Dahlia's - not lifting them ?

After buying 3 dahlia's this summer, I understand its best to lift and store them but have also heard people having quite good success rates with just leaving them be.

So, rather than lift them and then forget where I have put them, I thought I would just leave them in the ground for the winter.

Is there anything else I should do with them before it gets too cold ? Or just litteraly just leave them as they are ?

 

Sam - don't cut them back until the topgrowth has been hit by frost. The reason is that if you cut them back or lift them too early, they will try to grow again using up valuable nutrient stored in the tubers, which was meant for next year.

I believe that the reason for lifting them is as much about avoiding winter wet as about avoiding winter cold. So anything you can do to keep them drier might help.

 

I dont tend to cut much back at all, kinda leave them to just die off when they are ready to and pick up the dead bits when they have fallen completely off ... no idea if this is good or not though lol

As for keeping them die - do they need to be completely die over winter ? Ie would covering the area completely in say plastic sheeting help ?

 

It's the winter wet that does them as much damage as the cold.

If your soil is soggy all winter then I would lift them.

If you have a free draining soil, leave them in..... cover them with a thick layer of a dry mulch (Not plastic!)something like half rotted straw, leaf mould, dry garden compost... and leave over winter..... if the mulch hasn't been taken up by the soil by spring clear some of it off...( it'll be perfect for hiding those slugs that adore a spring Dahlia salad), and use somewhere else.

 

You can leave them in the soil if you like taking chances I have done this in the past with mixed results but even with a warm winter coat of straw on top you are still taking risks more so if we get a terrible cold winter like earlier on this year.Hel.xxx

 

Sam, you're going to get an almost 50-50 split between those who lift and those who don't!

I lift, but we have damp, clay soil that gets waterlogged in winter...and dries to bricks in summer.

 

Unless it is a particular dahlia I do not want to even risk losing then I don't lift mine from the beds, but the success really depends on how cold and wet it gets. I mulch my beds for winter and then spread the fallen leaves from the trees over the top of that. Mine do okay though. Some years better than others but overall they are fine.

The ones I have in planters get taken in, they would die in those.




Lift some and leave the rest if you want to see how it goes for you.

 

I leave mine in and just give them a nice cover of mulch once the tops have died down, I do try to get them reasonably deep though when i plant them and all mine got through last winter,
If they are in containers though you will have to get them in as containers can freeze solid rather like an ice cube

 

Well i think i am going to risk leaving them and mulching over the best I can and see what results i get.

At the end of the day it was only £10.00 for 3 so hardly the most expensive thing I have ever lost, should they fail.

I just know IF i lift them that somewhere along the line they will get moved and then never to be found again .... that happened with the geraniums I overwintered last year. I still have never found them lol

 

remember my dad was a great one for his dahlias.it was his favourite flower,and he used to have a great show ,every year.what he did was lifted the dahlias,wrap them in newspapers,tie them loosely
and hang them from the loft beams.we had dahlias hanging all over the loft.it looked like
"THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS".much to the annoyance of my mother!. music.

 

I leave mine in, but Im Manchester so inland. It dosnt get to cold and I dont have to worry about damp to much as I have sandy soil. 02

 

Even cheaper if you grow them from seed....easy, if you can give them an early start

 

Oh I do love growing these lovely flowers from seed! I even collect them from my own stock I'm not bothered that the seed are not true to the parent plant I just love the waiting game to see what colours I get.

I do so love the dwarf ones but the Bishop's range is catching up on them in my favourite stakes!:hehe:

If any of you want to have some seeds sent just let me know & I'll send you some.Hel.xxx.

 

Leave them in and cover the bulbs with sthg. we did it with old raffia bags. did the trick all bulbs survived!!