How to Save Annual Dahlia Tubers: Useful Tips

Summer residents who have large plots of land love flowers such as dahlias. And very often they have the following question: "How to save the tubers of annual dahlias until spring?" It is not difficult to do this, knowing the rules of storage. Following all the recommendations, dahlias will delight the eye for more than one year.

Storage rules for annual dahlia tubers

You can store dahlia tubers, as well as vegetables. The main thing to know is that in order for the tubers to survive until spring, they must be protected from frost, overdrying, not allowed to rot and germinate prematurely.

If there is little space in the cellar, you can stack the tubers on top of each other. But in this case. It is worth using sawdust or sand.

The safety of rhizomes should be checked at least once a month. If a rotten tuber appears, it must immediately be removed. In case of small damage, the rhizome can be tried to save using a sharp knife and a disinfectant. As such a remedy, you can use brilliant green or potassium permanganate. Then such a tuber needs to be stored separately. And sand or sawdust for the remaining rhizomes should be replaced.

If the tubers begin to dry, they need to be sprayed. The main thing is to do everything in moderation. Excess moisture can cause rot.

We’ve figured out a bit about storage, but in addition to proper storage, you need to know about the rules for preparing for storage. These rules are simple, but they must be followed.

So:

1. First you need to dig up the rhizomes. At this stage, you need to try not to damage the roots. As for the stem, it needs to be cut.
2. Rhizomes need to be cleaned from the ground and rinsed well. After that, they need to be treated with a fungicide.
3. The roots should be dried and cleaned for 7-8 days in a cold place.
4. To store tubers more conveniently, they can be divided.

How to make annual dahlias perennials

Asking the question: “Is it possible to save annual dahlias in the cellar until next year”, we can say with confidence, yes. For this, of course, you need to try very hard to fulfill some conditions of proper storage. The tubers are very well kept in the cellar. Consider the most efficient storage methods.

Clay Storage

First you need to prepare the tubers. That is, rinse and dry. Then you need to prepare the clay solution. The consistency of the solution should be like thick sour cream. Then you need to lower each tuber into this solution and dry. It is better to put the roots in specially prepared containers. When planning to plant tubers, the clay shell must be carefully removed.

Polyethylene

This storage method is also popular. For storage in a plastic film, the roots should be wrapped in turns. Close to each other. Film can be bought at hardware stores. The advantage of such storage is that even the smallest tubers can be stored.

You may be interested in:

When to dig dahlias in the fall and where to clean them for the winterProper storage of dahlias in the winter at homeDahlias: harvesting and storing tubers

Paraffin Storage

For this storage method, you need liquid paraffin. It should be heated with a water bath to 60 degrees and alternately lower the tubers into it. After the first layer of paraffin has dried, this procedure should be repeated.

Then, the tubers need to be removed in cellophane and sprinkled with sawdust.

Sand as storage material

In addition to the methods discussed, tubers can also be stored in sawdust, vermiculite. As you can see there are enough ways, the main thing is to carefully observe the rules of preparation for storage and storage itself.

Reviews

Irena Gromova:

“Yes, all of these storage methods have a place to be, but I want to talk about another method. In this way, I have been keeping dahlia tubers for about 5 years. The meaning of the method is that it is worth digging a hole, the depth of which should be at least 1.5 meters. A container is placed in this pit, into which the tubers are folded, previously dipped in a clay mash. Then the container is covered with a lid and buried. In the spring, the tubers go and sit. ”

Yanina Petrova:

“I have not tried any methods. And stored in clay and in cellophane. The last few years I keep in the sand. I liked this method more than the others. Very convenient, at any time you can look at the tubers and see if everything is normal with them. True, of course you need a lot of sand, because dahlias are my favorite flowers. I have a lot of different types, I try to save everything. But it's worth it".

Alenka:

“I am a lover of these flowers. And so my neighbors often ask a question about how to preserve annual dahlias until spring. The answer is simple. I have been storing tubers in dry sawdust for many years. To do this, take the crates, pour the sawdust into them and place the tubers, the sawdust again on top. Then I clean the boxes in the cellar. The main thing is that the air temperature in the cellar should not be lower than +3 ”.

Tatyana Kim:

“Annual dahlias, can tubers be preserved?” I often hear this question from others. You can, most importantly, know the storage rules. To begin with, tubers need to be washed, dried, treated with foundationazole, and then transferred to storage. I really liked the way of storage in polyethylene. I have many different types of dahlias, and this method is also suitable because I store dahlias with species. That is, tubers of the same species in one polyethylene and so on. ”