Tips & Tools for Lifting & Cleaning Dahlia Tubers
It’s time to start thinking about lifting up our tubers and getting ready for the storage season. This can be done at anytime after the 120th day of being in the ground. Often people wait until after the first frost, but where we live we are likely to have too much rain before that happens, and the tubers are prone to rot if they get too wet. So we just start lifting after the 120th day and spread the work out over a couple of week.
Here is what we use.
To Label the Dahlia Tubers
Prior to getting ready to take your tubers out, you will want to head out to the garden with flagging tape and sharpies and label your tubers down at the base. If you can use an Industrial Sharpie, that is better, but an ordinary Sharpie will do in a pinch. Write the name of the dahlia tuber on the flagging tape and tie it onto the base of the plant. I like to tie it with a bow or use a clothespin so that when I lift the clump it is easy to reposition.
“Use three different colors of flagging tape for Short, Medium, and Tall so that you can plant accordingly next year.”
Cut Back the Plants
In most climates, you wait for the first frost to kill your plants and signal to the tubers that this is there last chance to get ready for winter. Where we live, it rains too much to wait, as the tubers are likely to rot before we get a freeze. So we cut them down about 4 inches above the ground and then let them hang out in the dirt for a few days.
To Lift the Dahlia Tubers
Our soil is fluffy and light, so I don’t need a heavy shovel which can damage the tubers. I like to use a spading fork or a garden fork to lift my labelled dahlia tubers up and shake off the dirt. From there, they go into a crate: one variety per crate.
“Inevitably a unidentified tuber will show up. Those just go into the Mystery bin and get sold as grab bags.”
To Clean the Dahlia Tubers
If you only have a few, just leave them in the bin and hose them off with a sprayer. If you have more, pick up each clump from the bin, hose it off on all sides, and put it into a second bin.
I like to use a dog kennel on its side to get a work surface that is the right height for me.
Washing a huge clump of Karma Serena Dahlia Tubers at Flower Feather Farm, a Washington State dahlia farm.
I highly recommend you just work with one variety at a time. It is so easy to get distracted and forget which clump goes back to which bin.
“If it is cold out, put on a pair of medical gloves underneath your garden gloves to keep your hands dry. You may also want rubber overalls and rubber overalls depending on your climate and personal tolerance for being damp and cool.”
To Dry the Dahlia Tubers
If your weather permits it, just leave the bins out in the sun and the wind to dry for one day prior to putting the tubers into storage. Otherwise, spread the bins out on a table and set a fan on them overnight. I put old baking racks under the bins to make sure there is not dampness lurking in the bottom.
Check in later for Tips and Tools on Dividing and Storing Dahlia Tubers.
