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Dahlias look very beautiful in flower beds throughout the warm season. It is not surprising that many flower growers and gardeners grow them on their plots. However, the issue of storing dahlias in winter is especially relevant, since the rhizomes of these flowers do not survive the winter cold if they are left in open ground.
Conditions for storing dahlia tubers in the basement must meet certain requirements. For example, the same temperature should be maintained in it, and the basement should also be dry. Otherwise, the planting material will die. In this article, you will learn how to store dahlias in the winter in the basement so that in the spring there is something to plant in open ground.
Preparatory processes
Preparation of rhizomes for winter begins before autumn frosts. It is very important to comply with this requirement, since neither the ground part nor the rhizomes survive frost. Planting material that has had time to freeze is no longer suitable for storage, as it will simply rot. In order for dahlias to survive the first frosts, insulate them before the onset of cold weather. This can be done by hilling bushes like potatoes.
All the necessary reference points are the weather. As soon as the first frost touches the green mass of dahlias, you need to start digging up the tubers. First of all, using a sharp knife, cut off the green mass, leaving 5–10 cm of the stem at the base of the earth. It will also be possible to tie a piece of paper with the name of the variety to them. After that, dig the tubers, carefully remove them from the ground. Rinse and disinfect in a potassium permanganate solution. The tubers need to be dried, after which they will be ready for winter storage.
Storage conditions
Whether you will store dahlia rhizomes in a cellar or elsewhere, it is important to follow the storage conditions:
- The room should be cool with good air circulation. The temperature in it should not exceed 5℃.
- The optimum humidity level is 60%.
- The presence of forced or natural ventilation.
basement requirements.
Many flower growers and gardeners store dahlia tubers in winter in basements. And this is indeed justified, however, these premises must meet certain requirements. Cellars are suitable for storing dahlias, the temperature in which varies between + 1 + 5 ℃. The humidity level should be between 60-80%. Such conditions will not dry out the tubers and will not lead to their premature germination.
Another suitable option for storing dahlia tubers can be a dry and cool basement, the temperature in which can reach +1 to +10℃. Although in such conditions it will be a little more difficult to preserve the tubers. If the air humidity is 50%, then you need to take care of additional moistening of the rhizomes.
Basic principles of storage
The secret to storing dahlias in the winter is to provide them with proper storage conditions, which are similar to how vegetables are stored. The main task is to protect the rhizomes from rot, freezing, overdrying or premature germination. In addition, the tubers must be protected from rodents.
As a rule, they are placed in specially prepared boxes or laid out on dry racks lined with paper or cardboard. A simple wood flooring is also suitable. If you do not have such a large basement, then the tubers need to be divided and folded into several rows, which are sprinkled with sand or sawdust. If the tubers will be stored in boxes, then each of them must be individually wrapped in soft paper or polyethylene / cling film.
Planting material should be checked every 20-30 days. If some tubers are rotten, they must be discarded so that they do not infect healthy specimens. If the rhizome is not badly damaged, then the rotten part must be removed, and the cut point must be disinfected with potassium permanganate, brilliant green or a special fungicide. A rhizome that has been saved from decay must be set aside separately from healthy ones. And sawdust or sand in the remaining tubers should be completely changed.
Ventilation plays an important role in how to properly store dahlias. The air in the room should be fresh, not stale. Because in the absence of ventilation, diseases and viruses will spread faster and the likelihood of damage to planting material will increase significantly.
If you notice that the rhizomes have become sluggish due to lack of moisture, then they should be moistened. A spray bottle filled with water will help you with this. But here it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the tubers will rot from high humidity.
If dahlias began to germinate prematurely in a warm cellar, then they can be taken out of the cellar and laid out in a bright place. Another option is to land in containers with a substrate. The fact is that in a dark place the sprouts will stretch, so their further storage in the cellar becomes impossible.
If the rhizomes were gnawed by mice, then the damaged specimens must be selected, and the whole ones should be covered more carefully. You have to take out the rodents.
Methods for storing dahlias in the cellar
There are several possible ways to store planting material in the cellar:
- In polyethylene.
- In sand.
- In paraffin.
- In clay shell.
- In pearls or vermicelli.
How to store dahlia rhizomes in sand or sawdust has already been said in the article. Other storage methods will be described below.
Wrapping tubers with polyethylene
If your cellar does not have temperature fluctuations, due to which a constant microclimate is maintained, then you can wrap each tuber with polyethylene before putting them in boxes. To do this, you will need plastic food wrap, which can be purchased at every hardware store.
Carefully wrap the disinfected and dried tubers in a film, each separately. Wrapped rhizomes do not dry out. They are also less prone to decay, as they do not touch each other.
While maintaining a stable temperature, even small roots will remain in polyethylene. If you grow several varieties of dahlias, then label them so that it is easier for you to form flower beds in the spring.
Dip in clay
Tubers in a clay shell are well stored in dry cellars. Such a shell will protect the rhizomes from drying out and damage by rodents. After washing, disinfecting and drying the rhizomes, you can proceed to immerse them in oily clay dissolved in water. The consistency of clay should resemble sour cream.
Soak each tuber in the clay for a few seconds, remove and set aside to dry. A fungicide can be added to the clay solution. After the clay dries, the tubers can be collected in containers and set aside in the basement. In the spring, the shell will need to be carefully removed: soak or break.
Waxing of tubers
Experienced flower growers prefer to wax the tubers. To do this, they melt the paraffin, lower the cleaned, disinfected and dried tubers into it for a few seconds and pull it out. Under the influence of oxygen, paraffin cools almost instantly. Such a shell most qualitatively protects the rhizomes from damage, rodents, premature germination and pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Paraffin can be bought in the store in the form of candles. It must be heated in a water bath to 60℃. After the first layer of paraffin dries, you need to soak the tuber again so that the paraffin shell is denser.
After that, the tubers are sprinkled with sawdust or put in plastic bags and sent to the basement. In the spring, when dahlias need to be planted, you will have to remove the crust from the tubers, rubbing it until it cracks.
Vermiculite or Perlite
Before putting the tubers in the bag, pour vermiculite or perlite into it. At the same time, there must be an influx of air in the bag, so small holes should be made in it. In such a shell, the rhizomes will remain until spring even at the balcony doors, not to mention the basement.
Conclusion
If you follow the recommendations outlined in the article, then save the maximum amount of planting material until spring. Whichever way you choose to store the tubers in the basement, store the rhizomes with a margin so that in case of damage you have enough planting material. We invite you to watch a video on how to wax dahlia tubers:
