When to dig dahlias, how to store them? Usually we leave perennials to winter in the area, the cottage. But dahlias do not belong to such plants. They fade, the aboveground part fades. Dahlia tubers go into a dormant phase. They are afraid of frost, so they need to be dug up in the fall, stored until spring.
It is clear that only high-quality planting material will be able to be well preserved, therefore, before laying for storage, all tubers undergo a thorough examination and preparation. Damaged specimens are discarded so that they do not infect the remaining bulbs and tubers during the laying process.
It is also important to know not only the storage conditions, but also the cleaning time.
When to dig dahlias in autumn
Dahlias can be dug up after the first frost. They saw that dahlias were seized by the first frost - this is a signal - it's time to dig out.
When this happens in the Kuban - it is difficult to predict, I think that at the end of October you can already dig out. And in the middle zone of Russia this usually happens in late September or early October.
It is recommended to do this in dry and warm weather. After the leaves wither from night cold, the stems are cut at a height of 10-15 cm from the soil level.
It is necessary to dig out carefully, being careful not to damage the neck, which is quite fragile.
After digging all the bushes, the tubers are cleaned of the earth, washed well from the remains of the soil. Simultaneously with the remains of the soil, all pathogens and microorganisms that were on the tubers are washed off.
The next step in preparing the tubers for storage is to divide the large tuberous groups into pieces.
These parts are called dividends.
Dividing the tubers into parts is necessary, both for the highest quality further processing of the divisions, and for the convenience of storage, as well as for obtaining stronger and more abundantly flowering specimens in spring. When dividing tubers, it is necessary to leave a part of the neck with laid buds in each dividend so that they can germinate in the spring. The remains of the stem at each delenka are cut to 2-3 cm to avoid rotting of the neck. The tools you use must be baked over the fire before dividing each new group of tubers.
IMPORTANT!
After dividing, it is necessary to carefully check all the obtained specimens for the presence of tuber diseases. If brown or rust spots are found, the tubers must be removed completely.
After examining the delenki, you need to rinse it well again to remove residual dirt, cut off the tips of the tubers, and treat the tubers with any fungicide (plant disinfectant).
When processing the dry method, the tubers are powdered, when processing the solution - dipped in it for 10-15 minutes, then dried, placing on a wooden surface covered with cardboard or newspaper. At the same time, it is possible to mark tubers by placing a tag on each dividend or by placing groups of dividends by variety, so that they can then be put into joint storage. On the labeling tags that are attached to each dividend, the name of the variety is indicated.
How to store dahlias
The storage room should have good ventilation, optimal temperature, appropriate level of importance.
Tubers can be stored until spring in sawdust or vermiculite.
When using vermiculite, you need to carefully monitor the temperature regime of storage, so that an increase in temperature does not provoke the early appearance of sprouts.
Vermiculite or large sawdust is poured into bags or storage containers, then tubers are placed there and poured on top with the same filler.
You can use a separate bag for each sort of dividers, which is then tied and packaged in a plastic bag.
Packed tubers are stored at a temperature not lower than + 1 ° C and not higher than + 5 ° C in a room with a humidity level of not more than 60-65%.
Another commonly used method of storing tubers is that they are placed in boxes filled with vermiculite or sawdust, previously laid out from the inside with several layers of newspaper, which will protect the tubers from moisture loss. After filling the tubers, the boxes and crates are closed with tight-fitting lids and stored.
The storage temperature in the room where there are boxes or bags should be stable, without sudden changes.
A slightly dried root in the spring may well be “revived” by dropping for several hours in warm water. And if instead of water we take a weak solution of potassium permanganate, this procedure will also serve as a preparation of the root for planting.
Ksenia Litskevich, based on materials from Ogorodich