Proper storage of dahlias in winter at home

Dahlia

Dahlias are a favorite flower among many gardeners and florists. They are prized for their unusual appearance and the variety of varieties and colors available. Although native to South America, these flowers thrive in the central Russian climate and require little care. But each In autumn they need to be dug up.Storing dahlias at home during the winter requires following certain rules.

Preparing plants

To ensure dahlias survive the winter well, it's important to begin preparing the plants as early as August. At the end of summer, stop feeding the flowers and reduce watering. At the same time—from late August to early September—the plants are earthed up to a height of 8-12 cm. This is necessary to help them better withstand the harsh autumn weather with its strong winds, which, in turn, leads to the formation of stronger, more infection-resistant tubers.

It's recommended to dig up dahlias in mid- to late October, after they've survived several night frosts. By this time, the stems will have already turned black, and the tubers will have hardened off and will withstand frost better. storage conditions.

To avoid damaging the underground part of the dahlia, carefully dig around the bush with a pitchfork and use it to pull the roots out of the soil. Never pull the plant out, as this can damage the base of the trunk. After removing the bush from the soil, trim the stems with pruning shears to a height of 10-15 cm from the tubers. Leaving the stumps shorter is undesirable due to the risk of infection reaching the roots.

Advice!

If the weather is sunny, it's best to leave the dug-up bushes in the area for a few hours. Afterward, gently shake off any soil adhering to the tubers and carefully inspect the roots. All weak tubers and long roots should be carefully trimmed off, and the remaining underground parts should be thoroughly washed.

Clean The tubers must be kept in a fungicide solution for an hour Or 30 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This will help destroy harmful microflora. All cuts should be treated with iodine or brilliant green.

If tubers have begun to rot, it's best to discard them. If they're particularly valuable plant varieties, the diseased areas should be removed with a clean knife, and the cuts should be sprinkled with ash or coated with iodine (brilliant green). Store these plants separately from healthy ones.

Healthy!

To make it easier to identify dahlias in the spring, each "stump" is tagged with the variety or color. Afterward, the tubers are dried in a cool, dark place, such as under a canopy or in an attic, for 2-4 days, placed on the "stumps" to better remove moisture.

It's not recommended to divide large plant rhizomes before storage, as this places additional stress on them. It's best to postpone this procedure until spring, allowing the flowers to overwinter undisturbed.

Optimal conditions

About how How to preserve dahlias at home over winter, gardeners start thinking about it at the end of summer. To ensure the tubers can survive until spring without dying, a number of rules must be followed:

The room needs to be maintained at a certain temperature. For dahlias, this ranges from 2 to 5 degrees Celsius. The plants easily tolerate temperatures up to 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. However, these heat-loving flowers do not tolerate temperatures below freezing.
Air humidity is equally important. Normally, it's 75-80%. If it's lower, the roots may dry out and won't be able to be revived in the spring. At higher humidity, the tubers will rot or sprout prematurely.
Cardboard boxes or crates are best for storing dahlias. It's a good idea to line the bottom of the latter with newspaper. Paper bags also store well. However, it's best to avoid plastic bags, as they make the plants more susceptible to rotting.

By creating optimal conditions for your dahlias, you can be sure of their safety throughout the winter. However, there is another threat: rodents, who quite enjoy the taste of these plants' roots.

Important!

If the tubers are stored in an apartment, then mice are not particularly scary for them, but in a basement or cellar these small pests appear quite often and can destroy all the roots stored there.

To protect their pets from rodents, many gardeners use ultrasonic repellents or special poisonous baits. Peppermint essential oil has proven to be a popular folk remedy for mice and rats. It's believed that rodents can't stand the smell and will never enter a room containing a jar containing a paper towel soaked in the oil. It's recommended to make several such jars and place them in different corners of the basement or cellar. It's recommended to replace the towels with fresh ones at least once every seven days.

Storage in a basement or cellar

Once you've figured out how to properly store dahlias in winter, you need to decide where to place the boxes or crates containing the tubers. A cellar or basement is considered the optimal option. There are several storage methods:

On shelves. This is the simplest method for storing dahlias in a cellar over winter. After treating the plants with a fungicide or potassium permanganate solution, they are laid out directly on shelves or racks.
In boxes. Place one row of tubers in boxes or crates, filling them with pine sawdust, sand, coarse vermiculite, or dry sphagnum moss. Then add another row of plants and more filler. It is not recommended to place more than two rows of tubers in a single box.
To store dahlias in a basement over winter, you can use a clay slurry. To make it, mix clay with water until it reaches a creamy consistency. Dip the roots in this slurry and let them dry for four days. The dahlias, treated this way, are then placed in layers in boxes. Before planting by tubers lightly tap and remove any remaining clay.
Storing in the ground. Line the bottom and sides of boxes or crates with several layers of newspaper or paper, add a little soil, and then lay out a row of tubers spaced apart, followed by another layer of soil and a row of tubers. Fill the container to the very top and cover with paper.

Advice!

This way, you can preserve dahlias all winter long until spring with minimal losses. However, remember to inspect all tubers at least once a month to determine whether they are rotten.

Dahlia roots in an apartment

Of course, a basement or cellar is the best place to store dahlias. But you can also create favorable conditions for these plants in your apartment. In the city, tubers are stored as follows:

In paraffin. First, the tubers are divided, then the paraffin is melted in a double boiler. For this purpose, several candles are crushed and placed in a container, which is then placed in a pan of water. The melted paraffin should be at least 2-3 cm thick. The roots are held by the remaining stem parts, dipped into the pan of paraffin, and immediately removed. After this treatment, they are stored directly in cardboard boxes and do not rot. The hot paraffin kills all pathogenic microflora, and after hardening, it creates a protective shell. In the spring, before planting, the tubers do not need to be peeled.
Storing in boxes. The roots are placed in boxes in layers and sprinkled with peat, sawdust, or sand. They are stored on a warm balcony or near the balcony door.
Refrigerator. Take plastic bags, poke holes in them, fill them with clean, dry sawdust, and place the dahlia tubers inside. Store the plants in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator.

These methods allow you to preserve your plants indoors until spring. Furthermore, keeping your dahlias indoors is very convenient for regular inspection and spotting signs of damage.

So, if you prepare dahlias correctly at the end of summer, Storing tubers in winter won't cause much troubleThe main thing is to create favorable conditions and ensure the plant is inspected monthly. And in late summer and early fall, these beautiful flowers will once again delight their owners.