To Dig or Not To Dig, That is the Question?
Well it’s pretty much that time in most of the country (unless you are really hot)- It’s time to make a decision- Do you dig your Dahlias or leave them in the ground? So let’s talk about a few factors that influence that call:
Normandy Bright Day
Where do you grow? If you are zone 7 or higher you have the choice of dig or not. Zone 6- sometimes has this choice, depends on if you run a warm zone 6. Any colder than that, I would recommend digging unless you really like taking risks!
What are your storage options? Dahlia tubers need 40-50 degrees and 80-90% humidity in storage. Do you have conditions to support this for storing? If not, you may loose some to shrivel, drying out. The temps aren’t that hard to find but the humidity conditions often are hard to come by.
What kind of time do you have now versus in the spring? For us, spring is too busy to be digging and dividing, so we do it in the fall.
Last Dance
My personal recommendations when I’m asked this question are this:
Commercial flower farmer: Dig in fall if you have proper storage conditions. This way you know how many tubers you have for next season. You can also take cuttings early this way.
Home Gardener: Leave tubers in over winter and dig a few weeks before your last frost if you want to divide them. In ground will usually provide better storage conditions than most situations that the home gardener has available to them.
So what are you doing this year? Shoot me an email and let me know!