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A flower garden without terry dahlias will not look so rich. These flowers adorn gardens and flower beds from mid-summer until the first frost. Thanks to the diligence of the breeders, every lover of dahlias has the opportunity to plant a variety of varieties of these flowers on their site.
However, in order for these flowering plants to delight you from year to year, it is important to know how to preserve dahlias at home. This is what this article will be about.
When and how to dig dahlia tubers
In order for your favorite flowers to survive the winter cold and bloom magnificently in the coming season, it is important to dig them up correctly and in a timely manner. The roots should be dug up with the onset of the first frost. During this period, the leaves of the ground part of the flowers acquire a characteristic black color.
It is not worth digging the roots earlier than the specified time, otherwise the flowers in the next season will bloom less intensely, and the tubers will be more susceptible to disease and decay. If the leaves on the plant are green, then it is too early to dig out the roots, since at this time the buds are preparing for re-flowering, and the process of feeding the root system is in an active phase.
If the digging period has already come, then it is necessary to trim the stems. This way, you can avoid unintentional damage to the buds and tubers. When digging, do not place the shovel close to the stems and do not pull the plant with your hands on the stem.
To safely dig up the roots, dig in the plant from all sides at a distance of 30 cm from the stem. Then scoop up the soil with your hands and carefully remove the root system. Another key to successful storage of dahlia tubers is careful preparation of the planting material for wintering.
Preparation for wintering
If you have already dug up the tubers, then you need to prepare them for winter. To begin with, they are washed in running water and disinfected. A weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide can be used as a disinfectant. The roots are placed in it for half an hour.
Some growers add a systemic insecticide to the disinfectant solution. This approach will save the maximum amount of planting material until spring. If you devote enough time to disinfection, then the likelihood of the spread of pathogenic bacteria and, as a result, decay of the dahlia roots will be minimal.
In order to avoid damage to the skin of the hands, it is better to work with chemicals with gloves. Tubers that float are not suitable for storage and must be collected and discarded.
After this, the tubers should be dried. It is best to do this in the sun or in a dry, bright and well-ventilated area. Then the tubers are divided into sections. It is best to dry the roots on a wooden surface covered with cardboard or paper.
Why and how to mark the roots
If you grow different varieties of dahlias, then in order not to get confused in them, you should label the tubers. You can write the names of the varieties in full or draw up a plate with codes on a separate sheet of paper, and simply number the tubers themselves. Mark with some special icon, for example, an asterisk, plus sign or check mark, the strongest tubers from the same variety.So, with the arrival of spring, you will be able to use the best planting material.
The numbering of the roots can be done with a chemical pencil, which writes well even on completely dry tubers. If your pencil does not write well, soak the tip in a jar of water. The pencil can be replaced with a marker that writes well on any surface.
Storing dahlias at room temperatures
There are a number of rules to help preserve dahlia tubers even at room temperatures:
- Place the roots in perforated plastic bags pre-filled with brown dry peat. The bags should be tied tightly. You can store planting material in a closet, closet or on the doorstep of a loggia. In this case, you need to regularly check the general condition of the tubers.
- You can powder the tubers with ash and then place them in plastic bags. Fill the bags with air and tie them, and then carry them to the place of permanent storage.
- If you have a little planting material, then you can store it in the refrigerator. You need to put each tuber in a separate bag.
If your house has an unheated room, then the tubers are best stored in it. At high temperatures, the roots can germinate and die from a lack / excess of moisture, soil and nutrients.
Home storage methods
Storing dahlias at home can be done in different ways. For example, in boxes with sand or sawdust. Some growers process the planting material with paraffin or vermiculite. We invite you to familiarize yourself with each method of storing dahlias in the winter.
In boxes
The best place to store dahlias at home is in boxes. You can put a layer of peat on the bottom of the box, then put the roots on it and fill them with peat again. Sand or sawdust can be an excellent substitute for peat, but this will be discussed later.
Under such conditions, dahlia tubers will survive until spring. Then you can land them in open ground.
In sand
If you decide to use sand instead of peat as a backfill for the box, then you should take into account that the latter must be well dried. A layer of sand is poured into the bottom of the box. After that, the tubers are laid on it in 1 or 2 layers and covered with burlap. The technique received good reviews. Conveniently, at any time you can easily check the condition of the tubers.
If it seems to you that the roots are drying out due to dry sand, then do not rush to conclusions. Excess moisture is not needed for tubers sent for winter storage, since it can cause them to rot or sprout prematurely. Therefore, it is better to let the roots dry out than to let them rot.
In sawdust
In order for the tubers to be well preserved, they need to be covered with large sawdust or even wood shavings. The fact is that small sawdust strongly absorbs moisture, which can lead to decay or germination of planting material.
Do not store dahlia roots with potatoes or other vegetables. A humid environment forms near the vegetables, and this can provoke the spread of fungi, which will lead to the death of the planting material.
Dahlia tubers waxing
Skilled gardeners resort to waxing dahlia tubers. The bottom line is that the prepared planting material is dipped into molten paraffin. This method allows you to keep the dahlia roots in the most natural form until spring. So, enough moisture remains in the roots and they do not dry out. Under the influence of high temperatures, pathogenic bacteria die, which can remain on the tubers after disinfection. The paraffin layer protects the tubers from the negative influence of the external environment.
Waxing is suitable for processing early varieties of dahlias.How to preserve dahlias in winter using the waxing method? You need to do the following:
- Grind candles or paraffin wax and place in a saucepan. Make a water bath.
- Melt the paraffin over low heat. The thickness of the melted paraffin should be approximately 2–3 cm.
- To make the roots fit in the pot, you need to separate them. Tie the previously washed and dried tubers by a thread, dip them in paraffin for 1 second and remove. When exposed to oxygen, the paraffin will harden instantly.
Use of vermiculite
Another way how to store dahlias in the winter at home, is to use coarse vermiculite as a backfill for boxes. This tool retains moisture well, so you should not be afraid of overdrying the roots.
The bottom of the box or other container in which the planting material will be stored is covered with vermiculite. Then dahlia tubers are placed on this layer. The roots are again sprinkled with vermiculite and so you can put several layers in the box. The last layer should be covered with polyethylene. The storage area for tubers should have a temperature in the range of 3–6 ℃.
Conclusion
So, from this article, you learned how to store dahlia tubers in winter. If you follow the recommendations outlined, then next season you will be delighted with beautiful flower beds, covered with the lush color of delicious dahlias. In addition, you can watch a video, which talks about the secrets of storing dahlia tubers:
