How to Keep Dahlia Tubers

Although dahlias grow as perennials, they cannot tolerate frost or frozen soil so they die off when left in most garden beds. The flowers grow from a tuberous root system that doesn't overwinter outdoors well, but the plants can survive and flower for years if you dig and store them yearly. The tubers store energy during the summer months but go dormant for winter, which allows you store the dahlias successfully. Replant your dahlias each year in early summer once frost danger is past.

Trowel
Newspaper
Box
Vermiculite or peat moss

Instructions

- 1
  Cut back the dahlia stem to a 6-inch height with a sharp knife. Cut back only after the first fall frost kills back and blackens the plant.
- 2
  Dig up the dahlia tubers one week after cutting back the plant. Loosen the soil around the tuber with a trowel, then lift the tubers from the soil by hand to avoid breakage.
- 3
  Spread the tubers out on a sheet of newspaper in a cool, dry area. Set the tubers upside down so any moisture remaining in the stems drains. Dry the tubers for two days.
- 4
  Fill a shallow box with dry vermiculite or peat moss. Bury the tubers in the vermiculite.
- 5
  Store the tubers in a dry, 45-degree Fahrenheit location until replanting in spring or early summer. Inspect the tubers monthly during storage. Cut off any portions of the tubers that show signs of disease or rot.

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