber. In addition, there will be a significant rejuvenation of culture.

For the cutting process, you should choose the healthiest and strongest tubers. First you need to disinfect them and leave them to dry in a bright place until the buds appear.

How to cut dahlias

Then the roots are placed in a box and covered with earth mixed with sand and humus. A tuber with an open root collar will produce more cuttings. At first the temperature environment will have to be maintained at around + 25 ° С. When the growth appears, this value can be lowered to +18. With a small amount of natural light, it will be necessary to use phytolamps in order to grow strong cuttings, at least 3 mm in diameter. A month later, 10-centimeter shoots can be taken on cuttings.

For picking, it is necessary to prepare boxes with a side height of 10 cm. Soil with sand and peat is poured into them. To protect dahlias from possible diseases, the soil is disinfected biological preparations. Then watered, covered with a film and left for 2 weeks. After this period, the cuttings can be planted.

Preparing for winter

To perennials overwintered well, they need to be prepared in the fall. First you need to clean up the area where the dahlias grow. Remove all debris, branches, weeds so that there is nothing left that can serve as a receptacle for infections, bacteria, etc.

Then you need to carefully inspect all the bushes for damage and disease. All frail, lethargic and non-viable plants will need to be selected, dug up with a large clod of earth and preferably burned so that they do not infect healthy flowers. When examining, you also need to be careful.

Preparing for winter

Of great importance for dahlias is watering in the autumn months. This flower stores moisture in the three lower internodes of the stem. Therefore, if you start digging up the plant immediately after irrigation, it will most likely begin to rot. To avoid such a nuisance, it is recommended to stop watering 14 days before the intended harvest of dahlias.

Regarding digging, experienced flower growers recommend not to rush. A hardened plant tolerates winter more easily, therefore, the longer the flowers stand in the garden, the better. But it's not worth overdoing either. The best time is the last days of September or the first week of October.

First, cut the stem so that a small stump remains. Then, stepping back 35 cm in a circle from the root, they begin to dig out the tuber. After washing the latter, it is left to dry in a dry, well-ventilated place for 5-7 days. After this period, the roots must be processed for better keeping quality. The stems are shortened by another 3 cm. All small roots and uterine tubers are removed so that they do not take away nutrients.

Among other things, many gardeners still divide the tubers in the fall. This is argued by the fact that during the winter the roots harden and in the spring before planting they are very difficult to separate. The division must be carried out so that each piece has a segment of the root collar. This will make it easier for the dahlia to germinate.

When all these manipulations are completed, the tubers can be put aside for winter storage. Usually they hibernate in basements at a temperature not higher than +6 degrees. Boxes filled with sawdust, sand or earth are excellent for this purpose. It is important not to forget to ventilate the room to prevent rotting of tubers. If it is not possible to store the roots in the basement, a dark closet in the house or a balcony will do. The main thing is that the room temperature does not exceed +15 degrees.

Dahlias, which were cared for responsibly, will bloom for a long time and luxuriantly, pleasing the eyes of not only the owners, but also neighbors and passers-by.

Heat-loving dahlias do not tolerate low temperatures at all, so they must be dug up for the winter. The success of wintering, and hence the subsequent flowering in the coming season, directly depends on the correct pre-winter preparation of this crop and storage conditions in the winter.

Autumn care for dahlias

In order for dahlia rhizomes to survive the winter safely, they should be thoroughly prepared in advance.. Preparatory measures include the following manipulations:

• Territory cleaning. About a couple of weeks before the expected day of digging, the ground under the bushes needs to be put in order, removing all the fallen leaves, twigs, dried flowers and petals, in general, all the accumulated plant debris. Spores of fungal infections are well preserved in this litter (with a decrease in temperature, this flower culture becomes especially susceptible to them), and all kinds of pests like to settle in it for the winter, which then easily migrate to dahlia rhizomes.
• Watering. With the onset of autumn, the flower does not need additional moisture, since excess moisture can lead to waterlogging of the root collar, and then rotting of the rhizomes. Watering is stopped approximately 1.5–2 weeks before digging. If it constantly rains, then the plants need to be covered with polyethylene.
• Fertilizers. In autumn, dahlias are not fed, so as not to provoke unnecessary growth of shoots and let the tubers ripen quietly. The last fertilizers of the potassium-phosphorus group are applied at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn (a month and a half before digging), the granules are dissolved in a bucket of water (consumption per bush - 2–3 l):
  • superphosphate - 15–20 g;
  • potassium sulfate - 10–15 g.
• Preventive checkup. Bushes are carefully examined, discarding sick, dried, with traces of a fungal infection (on leaves and stems white coating, spots, etc.), as well as weak and unviable with fragile, elongated stems that did not bloom. All suspicious specimens are removed along with a clod of earth and burned.
• Pruning. As soon as the ground part freezes a little with the first frosts, it needs to be cut off, leaving stumps about 12-15 cm.
• Hilling. Even before the arrival of the first cold weather, dahlia bushes are spudded, raking up a mound of earth 8–10 cm high to protect the root system from freezing.

In order for dahlias to bloom luxuriously next year, they need to be well looked after in the fall.

Digging is started 15–20 days after pruning, allowing the tubers to ripen well. The time of work is determined by local climatic conditions:

• in the northern latitudes, where the first frosts are likely already at the end of August, dahlias are dug up towards the end of September;
• V middle lane this can be done a little later - before the second decade of October;
• in the southern regions with a mild and long autumn, the flowers are left in the ground until the end of October or even the beginning of November.

In the harsh Siberian climate, dahlias should be dug up in the last week of September. It is impossible to keep them in the ground for a long time, because sometimes decent frosts (up to -10 ° C) occur already in October. Even hilled plants will not survive them.

The excavation technology is as follows:

Some flower growers prefer to wash the dug out dahlia rhizomes thoroughly, removing all remnants of the earth. Others consider this procedure harmful, because the cambium is damaged, and then the tubers are stored worse.

Video: preparing dahlias for wintering

Providing the dahlias with the right autumn care and competent preparation for the winter, having dug up the bushes in time and correctly laying them for storage, you can count on luxurious and bright flowering next season.

These tuberous flowers are perennials that do not overwinter in conditions open ground. Therefore, the underground part of the plants is dug up to save until the next season. Novice flower growers want to know more about dahlias, how to store them in the 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 - pineal tubers will simply freeze in the cold ground. In addition, there are vegetative buds on the root neck, with the help of which the bush develops. Already in 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 still need to be properly prepared for storage. The whole procedure can be divided into a step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1. digging up root tubers;
2. treatment;
3. drying of rhizomes;
4. 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 moist, which is consistent with the conditions of the cellar. If there is no way to store dahlias in the country, summer residents will have to move the tubers to the apartment, creating a suitable atmosphere there. Based on the storage conditions, options for processing rhizomes are selected.

Methods for storing tubers:

• in a clay "casing";
• in wet sand;
• in lime;
• in paraffin;
• in food film;
• in vermiculite.

Interesting! Some flower growers have adapted a refrigerator for storing dahlia rhizomes. This allows you to regularly check the condition of the planting material.

How to properly dig dahlia tubers

As soon as the bush fades, without giving a minute to warm days, they begin to prepare the dahlias for wintering. In the Moscow region, this period usually falls on the beginning of October. Frosts come earlier in the Urals and Siberia. The Krasnodar Territory, where autumn is always warm, can admire lush flowers until November.

If the frosts began earlier than the expected time, the dahlia bushes may freeze. To have time to save at least the tubers, they must be dug up within 2-3 days.

Even if heat comes again after a short cold snap, this is already bad for dahlias. From such temperature drops, the buds can grow, this will lead to the death of the plant.

How to properly dig dahlia tubers

Having decided when to dig up dahlias, start the question of how to do it right. It is important that the weather is dry outside - after removing the tubers from the ground, it is advisable to leave them in a flower bed for several hours so that the sun warms them up. Best time for this work - in the morning.

Note! In order not to damage the root, the shovel is inserted into the ground not under the very bush, but slightly retreating from it.

After the dahlias lie down, they shake off the ground from them, and the rhizomes are washed well with water, and then examined. Thin and damaged shoots must be cut 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 stumps of 8-10 cm.

If the reproduction of the bush is planned next year, the rhizome is divided into separate nodules. Already in this form, they proceed to subsequent processing, which ensures 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 of heat. At a lower temperature, dahlias will freeze, in a warmer room they will mummify and become unusable.

Important! They monitor the humidity in the basement - the required parameter is 60-80%. At elevated rates, rot develops. At low humidity, the nodules shrivel up.

Basement storage

If there is such a room in the country house, this the best option for the preservation of dahlias. It remains only to choose the most appropriate method of processing the roots.

Ways to prepare dahlia tubers for storage

If the summer resident is a beginner in floriculture, for starters, 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.

Processed dahlias are freed from the protective “shell” 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

In an apartment it is difficult to create suitable conditions - room mode is not suitable for this. But even here you can find an alternative - a warmed loggia. The tubers are treated with clay or paraffin, buried in dry sawdust, which are filled carton boxes.

Note! Periodically check the bookmark in order to identify in time the roots that have begun to rot. If severe frosts are expected, it is recommended to cover boxes with dahlias with warm blankets.

Another option on how to keep dahlias in the apartment until spring is on the refrigerator door, away from freezer. To do this, each spine is wrapped with cling film. But then you have to take into account the effect of condensation. So that the tubers do not rot, they will have to be pulled out and unfolded from time to time for ventilation.

How to store tubers in an apartment

How to Preserve with Vermiculite

Mineral chips are actively used in garden and home floriculture: as a drainage, mulch, substrate for germinating sprouts. Vermiculite is also excellent in solving the issue of how to store dahlias at home in winter.

It attracts the tool with its versatility - the mineral will allow you to save the 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.

Vermiculite of a large fraction is poured into the container and the tubers are buried in it. Such a package can be safely stored indoors at balcony door. In boxes with mineral chips, dahlias can be laid out in several layers.

Note! Vermiculite not only provides the necessary moisture inside the bag, but also takes on the excess.

Alternative option

You can simplify your 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 the stems.

All parts of the rhizome that look out to the surface are cut off. The earth is moistened, the pot is wrapped with newspapers, put in a dark bag and tied. Stored in the basement, garage, on the loggia and even in the pantry of the apartment.

Important! When the time comes for planting, the pot is removed, the rhizome is freed from the ground, some of the tubers are planted in new containers, some are sent to an open flower bed.

To ensure the normal storage of dahlias in the winter, you need the right approach to the process at all stages:

• it is most convenient to remove the tubers from the ground if you first dig a shallow trench around the bush at a distance of 25 cm;
• experienced summer residents got used to digging not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork (then the grooves would 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 you;
• when the rhizome is divided into tubers, they try to ensure that at least one kidney is present on each division;

Important! You need to tune in to the fact that not all tubers will lie down until spring. The reason for this may be not only a violation of the rules of storage. Sometimes rodents visit the cellars and spoil everything that is there. The owner will have to take care of pest control measures.

• before processing the tubers, the sections on them should be thoroughly dried;
• when using paraffin, open fire is not allowed to avoid ignition of the material - only an electric stove;
• the obligatory moment of storage is maintaining the same level of temperature and humidity; drops lead to the formation of condensate, and it provokes decay;
• air stagnation should not be allowed; if the basement is not equipped with ventilation, it should be ventilated periodically;
• tubers are best stored in the cellar, spread 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;
• every 2-3 weeks conduct a due examination; having found 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 - a sign of lack of moisture; they must be sprayed with water from a spray bottle;
• if the dahlias began to sprout, they can not be broken off, but brought into the living quarters and planted in a pot of vermiculite, in May a small bush should be planted in a flower bed.

Note! If in the summer the bush developed poorly, was sluggish and bloomed poorly (or did not give buds at all), then there is no reason to preserve its rhizome. Even if the tubers are kept until spring, it is not a fact that the bush will bloom.

The more varieties of dahlias grown on the site, the greater the risk of getting tangled in the roots. Nodules from each bush are recommended to be prepared for winter storage individually, marking them in the process. Having your own color catalog makes it easier to avoid confusion.