The majestic Dahlia is rightly called the Queen of autumn, because rarely any decorative culture can compete with its beauty and splendor of flowering. In the autumn months, stately bushes with surprisingly large inflorescences become the main accent in the garden, skillfully coloring with a bright palette of colors the dull landscape of the suburban area.
If you, too, could not resist the generous beauty of dahlias and this spring for the first time planted it on your site, closer to autumn probably began to torment the question: “What to do with the bushes at the end of the season?”. Let’s get this straight.
Features of culture
First of all, beginners should understand that there are both annual and perennial dahlias. Annuals are grown only from seeds. Flowering or dying under the influence of frost, they are no longer of any interest. And perennial dahlias, which are propagated by tubers, will decorate the site for many years.
With proper care on your part, the plant grown from the tuber, by the end of the season will give good offspring (several new tubers) and will allow next year to get not one, but several bushes of the favorite variety. For this to happen, the tubers in the fall you need to dig and put in the winter in a more comfortable environment.
Terms of digging tubers
A specific date can not be called, it all depends on the weather conditions of your region of residence. But even summer residents of the same region can not always accurately name the time when you need to dig dahlias: in one season, this procedure was carried out at the end of September, and the next because of the long Indian summer were able to admire the flowers until the end of October.
Part of the ground Dahlia can not stand even a little frost. After them leaves and shoots blacken and wither. Keep the plants longer on the site is dangerous: the frozen stems begin to rot and can infect the tubers with an infection. If frosts were short-term, and after them warm weather again was established, dig out tubers all the same. Plants to replace the frozen stems can release new shoots from dormant buds located on the root neck, and this can not be allowed. Therefore, the first autumn frosts signal that it is time to urgently dig up plants. You can stay for a maximum of 2-3 days.
But it is better not to wait for this phenomenon, and closely monitor the weather forecast. If you spend digging tubers for a couple of days before frost, dahlias it will only benefit. In addition, forecasters report only generalized information and can not predict how many degrees the temperature will drop exactly on your site, especially if it is located in the lowlands. This shake-up the tubers completely useless: they can freeze and rot, and you suddenly lose your planting material the next season.
However, too much haste with the excavation is also not worth it. Despite the fact that the mother tuber begins to form offspring at the beginning of the season, the ripening of daughter tubers is most intense in the autumn. During this period, they actively accumulate spare substances that they will need for wintering and active development in the next year, and also lay growth buds — the viability of the tuber directly depends on them. So an ideal option-be autumn all time on guard. Continue to admire the beauty of dahlias as long as possible, but do not forget to look at the street thermometer.
Technology
Try to dig tubers in dry weather – this will reduce the risk of damage to the planting material rot during storage. But if frozen stems are already spoiled, and in the court of endless rain, digging still. Dig the dahlias with a pitchfork on all sides, stepping back from the base of the stems 25-30 cm. Then take away hands of top layer of soil and gently pry up the rhizomes with a pitchfork and pull it out of the ground. Proceed carefully so as not to damage fragile tubers.
If you dig out the bushes damaged by frosts, before the beginning of works cut off stalks, having left stumps in height of 10-15 cm, and at once tie up to them tags with the name (or the description) of a grade. If the dahlias are still healthy, and you decide to dig in advance, for fear of frost, plan the procedure for the morning. After digging, spread the plants on the grass and leave until evening. With this approach, part of the nutrients will pass from the ground part to the tubers, and you will get a better planting material. After that, you can cut the stems, do not forget to move the tags with the name of the varieties on the remaining stumps.
Preparation of tubers for storage
After cutting the stems, remove the tuber with your hands the remains of the earth and carefully inspect the rhizome. First of all, throw away the old tuber, it is prone to rot and unproductive. It is easy to recognize: it is usually larger than the others and covered with bumps. Then cut the small roots, they will still shrink. Remove also all the small shoots and tiny tubers-the sense of them will not. After that, the rhizome should consist only of large quality tubers.
Affected by diseases and pests specimens should be thrown away. But if there are only small wormholes, and you regret the favorite variety, cut out the suspicious pulp with a clean knife and grease the slices with green paint. Don’t bathe the tubers (especially if they look healthy) in a solution of fungicide — treatments extra water before laying on storage of dahlias to anything. All they need is a thorough drying in a dry ventilated area for 3-4 days, after which you only need to shake off the remnants of the earth from them.
The division of the overgrown rhizomes into viable segments is better for beginners to postpone to the spring. Novice gardeners autumn often fails to consider the growth buds, which can be located on the root necks of young tubers, and on the old stem. In the spring they become well visible and allow division of the rhizome without loss.
And do not forget that the division – the procedure is mandatory. Planted in the spring of the entire rhizome (which sometimes reaches huge sizes), prepare for disappointment. Numerous shoots on the Bush will be very thin and small inflorescences.
Experienced gardeners, who have already trained the eye, spend the division of rhizomes in the autumn. This has its advantages: cuts over the winter have time to scar well, resulting in reduced risks of rotting tubers after spring planting. Beginners, don’t worry! With the right approach spring division tubers, too, will pass smoothly and not will add you problems.
Storage of tubers
Dahlia tubers in winter you can store in the basement, cellar, refrigerator, insulated loggia, etc. the main thing That the storage is maintained optimal conditions: temperature within + 2…+6°C and humidity 60-70%.
To smooth out fluctuations in temperature and humidity in storage, tubers can be further protected. To do this, place them in boxes, plastic containers, basins, buckets or other improvised containers, and then cover with sand. Containers cover with burlap and lower into the cellar or basement. The sand must be dry. Instead of sand, you can use dry peat or sawdust, preferably from coniferous trees – they have antiseptic properties.
This method is suitable for storing numerous Dahlia tubers. If you have only 2-3 pieces, wrap them in 3 layers of paper and place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Instead of paper, you can cover the tubers with paraffin film, which will protect them from rotting. Buy any paraffin candles in a hardware store, chop them and melt in a water bath until smooth. Immerse the tubers for a couple of seconds in the paraffin mass and put on cardboard. The paraffin film will quickly harden and hermetically “pack” the planting material, after which you can place it in the refrigerator or other room with the optimal temperature.
Timely digging Dahlia tubers and properly prepare them for the winter, you next season will be able to continue to admire the amazing beauty of the favorite varieties. High-quality planting material, stored in optimal conditions, will easily multiply these magnificent perennials and decorate the garden numerous Royal dynasty.
Surely among the readers there are fans of this majestic flower. Tell us in the comments when you dig up Dahlia tubers and how you store them in winter.
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