Dahlia overwintering tips please! I am attempting (once…
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Dahlia overwintering tips please!
I am attempting (once again) to overwinter my dahlia tubers. The biggest problem I have is storage location. I have nowhere that meets all the suggested conditions (dry, good air circulation, 4-10 C) so I'm looking to maybe make the best of what I have. I am in zone 5 Canada.
Last time I tried I waited until frost blackened the foliage, (generally nearing the end of October) gently lifted and inspected, didn't notice any soft spots or rot. Everything looked and felt plump and firm. I let them dry for a day until all the little dirt bits were brush-able. I didn't wash or break the clumps up. I had two rubbermaid style dollar store bins I drilled some large holes in, filled with wood shavings and put the crowns in. Nothing was touching, there was at least 2-3 inches shavings between each and the sides.
One bin wintered in a 'cold cellar' in my basement. It's a little off shoot room from the laundry that's not heated or finished, but it's often got damp air I find. I put a thermometer in there and it occasionally gets warmer than 10 C. The warmest I noticed was 15 but I'm not monitoring constantly.
The second was in an unheated garage. This often dips below freezing particularly last winter with the cold spells we had. (we lost a few beers in the 'garage fridge" aka the shelf by the door). The bin was on a wooden shelf up off the concrete 1/2 foot but not against any walls.
Both bins were mushy and unusable come March. I assume too warm and damp for the first and the second may have frozen. Ironically a tuber I missed in the front bed that overwintered against the wall sprouted just fine after the winter outdoors.
My questions are:
Did I prep incorrectly? There's so much conflicting advice out there! What's the secret!
Sulphur dust? My grandma says that'll fix everything but I am skeptical that applies in this case.
Another medium? I chose wood-shavings because that's what I could find easily and inexpensively.
I can put the bin up against the interior wall in the garage, do we think that and a moving blanket around the box will insulate enough or just mess up airflow? I also have a freestanding unheated shed.
Any advice is appreciated, My sister wants me to grow dahlias for her rustic wedding in 2 seasons so I'm hoping to reliably overwinter and multiply if I can. Bonus points for recommendations for small growers where I can buy tubers in bulk from affordably in Ontario! I have about an 80 square foot bed that is getting devoted to this!
#activity
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I am attempting (once again) to overwinter my dahlia tubers. The biggest problem I have is storage location. I have nowhere that meets all the suggested conditions (dry, good air circulation, 4-10 C) so I'm looking to maybe make the best of what I have. I am in zone 5 Canada.
Last time I tried I waited until frost blackened the foliage, (generally nearing the end of October) gently lifted and inspected, didn't notice any soft spots or rot. Everything looked and felt plump and firm. I let them dry for a day until all the little dirt bits were brush-able. I didn't wash or break the clumps up. I had two rubbermaid style dollar store bins I drilled some large holes in, filled with wood shavings and put the crowns in. Nothing was touching, there was at least 2-3 inches shavings between each and the sides.
One bin wintered in a 'cold cellar' in my basement. It's a little off shoot room from the laundry that's not heated or finished, but it's often got damp air I find. I put a thermometer in there and it occasionally gets warmer than 10 C. The warmest I noticed was 15 but I'm not monitoring constantly.
The second was in an unheated garage. This often dips below freezing particularly last winter with the cold spells we had. (we lost a few beers in the 'garage fridge" aka the shelf by the door). The bin was on a wooden shelf up off the concrete 1/2 foot but not against any walls.
Both bins were mushy and unusable come March. I assume too warm and damp for the first and the second may have frozen. Ironically a tuber I missed in the front bed that overwintered against the wall sprouted just fine after the winter outdoors.
My questions are:
Did I prep incorrectly? There's so much conflicting advice out there! What's the secret!
Sulphur dust? My grandma says that'll fix everything but I am skeptical that applies in this case.
Another medium? I chose wood-shavings because that's what I could find easily and inexpensively.
I can put the bin up against the interior wall in the garage, do we think that and a moving blanket around the box will insulate enough or just mess up airflow? I also have a freestanding unheated shed.
Any advice is appreciated, My sister wants me to grow dahlias for her rustic wedding in 2 seasons so I'm hoping to reliably overwinter and multiply if I can. Bonus points for recommendations for small growers where I can buy tubers in bulk from affordably in Ontario! I have about an 80 square foot bed that is getting devoted to this!
#activity
source
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