Digging Dahlias in the Spring!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we live in such a wonderful climate for growing things!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, (more specifically: Olympia, Washington) we are pretty lucky to be able to leave our Dahlia tubers in the soil all winter long. I have found the best survival rate of my tubers has been when I leave them all winter!
My attempts at storing them in my garage always ends in mass tuber death…
Those of you who have been here for a while know that I am a BIG fan of leaving my dahlia tubers in the ground! They stay nice and cozy underground, and I stay nice and cozy inside my house!
But now: Spring has Sprung and you’re ready to dig and divide those tubers!
So, where do we even begin?! Well, I’ve created a step-by-step video below to help you get those tubers dug up, cleaned off, and divided, just in time for summer planting!
The main points from the video:
Carefully pitchfork* around the clump to remove from the soil
You can use whatever size of pitchfork you have on hand, but I like to use a skinnier version * when I’m trying to dig tuber clumps that are close together: it helps me avoid damaging nearby tubers!
Spray the clump with the hose to remove soil
Locate an eye (it multiple eyes) and determine which tuber may be the easiest to remove
Pressing the sharp point of your snippers* downward, remove the tuber “head” from the clump, trying to not damage the neck or body
I love these snippers, * they are my absolute favorite! Very sturdy for the those huge tuber clumps!
Properly store or plant your tubers
storage is a whole topic on it’s own, but for starters: I use vermiculite * to keep them from drying out or becoming moldy!
( 🚨Spoiler Alert 🚨: if you live near me or in a similar zone, I believe it’s ok to plant your tubers Any. Day. Of. The. Year. I’ve tested this theory and planted tubers throughout the winter and spring, and they’ve all successfully sprouted when the summer heat hits!)
The important things to note for planting tubers during rainy & cold seasons:
Make sure your soil is well-draining. There can be NO water pooling in the beds, or your tubers will rot! Vermiculite* can improve soil drainage
Cover with a leaf mulch and/or a frost cloth* to decrease the rain water or hard frost from reaching your tubers
Personally, I love being able to dig, divide, and immediately put the tubers back into the soil: no storage necessary 🙌🏼
If you find this video helpful, share it with your dahlia-loving friends so they can also reap the benefits. Because as far as I'm concerned: there is always room for more dahlias.
