How to store dahlias in the winter at home. Winter storage methods for dahlias

Dahlias are perennial plants with beautiful large flowers that adorn the sites of amateur gardeners in regions with a temperate climate. But early-flowering varieties are successfully grown in northern latitudes: in Siberia, in the Urals. Strong, healthy dahlias can only grow when proper care after them. It is important to accurately observe the storage conditions of the root parts of the plant in winter period.

Novice gardeners believe that caring for dahlias requires a lot of effort and time and often lean in favor of less whimsical plants. But at the first self-planting of tubers in the ground, people change their minds, since timely watering, pruning of rotten and dried up stems, ensuring protection from late summer frosts are the main and main conditions for good growth of dahlias.

The tubers are dug up in the first decade of October, when the roots have reached a size that allows a new growth cycle to be repeated. But until that time, it is important to protect the plants from frost, which begins in early August. Although the drop in temperature is short-lived, and then warm days come again, the delicate stalks of dahlias are covered with brown and yellow spots.

To protect the roots from decay, it is necessary to cut off the dead parts of the plant and make sure that a lot of moisture does not flow to the roots. At night, dahlias are covered with spunbond or film, and in the morning, when it starts to warm, protective covering take off. 7 days before the day of digging the tubers, the stems of the plants are cut to a level of 10-15 cm from the ground. At this time, it is impossible for moisture to fall on the roots.

Tubers should be stored in a room with humid air and low temperatures, which should not be lower than 5 degrees Celsius. For these purposes, you should stock up on boxes or cardboard boxes, parchment paper... Sawdust, clay, paraffin wax or plastic wrap will serve as protection against moisture and freezing.

How to prepare tubers for winter storage?

The stems should be left so that the tubers do not rot, and it is easier to split them into pieces. These are separate parts of the plant with at least one bud. Usually it is located on the kidney girdle, but it can be located closer to the neck. When ready to bloom, the buds begin to swell and it is impossible not to notice them.

Dig up the roots with a shovel so as not to damage the tubers. It should be placed at a short distance from the bush and immersed in the ground as deep as possible - first vertically, and then slightly tilting the tip of the shovel towards the roots. You should gently pull the dahlia by the stems and pull it out of the ground with its roots.

Cleaning

Further events develop according to 2 scenarios: the tubers are stored together with the soil or thoroughly cleaned from the ground and treated with fungicites or potassium permanganate solution. The second option is more preferable, as it allows the tubers to provide reliable protection for the winter. Although some gardeners believe that this increases the risk of root rot.

Division

If the tubers are washed with water, then after processing them with special solutions, the tubers should be carefully examined. Too thin (less than 1.5 cm in diameter) are cut off, the same is done with tubers that are dark colored or turn white. The uterine part (last year) is also removed - it is the largest in size. The short, thin roots are cut completely, and the longer filaments of the roots are only half cut. The tubers are neatly divided into separate parts, each of which has a thin part in the upper zone that passes into the neck, and at the bottom there is a large root and several short ones.

Drying

The divided tubers are laid out on parchment or cardboard in a cool room, the temperature in which does not rise above + 16-17 degrees Celsius, and the air has good level humidity. If it is too dry, the tubers will shrivel and dry out. The root of the plant is dried within 1 week. If darkening is found on the tubers during this time, they are carefully cut off and these places are treated with brilliant green or lime.

How to store dahlias in winter?

The root part of the plants perfectly “winters” in basements, cold rooms, basements and garages. But care must be taken that the roots do not dry out or, on the contrary, do not become too saturated with moisture.

Cellar storage

It is desirable that the tubers do not come into contact with each other during storage. To do this, they are wrapped in parchment, and each is tied with a strong thread. It is impossible to stop air access to the roots. Therefore, they are laid out in rows in wooden boxes... You can sprinkle the layers of tubers with sand.

Storing tubers in a clay shell

Spoilage of tubers with this storage method does not exceed 4-5%. Pre-prepared clay mixture: the powder dissolves in water to a sour cream consistency. Each cut should be dipped in the solution and dried thoroughly in a well-ventilated area. A strong protective shell forms on the surface of the tubers, which does not allow them to dry out and is a reliable barrier against fungi and mold.

Storing dahlias in the refrigerator

It is not always possible to store tubers in the garage or cellar in the absence of such. What to do in this case? Processed and properly dried tubers should be wrapped in parchment, bandaged and placed in a refrigerator compartment for storing vegetables.

It is necessary to ensure that there are no temperature drops, and the regulator was set at indicators that do not allow freezing the tubers. From time to time they need to be turned over and looked at to prevent the paper from getting damp.

Storing dahlias in cling film

For storage in this way, you should buy a roll of cling film in advance. It fits snugly on the tubers without leaving any air pockets. Parts of the plant are "wrapped" in layers. First, one tuber is wrapped with a film, another is applied to it. A turn of cling film is made again. It turns out one layer of coating on the second tuber and two layers on the first. They do the same with other dealerships. One "package" contains 5-6 root parts.

Storing dahlias in sawdust

The processed tubers are placed in "slender" rows in carton boxes or wooden boxes. When the first layer is laid, it is covered with sawdust. Then the next layer of tubers is laid out. It is also covered with a layer of sawdust. They should be large - small ones are not suitable for the reason that they dry out too quickly and begin to pick up moisture from the roots. To prevent this from happening when using large sawdust, the containers are periodically inspected. If the sawdust has become dry, they are sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

Waxing for storing dahlia at home

You should stock up on a piece of paraffin or purchase several candles from the store. The paraffin solution is made in a water bath. When heated, the substance begins to melt. When it reaches + 60-70 degrees Celsius, you can start processing the tubers. They are immersed in paraffin liquid, first on one side, then on the other, so that the tubers are completely covered protective layer... After the first layer has dried, the delenki are dipped in paraffin again. After solidification of the substance, the root parts of the plant are removed for storage.

Do not warm up paraffin for gas oven- it can ignite! The container should be placed on a stove with a closed spiral. It is even better when the solution is made in a water bath.

How to store tubers at home?

Until the onset of strong autumn frosts, the tubers can be kept on the balcony. When the temperature readings begin to decrease, they are transferred inside the room and placed on the floor near the balcony. It is necessary to ensure that there are no heating radiators nearby. You can place the tubers in the refrigerator. Previously, it is better to wrap them in parchment or wrap them in pieces of canvas fabric.

Storage conditions for dahlia tubers

Dahlia tubers are perfectly preserved under temperature conditions from +1 to +7 degrees Celsius with a humidity level of at least 70-80%. The room must be well ventilated. The tubers are periodically turned over and carefully examined. Dark spots need to be cut and processed.

How to dig up and store dahlias in the Urals

In northern latitudes summer period short, cold comes early, in which the plant may die. How to prevent this? Gardeners choose early flowering varieties for planting: flowers appear on them on the 30th day after planting. Beautiful multi-colored "caps" of plants have time to please dahlia lovers from mid-July to last numbers August. To keep the tubers in the soil until fully ripe, a film or spunbond is used.

Dahlia is a very moody flower. It must be grown in certain form soil and take care of it all year round. An important role in the cultivation of dahlia is the correct storage conditions in the winter. This is what this article will be about.

Features and storage rules

Before you get acquainted with the rules for storing dahlias, you need to figure out what can happen if you violate them:

Darkening of the stems. Often occurs in late autumn, when the air temperature approaches 0.
Death of buds, leaves and stems. This happens if the temperature drops to -6 degrees.
Damage to the inflorescence bulb.

To prevent this from happening, it is important to observe the correct storage conditions for the dahlia.

Storage conditions for dahlia

Most, namely 90% of the success in the process of growing dahlias, depends on their correct storage in the winter. The remaining 10% of success is the correct choice of soil and plant care.

Florists disagree about the temperature at which dahlias should be stored. It actually depends on the type of flowers:

Many of them can exist only at temperatures of +3 - +5 degrees. Several types of dahlias can be stored at temperatures up to - 2 degrees. There are also heat-loving plants for which optimum temperature storage - +7 - +8 degrees.
The room must be well ventilated.
The humidity level should be 60 - 70%.
The ideal storage space is in the basement or underground.
It is advisable to store each color in a separate container.
Some species need constant mixing of the earth.

Dahlia digging

The procedure for preserving dahlias for the winter period is divided into several main stages. The first thing to do is to carefully dig up the plant, following a few rules:

When can you dig up dahlias? The best thing to do is early autumn- in September or early October. During this period, the earth is still quite warm, the plant is comfortable in it. In mid-October, the first frosts begin, such temperature regime and the cooling of the earth leads to the death of flowers.
Before digging, draw a circle with a shovel. It should be located around the plant in a radius of 30 mm.
Now, you need to gently make a small trench with intermittent movements. Its depth should not exceed 30 mm.
Next, you need to start "digging in" the roots of the dahlia. This is also done with intermittent movements. As a result, it should be possible to push the tuber out of the surface of the earth.
The next stage is the processing of the extracted tuber. The root must be cleaned of soil and small roots. The roots are cut very carefully, otherwise, you can damage the tuber.
Under weak pressure water is required to rinse each plant, freeing him from the remnants of the earth.
Now, it is required to neutralize the dahlia from various diseases and cleanse from microorganisms. To do this, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and release each tuber into it for 30 minutes.

They make a trench too narrow, thereby cutting off the roots of the plant.
They dig up dahlias too early or too late. It is not recommended to do this in summer and in the second half of autumn. It is advisable to be guided by a special horticultural calendar.
They do not consider it necessary to cleanse and render harmless the plant. Thus, harmful microorganisms appear, which lead to a violation of the structure of the flower.

The process of digging the plant is complete, now, each tuber should be divided and prepared for storage.

Dividing tubers

Before "plunging" into the process of dividing tubers, you need to tell why it needs to be done:

This is the simplest and efficient way breeding dahlia.
Thus, the plant can be rejuvenated or prevented from aging.

As it turned out, dividing the tubers is not a necessary, but very useful procedure for the plant.

It is still better to divide in the fall, before the tubers have hardened:

The first thing to do is trim the stems of the flowers. This is done so that a person can see the eyes.
Next, you need to sterilize the working tool. It can be a pruner, scissors or a garden knife. This should be done before processing each variety of dahlias to prevent infestation. To do this, it is enough to hold the instrument over the flame of fire for a few seconds.
You should take a stump and divide it into two parts. It is worth considering that there are kidneys on each side of it.
Each half must be stretched and divided into two parts again. Thus, four new tubers have already turned out.
A similar procedure is required for each stump.
Watch carefully for a bud at the top of each new tuber. If it is not there, then the dahlia may not germinate.
When all plants are separated, check is required appearance each of them for the presence of diseases. If the color of rust is observed, then it is best to discard such tubers, until spring they will die. Holes of any kind from being eaten by insects are not dangerous for the future dahlia. It is also recommended to check the bottom of the tuber.
The final procedure is repeated washing of the tuber to completely remove the contamination. It is recommended to additionally treat each division with sulfur or fungicide. In any of these two solutions, the tuber should be kept for no more than 15 minutes. After which they must be thoroughly dried on a newspaper.

When dividing the dahlia Special attention should be paid for large tubers. It is best to leave them in storage in this form, as they will give fruitful roots, from which hardy bushes are obtained.

Many growers still prefer to do this procedure in the spring for two reasons:

This is the most free period from horticultural affairs. You can set aside several days for thorough processing of the tubers. In the fall, due to the busy harvest, not every person can afford it.
The buds on the tubers become ripe, it is several times easier to see them than when processing in the autumn.

Everything that remains after successful digging and dividing the plant needs to be prepared for storage.

Storage preparation

Dahlia storage preparation is divided into several stages:

The place chosen for storage must be disinfected. This is done by the sulfur fumigation procedure.
Next, the room must be closed for a few minutes.
Now, you should treat it with bleach.
The last stage of preparing the repository- this is the creation in it of a temperature and humidity level acceptable for the plant.
Now, you should take care of how the room will be ventilated. If there are no special holes in it, then it is recommended to purchase a portable fan.

Where to store

Basement, garage or cellar - best places for storing flowers. They are cool, it is easy to create ventilation conditions in them and the necessary level of humidity. But, unfortunately, not every person can boast of having such a storage facility, especially if he lives in an apartment building.
You can store dahlias on the balcony only in special, wooden boxes filled with earth or peat. It is advisable to pre-process the cut site charcoal... They need to be checked and turned over several times a month.
Small quantities of tubers can be stored directly in the refrigerator. Moreover, they should be exclusively in a plastic bag filled with sawdust.
If there is absolutely no place where dahlias could be placed, then you can do it right on the street. But, for this it is necessary to create a special paraffin film.

What to store

There are special storage barrels made of metal or plastic base. It is convenient to store dahlias in such a container right on the site. It is buried in a dug hole and covered with a lid.
You can also store tubers in bags of 2 to 5 divisions. In this case, they must be placed in a vertical direction.
A basket can be used for storage in the basement. In it, it is necessary to expose the tubers in such a way that the neck is at the top. It is required that they fit snugly together.

Thus, it is worth storing dahlias during the winter time. For ripening, it is recommended to transfer them to more warm place where the air temperature is about 14 degrees.

How to protect tubers from rot

Even with proper storage v winter time, some of the dahlia may be lost. The reason for this is ordinary rot. There are several ways to protect flowers from this harmful effect:

After digging, the stump should be carefully processed removing soft tissue from its surface with a sharp knife.
If the tubers were liquid processed(water or chemical solution), then they must be thoroughly dried.
Some varieties of dahlia are recommended to fall asleep completely sand or earth.
Periodically the place in which the plant is stored, should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The recommended climate should be maintained, namely the level of humidity and air temperature.
If the tubers are stored in a box, then small holes need to be made from the sides. for ventilation, their diameter should be approximately 8 mm.
The room must be thoroughly ventilated.

By observing all of the above rules, you will be able to maintain the integrity of the tubers until spring.

There is no need to be afraid that you will miss the period when you need to dig up dahlias. They will remind you of it themselves. After the first frost, their appearance will deteriorate significantly. This will tell you that they can no longer be in the ground.
After digging, it is recommended to hang a label with the name of the variety and color on each tuber. This will help you not to get confused in them in the spring.
You cannot plant dahlias in the same form in which they were dug up. It is imperative to separate them. Otherwise, they may not ascend.
The temperature regime is one of the most important indicators for storing dahlias. If the temperature drops and falls below 0, then the tubers may freeze, and if it becomes high, they will begin to sprout quickly.
If you want to grow a fairly large plant, the length of which will reach 25 - 30 centimeters, you should provide him with additional food from the very moment of landing.
It is best to buy modern, imported varieties of flowers in stores. They are less susceptible to the appearance of harmful bacteria.
If the room is ventilated with a fan or air conditioner, then in addition to this equipment, you need to purchase a humidifier.

During the winter cold season, it is very often necessary to visit the storehouse, where roots, bulbs and tubers of various colors are waiting for a warm spring, which delight with their beauty on summer days. These plants include dahlias.

Many believe that these flowers are the most capricious in the world. And it is true. Of course, in the process of growing them, there are no special problems. More difficult task- This is the storage of dahlias in the cellar, in the apartment and in the basement. Indeed, some varieties of this plant require appropriate care.

Preparing tubers for storage

So how to store dahlias in a cellar or apartment? First of all, the plants must be carefully dug up. In this case, the tubers must remain intact. After digging up, the roots of the flower are carefully shaken off the clods of earth and laid out to dry. This is best done in a greenhouse. In this case, the windows and doors should be left open. After 5 days, the tubers are peeled from the roots. As for the stem, it should also be removed, leaving a stump 3 centimeters from the neck. It is better to process all the places where the cuts were made with lime. After that, the dahlia tubers should be kept for another 7 days in a room where the temperature is from 20 to 25 ° C. This time is quite enough for all fractures and cuts to become denser.

earlier?

In Soviet times, it was quite difficult to get these plants, not to mention the varieties of foreign selection. That is why each housewife tried to hide the dahlias for the winter so that they would survive until spring. Most often, tubers were stored in small boxes. Initially, the containers were covered with thick enough paper. After that, a layer of earth of three centimeters was laid out on the bottom. On the ground - tubers of flowers. Then the dahlias were completely covered with earth. In this case, the soil had to close all the voids formed in the box. After that, a row of tubers was again put in and covered with it. When the box was full, it was covered with the edges of thick paper. This method made it possible to preserve dahlias by almost 100%. Apply this way and today. However, it is not suitable for many varieties.

Preparing tubers for storage in the basement

So how to store dahlias in the cellar? Before putting the tubers of flowers in containers for their further preservation, it is necessary to process them with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Plant roots should be kept in the product for 15 to 30 minutes. After that, the tubers need to be dried and laid out in the basement in boxes, on shelves or on wooden flooring... If space permits, it can be stored in undivided nests. It is best to sprinkle the plant tubers with coniferous sawdust or sand. No more than two rows of dahlias should be placed in boxes. You can wrap the tubers in paper and place them in boxes.

Storing tubers in the basement

The main task is to protect dahlias from being eaten by rodents, premature germination, freezing, drying and decay. It is for this reason that it is necessary to inspect the tubers about once a month. If signs of decay appear, then such dahlias should be removed. If the lesions are small, then they can be carefully cut out to healthy tissue. After removal, all sections should be treated with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, brilliant green or another fungicide. As for sawdust or sand, they must be replaced with fresh ones. The room where dahlias are stored should be ventilated. This is necessary so that the infection does not spread, and the air does not stagnate.

Since you need to store dahlias in the cellar throughout the winter, you should take care that the tubers do not deteriorate. If the roots of the plant are shriveled, then this is the first sign of drying out. This problem can be eliminated by sprinkling the filler in which the tubers are stored with water from a watering can or a spray bottle. It should be remembered that due to excessive dampness, dahlias begin to rot. To prevent this from happening, you should replace the sand or sawdust with fresh ones, and ventilate the basement. If the plants began to germinate ahead of time, then it is worth exposing them to the light. So that the sprouts of dahlias do not stretch too much, you can plant them in pots. Rodents can also greatly spoil the tubers - do not forget about this.

Clay storage shell

Storing dahlias in a cellar has advantages and disadvantages. For example, in a dry room, tubers can dry out quickly and shrivel. To prevent this from happening, they can be stored in a clay shell. Prepared and well-dried dahlias should be lowered into clay talker... It is worth adding a little fungicide to the solution. As for the consistency, the talker should resemble thick sour cream. Tubers in clay must be dried. This can take 4 days. When a strong crust forms, the dahlias should be folded into a box in several rows. With the arrival of warm days, the crust is removed by light tapping, and the plant is planted in the ground.

Can dahlias be stored without boxes?

Prepared dahlia tubers can be stored on shelves in the basement. However, the room temperature must be at least 3 ° C, and relative humidity- 70%. To prevent the air in the basement from stagnating, it is worth regularly, about three times a week, to ventilate the room or turn on the exhaust fan for 20 minutes.

How to protect tubers from rot?

Most often, the loss of dahlias during winter storage arise precisely because of the decay process. Usually, the tubers start to spoil at the top of the remaining hemp. At the same time, rot very quickly gets through juicy tissues to the root collar. the main problem is that on initial stage rotting outwardly spoiled tubers are no different from healthy ones. As a result, the affected dahlias are discovered quite late, when the plant is simply impossible to save. So that the rot does not destroy the tubers, you can resort to a simple one, but effective method- cleaning the hemp. Since it is very difficult to save dahlias in winter, you should carefully consider their preparation. First of all, it is worth removing the stem from the dug tuber and removing the skin along with soft tissues with hemp. This can be done using sharp knife... It is best to start with the root collar. After the procedure, dahlias should be dried again for several hours.

Where is the best place to store dahlias?

What could be more beautiful than a dahlia? The storage of the tubers plays an important role in the further growth of the plant. That is why it is important to create optimal conditions, to planting material did not deteriorate. What is the best place to store tubers?

An ideal place is a cellar or basement, where the air temperature ranges from 1-7 ° C, and the humidity ranges from 80 to 100%. It is worth noting that in such a room the tubers will not germinate ahead of time and will not dry out.

Since it is not easy to preserve dahlias in winter, you should carefully consider the choice of storage location. A basement is suitable, where the temperature is from 1 to 10 ° C, and the humidity is from 50 to 80%. However, the planting material should be prepared by clearing it from the soil, drying it and treating it with a fungicide. The tubers should be placed in boxes and covered with sawdust, peat or sand so that all voids are filled.

You can store tubers in the apartment

Since not everyone can store dahlias in the cellar, there are many ways to keep planting material in an apartment. To do this, it is necessary to place the tubers in polyethylene bags, sprinkled with peat, vermiculite or perlite. After that, the package should be tied tightly.

Wherever you are going to place dahlia tubers for the winter, they must be properly prepared before wintering. It is impossible to simply store tubers dug up with roots and soil on a shelf at home.

How to store dahlias after digging? Uprooted tubers are necessary:

Get rid of stuck dirt and earth;
Make sure the integrity of the root system;
Dry (you can in the greenhouse for 5 days);
Remove the stem, leaving a couple of centimeters;
Process the slices with lime;
Leave for another week in a room with a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees.

Storage in basement, cellar and underground

It is sometimes difficult to find a place in an apartment with suitable conditions for storing seeds, root crops and other products of their summer cottage activities until spring.

Those who have such an opportunity prefer to demolish all this underground. Basements give the necessary space. The dahlia bulb in the basement can be arranged in different ways.

How to store dahlias in winter at home underground:

Storage method	Method description	Secrets
Filler layers	A few centimeters of filler (earth, sand, sawdust or peat) is poured into a wooden or foam box, dahlia tubers are laid out on top, filled with filler.	You can lay out several layers of bulbs and filler in turn. The main thing is to fill up the entire box so that there is no free space in it.
In a clay shell	Place the tubers in a clay mash and let dry. After drying, lay out in a convenient place in the cellar.	It will take about 4 days to dry the clay.
On shelves	Processed tubers can simply be stored on shelves in the underground until spring	The room must be ventilated several times a week.

But the basement has its drawbacks:

The presence of rodents;
Possibility of premature germination;
Rotting;
Drying;
Freezing.

To avoid adverse consequences, it is necessary to ensure the following conditions:

Provide a temperature of 1 to 10 degrees;
Maintain humidity between 50 and 80%;
Ventilate the room;
Inspect dahlias for damage and discard unusable tubers.

In the apartment

Naturally, it is difficult and dangerous for residents to maintain a temperature of 10 degrees in an apartment. Therefore, if there is no basement, you will have to dodge and look for a cool place for the tubers.

They can serve as a shelter staircase, under the sink, next to the cold water pipe.

It is possible to put dahlias next to the refrigerator or freezer, on the floor, next to the door to the balcony.

In fridge

Annual or perennial dahlias dug up in the fall will feel great in the refrigerator.

At what temperature will they survive? They should be placed in a vegetable chamber, or in a zero chamber, since they cannot withstand temperatures below zero.

Storing dahlias in the refrigerator is carried out in a simple way... Carefully processed tubers are separately wrapped in newspaper or in sphagnum moss.

Fold the wrapped dahlias in a regular plastic bag, or wrap with cling film, make holes for air to enter and put in the refrigerator. There they will spend the whole winter.

Sphagnum moss is bactericidal, allows root crops to breathe and is often used as a filler for storing tubers.

Its disadvantage is the possibility of complete drying. If you cover the roots with sphagnum, it must be moistened.

On the balcony

On the balcony, you can put boxes with tubers prepared using the same technology as the dahlias stored in the basement.

Alternative methods can also be used for storage on the balcony:

Tubers in paraffin... In the paraffin diluted in a water bath, the peeled tubers are dipped several times to make the layer harder. Then put the onions framed with paraffin in a bag filled with dry sawdust.
In the spring, preparing them for disembarkation, simply crack the paraffin crust so that it crumbles;
Storage in a buried barrel... For this, a barrel made of any material or other large container is suitable, filler is poured into it and dahlias are stacked.
Holes are drilled in the walls so as not to leave flowers without oxygen flow. An empty box is placed on a closed lid (we create an additional air gap), and they are buried on top with earth.
Foliage storage... For this method, dahlias do not need to be cleared of the earth, it must be left in a large number around the tuber.
Dahlias are placed in boxes and covered with dry leaves (it is better not to use apple and pear foliage, since it is often exposed to mold and fungi).
In this form, they can be placed in any room where the temperature does not drop below zero and does not rise above ten degrees.

How and when to dig up dahlias for storage

You should not rush to dig up root tubers. The longer they are in the soil, the more successful storage will be.

If the gardener has a large collection of dahlias, then the harvesting of root tubers begins right before frost or a period of prolonged rains.
If only single specimens grow in the garden, they are dug up after the onset of light frosts.

A slight frost damages only the inflorescences and leaves, while the tubers in the ground still continue to ripen.

Before they are harvested, the plants are cleaned: they dig up and throw away all the rotten and sick specimens, otherwise they will infect the rest.

Digging order:

Cut the flower stems, and carefully remove the tubers, being careful not to injure the neck. To do this, it is better to carefully dig them up on four sides and only then push them out of the soil. Of course, when using this technique, long roots are damaged, but the root tubers themselves remain intact.
Remove the soil, and turn the root tubers and leave for 2 - 3 hours to dry.
Autumn - the best time for breeding dahlias. To do this, they need to be rinsed and carefully divided into parts.
To protect the cuttings from rotting and various diseases, it is recommended to treat them with fungicides before storing them, soaking them in a prepared solution for ¼ h. ... All works with chemicals for safety reasons, carry out only with gloves.

After processing, all the delenki are dried, but not on concrete, since it strongly absorbs moisture, which is why the root tubers begin to wrinkle prematurely.

Optimal storage conditions for tubers

Ripe root tubers from strong and healthy plants do not require special conditions for wintering. But there is rare varieties, which painfully endure this period, and they need to provide the most optimal storage conditions.

The temperature should vary between 2 and 7 ° C. At low temperatures, the planting material can freeze, and at high temperatures, it can rot or germinate prematurely.
The optimum moisture content is 80 - 90%. If this figure is lower, the root tubers will shrink and will not be able to germinate.

Storage features largely depend on the level of humidity in a particular region. In areas with wet winters, planting material should not be stored in hermetically sealed bags. It is imperative to pierce 5 - 6 holes for gas exchange.

Storing dahlias in the apartment in winter

Since in the conditions of city apartments in heating season it is difficult to find a cold place; dahlias are best stored in hermetically sealed PET bags mixed with very dry perlite.

If the rooms are humid and warm, only waxing will do. But such processing has not become widespread, since it is rather laborious. In addition, paraffin-treated delenki wake up much later. But in some cases, there is no other way out. Such root tubers are stored in bags with coniferous sawdust or dry peat.

The balcony is a good storage space. Root tubers are washed, dried, wrapped in thick paper and a bag, leaving it ajar for airing. If it's freezing outside, it is recommended to take the planting material into the room, and then take it back to the cool balcony.

How to store dahlia tubers in your basement

The best storage place is a cool but damp cellar. If the room is dry, you need to take care of sufficient moisture in time. It is very difficult to keep the planting material in its original volume in a warm and damp basement, since such conditions provoke the appearance of various diseases.

It is convenient to store dahlias in the basement in tight plastic bags filled with large vermiculite. Main condition - low temperature storage (maximum 7 ° C). The fact is that this material retains moisture and, when the temperature rises, can lead to rotting of the tubers.
A good option is to use sand. Dahlias are stored well in it, but in spring they can give premature young shoots.
Large sawdust from wood conifers are also used for storage. Small sawdust is not suitable as it will draw too much moisture from the root tubers.
Also, planting material is stored directly in the ground. To do this, take large wooden boxes, cover them with several layers of paper so that its edges not only cover the bottom, but also the sides. A thin layer of soil is poured at the bottom, the tubers are laid out at a sufficient distance from each other and again covered with soil, filling all the voids. This is done until the entire box is full. From above it is also covered with paper.

To prevent the root tubers from drying out, they are covered with a clay shell.

After digging, the delenki are kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours, then dipped in a mash made of clay, water and any fungicide. Root tubers treated in this way are dried and removed to a cold dry cellar. With the onset of heat, the clay shell is broken by tapping and dahlias are immediately planted.

We store in the refrigerator

You can also save root tubers in the refrigerator. The dried planting material is kept in bags with sawdust, in which it is recommended to make holes for ventilation. The bags are additionally wrapped in paper and stored in the lower compartment of the refrigerator. If there are few root tubers, they are simply wrapped in paper and stored in the lower vegetable compartment.

For any storage method, the planting material is checked approximately every 4 weeks.

Damaged tubers are thrown away immediately so that they do not infect healthy cuttings. In the spring, boxes or bags with dahlias are transferred to a warmer place so that the root tubers wake up faster.

Knowing how to properly store dahlias, you can admire these beautiful flowers in your garden from year to year, keeping your favorite varieties and not worrying about decorating the site every year.