Storing dahlia tubers

[Anonymous]

I have dahlia tubers in raised beds that I haven’t dug up yet. Most sources say to put them in a cool, dark place like an unheated garage or basement. But I don’t have a garage, and my basement is heated. Should I just leave them in the ground and hope for the best?

[Anonymous]

The coolest room in your house then. Most refrigerators are too cold. I pack mine in shredded paper - and then I forget to check on them midwinter.

[Anonymous]

You could leave them in the ground. To give them the best chance of survival can you pile a lot of mulch on top? Or a few flakes off a straw bale? That would help.

[Anonymous]

I leave them in the ground and hope for the best but I think a raised bed will be less likely to work?

Even in a mild winter, only certain varieties come back. The good thing is it seems to be the ones that are also best at our hot summers.

Maybe you could try making a “hot bed” one year! Idk how to do it but I know the Romans or Tudors or whoever did it. You basically use hot compost at the bottom to keep the top from freezing.

[Anonymous]

I have been leaving my dahlias in my raised bed for years now without issue. I give them a thick layer of mulched leaves once I cut them back in the fall and I haven't lost one. Once I see the beginnings of shoots I dig and divide them and then plant them right back. The tubers that I share with others I pot up with soil to keep them hydrated until their next owners plant transplant them. The Swan Island Dahlias website has very helpful info regarding overwintering dahlias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been leaving my dahlias in my raised bed for years now without issue. I give them a thick layer of mulched leaves once I cut them back in the fall and I haven't lost one. Once I see the beginnings of shoots I dig and divide them and then plant them right back. The tubers that I share with others I pot up with soil to keep them hydrated until their next owners plant transplant them. The Swan Island Dahlias website has very helpful info regarding overwintering dahlias.

Are you in DC?