Proper storage of dahlias in the winter at home

18.11.2018 Dahlia Growing

Dahlias are flowers loved by many gardeners and gardeners. They are valued for their unusual appearance and variety of varieties and colors. Although the homeland of these flowers is South America, in the climate of central Russia they grow well and do not need special care. But every autumn they need to be dug up. Store dahlias in winter at home, following certain rules.

Content

1 Plant preparation
2 Optimal conditions
3 Basement or cellar storage
4 Dahlia roots in the apartment

Plant preparation

In order for dahlias to winter well, it is necessary to start preparing plants in August. At the end of summer, flowers cease to feed and reduce watering. At the same time, from the end of August to the beginning of September, plants grow up to a height of 8-12 cm. This is necessary in order to make them more comfortable experiencing the autumn weather with its strong winds, which, in turn, leads to the formation of more strong and resistant to the effects of tuber infections.

Dahlias are recommended to be dug up in the middle - the end of October, after they have transferred several night frosts. At this time, the trunks of plants will already blacken, and the tubers will harden and subsequently better tolerate storage conditions.

In order not to damage the underground part of dahlias, the bush must be carefully dug with a pitchfork and with their help pull the roots out of the ground. In no case should you pull out the plant so as not to damage the base of the trunk. After the bush is removed from the soil, you need to cut secateurs stems at a height of 10-15 cm from the tubers. Leaving “stumps” shorter is undesirable because of the possibility of penetration to the roots of the infection.

Advice!

If the weather is sunny, then the dug bushes are best left for several hours on the site, after which the soil adhering to the tubers is easily shaken off, and the roots themselves are subjected to a thorough inspection. All weak nodules and long roots need to be carefully cut, and the remaining underground parts should be washed thoroughly.

Clean the tubers must be kept for one hour in a fungicide solution or 30 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This will help destroy the microflora, which is dangerous for the plant. All sections must be treated with a solution of iodine or brilliant green.

If the tubers begin to rot, it is advisable to throw them away. If these are very valuable plant varieties, then sore spots should be removed with a clean knife, and sprinkle sections with ash or grease with iodine (brilliant green). It is necessary to store such plants separately from healthy counterparts.

Useful!

To make it easier to recognize dahlias in the spring, a tag with the name of the variety or color is put on each stump. After this, the tubers must be dried in a dark, cool place, for example, under a canopy or in the attic, for 2-4 days, putting them on “stumps” for better removal of moisture.

Large rhizomes of plants are not recommended to be divided before storage, this is an additional stress factor for them. This procedure is best postponed until spring, allowing flowers to calmly winter.

Optimal conditions

How keep dahlias in winter at home, flower growers begin to think back in late summer. So that the tubers can survive until spring and not die, a number of rules must be observed:

In the room you need to maintain a certain temperature. For dahlias, this figure is + 2−5 degrees. Plants easily tolerate and increase in air temperature up to + 10−12 degrees. But these thermophilic flowers do not tolerate negative indicators.
Equally important is humidity. Normally, it corresponds to 75-80%.If the humidity is lower, then the roots can dry and in the spring they cannot be reanimated. At higher rates, the tubers will begin to rot or germinate prematurely.
For storing dahlias, cardboard boxes or crates are best suited. The bottom of the latter should be lined with a newspaper. Well stored tubers in paper bags. But it is better to refuse from plastic bags, in them plants are most susceptible to decay.

Having created optimal conditions for dahlias, you do not have to worry about their safety throughout the winter period. But there is another threat - rodents, which even like the taste of the roots of these plants.

Important!

If the tubers are stored in the apartment, then the mice are not particularly afraid of them, but in the basement or in the cellar these small pests start up quite often and can destroy all the roots that are stored there.

To protect their pets from rodents, many growers use ultrasonic repellers or special poisonous baits. Of the folk remedies for the fight against mice and rats, peppermint essential oil has proven quite well. It is believed that rodents do not tolerate this smell and will never go into the room where there is a jar with a paper towel soaked in this oil. It is recommended to make several such cans and arrange them at different angles of the basement or cellar. It is advisable to change wipes for new ones at least once every seven days.

Basement or cellar storage

Having figured out how to properly store dahlias in the winter, you need to decide on the place where to put the boxes or boxes with tubers. The best option for this is a cellar or basement. There are several ways to store:

On shelves. This is the easiest winter storage method for dahlias in the cellar. Plants after processing in a solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate are laid out directly on shelves or racks.
In the drawers. One row of tubers is placed in boxes or boxes, sprinkled with coniferous sawdust, sand, large vermiculite or dry sphagnum moss. Then lay out another row of plants and again the filler. It is not recommended to put more than two rows of tubers in one box.
To store dahlias in the winter in the basement, you can use a clay talker. For its manufacture, clay is mixed with water until a creamy consistency is obtained. The roots are dipped in this talker and allowed to dry for four days. Dahlias processed in this way are laid in layers in boxes. Before tuber planting lightly tap and remove the remaining clay.
Storage in the ground. The bottom and walls of boxes or boxes are lined with several layers of newspapers or paper, they pour a little earth, lay out a row of tubers at a distance from each other, then again a layer of earth and a row of tubers. Fill the container to the very top and cover with paper.

Advice!

So you can save dahlias all winter until spring and with minimal losses. But we must not forget to inspect all the nodules at least once a month, determining the presence or absence of rot on them.

Dahlia roots in the apartment

Of course, a basement or cellar is the best place to store dahlias. But even in the apartment for these plants, you can create favorable conditions. In the city, tubers are stored as follows:

In paraffin. First, the tubers are divided, then paraffin is heated in a water bath. For these purposes, several candles are crushed and put in a container, which is placed in a pan with water. The thickness of the melted paraffin should be at least 2-3 cm. The roots are held by the remaining parts of the barrel, lowered into a pan with paraffin and immediately removed. After such processing, they are stored directly in cardboard boxes and do not rot.Hot paraffin kills all pathogenic microflora, and after solidification creates a protective shell. In the spring, before planting, tubers do not need to be cleaned.
Storage in boxes. The roots are laid in boxes in layers and sprinkled with peat, sawdust or sand. Store them on a warm balcony or near the balcony door.
Fridge. You need to take plastic bags, make holes in them, pour clean and dry sawdust and put dahlia tubers. Store plants in the lower compartment of the refrigerator.

These methods allow you to save plants until spring at home. In addition, the presence of dahlias in the apartment is very convenient for regular inspection and identification of signs of damage.

Thus, if the dahlias are properly prepared at the end of the summer, storing tubers in winter won't be a big deal. The main thing is to create favorable conditions and provide the plant with a monthly inspection. And in late summer - early fall, these beautiful flowers will again delight their owners.