When can dahlias be dug up in the fall of 2020 in the central zone?

Dahlias should be dug up for storage in the fall, after the tuber has finished flowering and accumulated sufficient beneficial micronutrients. Gardeners living in temperate climates should do this before October. It's best to follow the recommended harvesting times according to the lunar calendar. Storage tips and step-by-step photos will help you understand how to properly preserve your planting material without loss.

Why do you need to dig up dahlias?

Dahlias are very sensitive plants, unable to survive the winter outdoors. This becomes clear when examining their root system. It is sensitive and fragile, easily susceptible to damage and various diseases.

A dahlia tuber consists of nubs and roots. The lifespan of a single tuber is approximately three years. During active growth, nutrients and elements accumulate within it. Under the right conditions, these nutrients are preserved through the winter.

Flower roots are unable to produce new buds, so to ensure the tuber remains viable, its neck—specifically, the lower part of last year's stem—must be preserved. Dahlias should be dug up for storage before the first frost, as this crop requires special conditions during the cold season.

Carrying out work in different regions

Digging up dahlias in autumn In the temperate zone in 2020, it depends on local weather conditions. These plants bloom all fall until frost sets in. During this time, it's important to actively hill the bushes and cover the root zones to prevent low temperatures from damaging them.

After the tops have dried out naturally from the cold, dig up the tubers within a week. Otherwise, stem and root rot may begin. The timing of this work depends on the local climate. In late summer, when the weather cools, mound the flowers with soil to a depth of 20 cm. This is necessary to protect the growing point, specifically the root collar, from frost.

After hilling, the plants bloom beautifully and delight the eye with their lush crowns. The tubers are dug up after the first frost. This work should be completed within the first week after the above-ground portions die.

The following features can be identified that are applicable to different regions:

1. In central Russia, dahlias are dug up in early October. In September, the weather is warm, and significant temperature fluctuations are rare.
2. In the Urals and Siberia, cold weather occurs 3-4 weeks earlier than in the central part of the country, so plants are grown in greenhouses and planted outdoors as young plants, around June. Only this condition allows for early bud break. Digging and subsequent storage for winter are carried out in late September.
3. In southern Russia and Ukraine, the climate is warm and winters are mild. Tubers can be dug up in late October, but the plant tops may remain undamaged by frost. If possible, wait until later, otherwise the tuber may not ripen fully.

The recommended timeframes vary for different regions. This is due to varying climatic conditions. If the gardener follows the guidelines, the chances of digging up and preserving the flower are higher.

Lunar calendar recommendations

Gardeners who coordinate their work with the lunar calendar are advised to follow the recommendations described in the table.

Experienced gardeners recommend considering more than just the lunar calendar when working in the garden. They also take into account everything from the plant's condition to its individual readiness for digging. It's important to remember that dahlias are sensitive to moisture, so it's best to dig them out of dry soil. After harvesting, the material should be dried in the sun or in a warm room, and the surface of the tuber should be dry before storing.

Proper preparation of material for storage

Experienced gardeners recommend following these rules:

1. You can remove the tubers from the ground once they're fully ripe. Don't rush digging up dahlias; it's best to assess the stem's condition; it should dry out.
2. It's best to extract the rhizomes when the air temperature is above freezing. The weather should be dry and windless.
3. If possible, dahlias should be dried in the sun.
4. Before digging, be sure to trim the stem, leaving a 10-15 cm long petiole at the base. After this, dig up the bush from all sides and carefully remove it from the ground using a pitchfork or shovel.
5. Avoid vigorously pulling the plant out of the soil or shaking off the roots. Such drastic manipulation can damage the bulb stem.

To ensure that storage does not result in loss of planting material, certain rules must be followed after digging:

1. Carefully inspect the tubers prepared for storage. It's important to retain only high-quality planting material, healthy parts, and those free from pest damage.
2. If rot is detected on the surface, it must be removed with a sterile instrument and the dahlias must be treated with a fungicide.
3. First, the bulb is dried until all moisture is removed and left in a dry, warm room for several days to allow the roots to harden.

Best storage methods

Providing winter storage of dahlia tubers, basic conditions must be met. The key is the room temperature. It should be no more than 8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures below 3 degrees Celsius are unacceptable. Subzero temperatures are harmful to dahlias; they will freeze. In a warm room, the bulbs will mummify, will not be able to grow productively the following season, and will eventually die. Humidity must also be monitored; ideally, 60-80% is ideal. Higher temperatures can lead to rot, while low humidity will cause the tuber to shrink.

In the basement or cellar

The optimal storage method for preserving dahlias over winter without loss is to store the collected material in a basement. The tubers are laid out in a single layer on wide trays and topped with garden soil, peat, or sand. The layer should be no more than 9 cm thick. It's important not to cover the remaining stem.

Advantages of the technique:

• good conditions of detention;
• optimal ventilation and sufficient humidity;
• Possibility of control throughout the winter.

In the basement, you can simply place the planting material on shelves, but in a single layer. If you don't have a large room and cellar space is limited, place the dahlias in a box in layers, but cover them with a breathable material. It's best to use sand with peat, perlite, or vermiculite. Regular soil is unacceptable.

On the balcony

If you don't have a cellar or basement in your apartment, you can keep dahlias on the balcony in wooden or plastic boxes that don't need to be tightly sealed. Before placing the bulbs on the balcony, dry them thoroughly, place them in boxes, and sprinkle the layers with peat or sand.

The finished boxes are placed on the balcony, next to the door, as far away from the radiator as possible. Over the winter, the material is checked several times, regularly turned over, and any rotted areas are promptly removed with a sharp knife. After this, the cut ends are dried and sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

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In an ordinary apartment

Gardeners say it's quite difficult to ensure good storage conditions for dahlias at home. A glassed-in balcony or loggia is a better option. Vegetable storage boxes equipped with a special heating system can be used. If the balcony isn't glazed, the containers can be placed next to the balcony door or in the bathroom under the bathtub or sink, where the cold water pipes run.

You can place containers of dahlias in the entryway or stairwell. If you only have a small amount, you can fold them in newspaper and wrap them in a plastic bag with holes in the top. Place the container in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.

To store the tubers, use boxes filled with sand or damp peat. Wood shavings can be used. The boxes are placed in large plastic bags. It's important to ensure adequate ventilation. Poke several small holes in the plastic.

Using paraffin

If other methods are not possible, gardeners can preserve dahlias in paraffin. To do this, melt the preservative and dip the tubers in it twice, 1-minute intervals. This is necessary to create a thick layer.

Once the paraffin has hardened, the resulting elements are placed in bags filled with sawdust or vermiculite. This method is rarely used because it is quite labor-intensive, especially if there is a large amount of planting material. Wake up dahlias for germination in the spring is very simple: simply pierce the seed coat in several places, and it will crack and fall off.

Gardener's mistakes and how to fix them

The list of mistakes regularly made by gardeners includes:

1. Incorrect division of the rhizome into tubers. Each bulb should have a shoot (part of the stem).
2. Before processing, all tubers must be thoroughly dried.
3. If the paraffin dipping method is used, the use of open fire is prohibited; the use of electric or induction cookers to heat the preservative material is permitted.
4. Temperature and humidity levels in the room must be maintained at a certain level. Fluctuations in temperature lead to condensation and rot.
5. It is important to prevent air stagnation; if there is no ventilation in the cellar, it must be regularly ventilated.
6. Once every 2-3 weeks, the gardener should inspect the planting material.
7. If spoiled tubers are discovered, they are disposed of, and the substrate used for storage is then changed.
8. If the rhizome is only slightly damaged, the affected tuber is cleaned of rot and treated with a manganese solution, brilliant green, or popular fungicides. The tuber is stored separately from other parts of the plant.
9. If the tubers start to wilt, it means they're not getting enough moisture. You can lightly spray them with a spray bottle.
10. Sometimes dahlias produce stems early. Rather than breaking them off, transplant them into a pot filled with garden soil and place it indoors. The tuber can be planted in the ground as early as May, and it will bloom within a few months. This is how forcing is done.

By following all the rules and tips, you can store dahlias in the cellar until spring without loss. All the described methods allow you to save up to 95% of the planting material, provided it is of high quality.