Storing dahlias in refrigerators in winter. How to preserve dahlias at home

In garden plots, dahlias have become one of the most common and favorite plants. Their inflorescences are very beautiful and varied in color, shape, size and doubleness. Dahlias are propagated by dividing nests of root tubers, cuttings and seeds. Dahlias grow and bloom well when the bush has one or two stems. Multi-stemmed bushes produce a small number of flowers and form weak root tubers that are difficult to store. Therefore, the tubers need to be divided.

Dahlias bloom until frost. In autumn, after the first frost, the aboveground part of the plants dies. After this, the stems are cut at a height of 10-15 cm from the ground, preserving the root collar. Then the root tubers are carefully dug up, washed from the soil, and the thin roots are trimmed with scissors. After that, the tubers are dried and stored. In winter, they must be periodically inspected, removing rotten and diseased ones.

Preparing dahlias for storage is a very important moment. Some gardeners advise digging up dahlia tubers after the first frost, while others advise digging them up after one or two weeks (by this time the tubers have time to ripen).

Successful storage of tubers at home depends primarily on how and when these tubers are harvested, and then how they are processed and stored. It is best, in his opinion, to dig up tubers in early October, when night temperatures drop to 0-minus 3°C, in dry, sunny weather. You have to dig carefully. First, you should free the upper part from the ground (unclog it), cut off the stem with a sharp knife, leaving a stump 15-20 cm high. Then dig a trench around the bush within a radius of 20-25 cm from the stem and carefully, with a shovel, remove the root tubers without touching the stem. If you pull the stem, the tubers will come off, because they are very brittle and weakly attached to the root collar. After this, they are cleared of soil, small roots are cut off and the remaining soil is washed with water. Then the tubers, for disinfection, need to be dipped in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes and laid out to dry for about 20 minutes. After that, they are stored in a box on the balcony or in the garage, where the temperature is plus 6-8 ° C and the air humidity is 60 -80%, In winter, you can store tubers near the balcony door.

There are other ways to store tubers, about which others - treat them with paraffin or brush with beaten egg white. Many people suggest dipping dahlia tubers into melted paraffin before storing them. Before this, you need to melt the paraffin in a bowl in a water bath and dip the tubers in it.

Paraffin melts at temperatures up to 60 degrees. But you need to heat it up more, otherwise a too thick layer will form. Paraffin hardens instantly. We dip the tubers in paraffin quickly - one end, then the other. Literally a matter of seconds.
All processing (from digging to placing in a box) must be done within 24 hours, otherwise the roots will dry out.
In this form they are perfectly stored in the apartment.at a temperature not higher than plus 12-14°C and normal humidity.

In paraffin, the roots do not dry out or become moldy. They can only germinate early (if it’s hot), then they are laid out in the light so that they don’t stretch.

Many gardeners consider the ideal place to store dahlia tubers to be a dry basement, where the humidity is not higher than 60%, and the temperature during the winter is between plus 2-5 ° C. He advises, when storing the tubers, to sprinkle them with peat or dry sand. During the winter, tubers must be periodically inspected and diseased or rotten ones removed. The most successful containers for storing dahlia tubers are not wooden boxes, in which pathogenic microbes and fungi accumulate, but universal boxes made of impact-resistant polystyrene or polypropylene. They withstand high and low temperatures well. In such boxes, planting material can be processed in various solutions followed by drying; it is convenient to store cut flowers in them in the cold without water.

Some people suggest a few more ways.storage of tubers after processing them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and subsequent drying:
1) place the tubers in deep boxes on a layer of peat, sprinkle with peat and store them in a cool, non-freezing place at a temperature of plus 3-5°C;
2) store tubers in drawers and shoe boxes, lined with paper, on the floor near the entrance or balcony door, or store tubers in plastic bags.
You cannot store tubers for a long time in a warm room, because at high temperatures the tubers quickly dry out (shrink).

It is possible to store dahlia root tubers indoors, placing them in plastic bags in sphagnum moss. Until frost, the basket with tubers is kept on the loggia, and then transferred to the room.

Dahlias are delicate flowers: despite the impressive size of the bush, the plant does not tolerate frost at all. The tubers must be dug up in the fall and transferred to a cool place where they will be stored until spring.

How to store dahlias in the cellar in winter

In order for dahlia tubers to be well preserved, they must be dug up in time, prepared for winter and sent to a good cellar or basement.

Digging up tubers and preparing them for storage

Immediately after frost, the above-ground part of the dahlia dies, and the tubers must be dug up as soon as possible. You shouldn’t do this ahead of time so that they accumulate more nutrients needed for good preservation. Depending on the region and current weather, digging occurs in September or October. In the morning, in dry weather, the stems are cut off almost at the ground and the tubers are carefully removed, having first dug up the bush.

It is better to trim the stems before digging so that they do not break during the process, causing damage to the root collar.

Immediately after digging, the tubers are washed with warm water and then dried in air. If the soil was dry at the time of digging, sometimes you can do without leaching by simply shaking off the soil.

It is very important not to damage the root collar or tear the tubers from it: it is from the place of their contact that new shoots will appear by spring.

Severely damaged and diseased specimens cannot be stored, but small wounds can be trimmed and sprinkled with ash. Old, very long and thin roots are cut off. Then, if necessary and possible, divide the tubers. A fragment of the root collar should remain on each division. The cut areas are sprinkled with ash, after which the sections are thoroughly dried. Do this for 1.5–2 weeks in a cool, ventilated area. Before sending for storage, only 3-4 cm are left from the old stem.

To divide tubers, you can use any convenient tool, but it must be clean

Storage conditions

Wherever dahlia tubers are stored, conditions must be created such that they do not freeze, rot, dry out or germinate prematurely, and rodents do not reach them.

To store dahlia tubers, it is better to find a dry cellar or basement: the optimal air humidity is 60–80%. The temperature required is 3–6 o C, periodic ventilation is required. The storage is prepared in the same way as for vegetables: they clean, whitewash the walls and ceiling, and if there is mold or mildew, they are removed mechanically and the room is fumigated with a sulfur bomb.

If there is no cellar, storage on an insulated balcony is possible.

Any low wooden boxes or cardboard boxes are suitable for storing dahlia tubers, the bottom of which should be covered with newspapers and a small layer of clean sand, dry peat or sawdust. The tubers are placed in one layer so that they do not touch each other. If the cellar is too wet, the space between them is filled with the same material as at the bottom of the box. In a good, dry cellar you can do without this, but it would be a good idea to lightly sprinkle the tubers with slaked lime.

When there is not enough space in the cellar, tubers are even stored in bulk, but the likelihood of disease transmission from one specimen to neighboring ones is much higher.

Throughout the winter, it is necessary to inspect the storage facility once every 2 weeks. If damaged fragments are found, they must be cut out, and the sections should be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkled with crushed coal. In this case, sand or sawdust should be replaced. If wilting of the tubers is detected, the substrate is sprayed with water.

There are also known methods for storing tubers, such as packaged in plastic cling film or with a film of clay pre-applied to them. Such approaches prevent the tubers from drying out and are used mainly in cases where the temperature in the storage is too high and the humidity is low.

Dahlia tubers tolerate winter storage well if they are ripe, well cleaned and placed in a cellar with suitable temperature and humidity. Periodic inspection of the storage facility in the winter practically guarantees that the planting material will be unharmed in the spring.

Sometimes even experienced gardeners are faced with the problem of preserving dahlias in winter. And many beginners who have become attached to these beautiful flowers do not know at all how to store dahlias.

At the dacha, nothing pleases you more than a bountiful harvest and a luxurious flower bed. When you can sit down to relax surrounded by colorful dahlias, which delight with their brightness and beauty. However, when autumn arrives, you need to start preparing for the first frosts and do everything possible to preserve the tender tubers of your favorite plants. Therefore, many beginners ask several questions at once:

• When is the time to dig up dahlias?
• How to dig up tubers correctly so as not to damage them?
• What are the nuances when preparing dahlias for winter?
• What are the storage methods at home?

The answers can be found today; just pay close attention to the recommendations of experienced flower growers. After all, why experiment if there are already effective methods that have been developed over the years.

Digging up dahlias and preparing for storage

Only those tubers that are fully ripe can survive the cold winter. Therefore, there is no need to rush to dig them up; they should remain in natural soil for as long as possible. Dahlias begin to develop in early spring and finish in late autumn. If cold weather sets in or frosts occur at night, you can begin to hill up the soil to preserve them. This way she can retain heat for the developing tuber.

There is no exact date when it is necessary to start removing tubers from the soil. After all, the cooling process occurs in different territories in different ways. In such a matter, you need to trust natural phenomena. If a really serious frost hits, then within 2 days it is urgent to start digging up dahlias for preservation.

Why is the time for digging so short:
Frozen stems and leaves begin to rot, which can lead to disease;
Sudden warming can trigger the emergence of new shoots. Therefore, it is very important to cut the stems so that the dahlias do not continue the growing season.

Many summer residents come to the territory only on weekends. In order not to get into trouble and not miss the moment of digging, you can familiarize yourself with the upcoming weather forecast in advance. If severe frosts are expected within a few days, you can start digging up dahlias in advance.

There will be no harm from the fact that the tubers are dug up 3-4 days ahead of schedule. In this case, it is better to beat the weather conditions in order to preserve dahlias for the next season.

Conditions for digging dahlias

While the process of predicting the time may seem simple, the digging itself will be several times more difficult. First of all, you need to properly prepare for this stage.

To do this you will need:

• Tags with the name of the variety. After all, the tubers look the same, so as not to get confused in the spring, you need to label each dug variety. You can use special tags purchased in the department for flower growers, or you can make them yourself. In this matter, only the budget plays a role.
• Good weather. Digging up dahlias in the rain is a very labor-intensive and dirty job. Therefore, if the forecast predicts cloudy weather, you need to take care of your equipment.
• Tools. Secateurs and a small spatula are available at each site.
  When everything is ready for work, you can begin to extract the tubers from their native soil. First, you need to cut the stem by about 40 cm with pruning shears. Next, with a small spatula, very carefully, you need to dig around the entire bush. This must be done very carefully, as a damaged tuber may not survive until the next season.. A diseased root can also infect the rest, which will lead to the death of the entire variety. However, this process is not so complicated, the tubers are deep in the ground, if you work with a small tool, you can avoid damage. For convenience, use special forks, so the extraction process will go faster. It is necessary to pierce the soil 10-15 cm and turn the tubers out.

Experienced gardeners do not recommend pulling out or shaking tubers. This method has a number of negative consequences that will lead to damage to the entire root system. The neck is very fragile and can be easily damaged.

After the tubers have been successfully extracted and the most difficult process is over, it is necessary to clear them of soil. It's better to do this by hand, but don't overdo it. Later, the remaining soil can be washed off with settled water.

Rules for cleaning and preparing dug tubers:

• Using pruning shears it is necessary to trim thin roots that do not play a special role
• Small formations on tubers and small shoots are also processed. They will take strength from the root system during wintering
• The trunk must be removed, as it may begin to rot during the conservation period, which will lead to infection and death.

The final stage is high-quality drying. To do this, you can place the tubers on the veranda for several hours, then begin the preservation process.

Methods for storing dahlias at home

After the digging and preparation process has been successful, you need to decide how to store dahlias in winter. There are quite a few methods, but flower growers recommend not experimenting for the first few years and trusting old and reliable methods.

There are several main options:

• Store the tubers as they were prepared;
• Separate them immediately for future planting. Experienced gardeners call the cut parts divisions.

The second option is more practical, since in the spring you can reduce the labor costs for planting dahlias. If this is the flowers’ first winter, then of course it’s better not to do this; the tubers are not fully strong and they don’t need additional stress.

Over time, each gardener gains experience and his own tricks. But one way or another, the general rules for everyone remain the basis.

In order for dahlias to survive the winter, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Dahlias are stored in the dark;
• Indoor humidity should be maintained at 80%;
• Temperature +5 degrees.

How to store dahlias in a box

The housewife decides individually how to store dahlias in a box at home or in an apartment. Here both options will be optimal, the main thing is to adhere to the rules.

Important: Other cultivated plants can also be stored using this method. The method is universal and very popular.

For convenience, boxes need to be signed if this has not been done previously. Dried tubers are placed in special boxes, which can either be purchased at the gardening department, or use those that are available.

It should be stored in a moderately warm room without drafts or sunlight. The sun in this case can cause the beginning of the growing season.

Many experienced gardeners advise storing dahlias in a vestibule or a warm garage. A closed veranda of a private house is also suitable, but you need to take care of their safety. Pets can damage them.

If there is no closed vestibule, garage or warm veranda, the question arises of how to store dahlias at home. You can also use the balcony; for additional protection and insulation, you can cover the dahlias with thick fabric, but the room temperature should not exceed +5 degrees.

How to store dahlias in sand

This method has an obvious disadvantage - sand draws out moisture. Therefore, it is optimal to use this method if you have to store dahlias in a very damp room. In the basement or underground, some gardeners even store in heated greenhouses and greenhouses.

For this method, you can use a regular box and sifted dry sand. How to store dahlias at home in sand? It’s very simple, just place a box of sand and tubers in the basement for the whole winter and you don’t have to think about them. The optimal storage temperature should range from 3 to 6 degrees, and the room humidity should be at least 85%.

Paraffin storage method

Paraffin-coated tubers

How to store dahlias in winter if the roots are young and very small? The ideal solution would be to use the paraffin wax storage method. To do this you need to prepare thoroughly.

You will need:

• Paraffin candles
• Two pans for a water bath
• tablet
• Forceps

The first step is to prepare a water bath; everyone knows how to do this. After which the candle is grated on a coarse grater and melted. Next, using tongs, each tuber is dipped in paraffin for a few seconds and left to harden on the board. Afterwards, you can even store dahlias under the bed in simple boxes, the main thing is away from radiators and heat sources so that the paraffin does not melt.

Vermiculite storage method

How to store dahlias at home if there is no garage or basement? Easily! You can use the vermiculite storage method even in your own apartment.
Vermiculite is much more effective than sand, since it does not absorb moisture, which is so necessary for young tubers.

You can store it in a regular box, sprinkled with this material. Since it has a good heat-insulating effect, it can even be stored on an open balcony. The method has proven itself well and has become the most popular solution for other crops.

The only disadvantage of this method is that the tubers may germinate. Therefore, it is not advisable to leave the box in a warm room; premature ripening of the roots in winter is not recommended. The tubers will have to be planted in pots, and this will only increase the risk of dahlia death.

How to store in sawdust

Storing tubers in sawdust is an old, proven method

Every second gardener knows how to store dahlias in winter using the sawdust method. This is the most effective and simplest way. It is enough to buy the cheapest bag of sawdust at the pet store and fill the dahlias.

You can even store it on the balcony; sawdust is not dried and has a positive heat-insulating effect. You can also leave the box in a heated room at the dacha or even on the veranda. Dahlias will feel great and retain their strength for the coming spring. To do this, you just need to dry and wash the roots well after they have been removed from the soil.

Rules for storing dahlias at home

Storing plant roots or even seedlings at home is an acceptable and common practice. Many gardeners and gardeners who see no point in going to their summer cottage in winter use various methods to preserve their favorite crops.

To ensure that home conditions do not lead to early germination or rotting of tubers, you must adhere to standard rules.

These include:

Stable humidity level. Many methods, including storing in sand, greatly exhaust and dry out dahlias. To avoid unpleasant consequences, the grower must maintain a stable humidity of 80%.
Microclimate– one of the important factors, which includes temperature. Ideal for storage will range from +3 to +6 degrees. You should also avoid sharp frosts; if the tuber freezes, there will be no flowering in the spring.
Use of polyethylene welcome, especially if the tubers are stored in an unheated room. Thus, it is possible to create greenhouse comfortable conditions that will maintain an ideal microclimate.

The most reliable way to store young tubers is the initialing method. In this case, there is no need to create a greenhouse; the roots do not dry out and can be kept in the room. The main point is not to overheat.

The preparation stage of tubers plays an important role. If they were removed from the soil in time, well dried and washed, then the storage process will not be labor-intensive.
In order to avoid dahlias from drying out, especially if a dry climate prevails in your home, it is better to spray them. Storage in sand requires such care constantly. Therefore, if a florist has chosen this method, he should pay more attention to the preservation process.

Elevated temperatures and exposure to sunlight can also play a cruel joke. Roots in favorable conditions begin to start the growth process. Which in mid-January can discourage the owner. This situation can be avoided if you place the dahlias in advance in a damp, cool and dark room. Then the conservation process will be successful.

Many people like dahlias due to their amazing variety of colors and shapes. But, since they are heat-loving plants, when frost sets in, they need to be dug up and stored for some time, until the threat of frost has passed. Let's try to figure out when and how to properly dig up dahlia tubers, how to prepare them for long-term storage, and where they are best preserved.

Photo: https://mtdata.ru/u17/photoA7DE/20060185342-0/original.jpeg

How to dig up and store dahlias for the winter

To determine whether it is time to dig up a plant, you need to consider several factors. They evaluate whether the tubers are ripe, what weather is expected in the near future, whether frosts or heavy rains are expected. Dahlias should not be dug up if their tubers have not matured and accumulated sufficient nutrients. But you also cannot wait for the onset of heavy rains, which is not uncommon in the fall, and the onset of stable frosts.

Therefore, experienced flower growers advise: those who are engaged in the cultivation of this flower en masse should begin digging their tubers even before the onset of the first autumn frosts in dry weather. If there are only a few bushes in the garden, then you can wait until the first frost touches the above-ground part of the plant, it will darken and become unattractive. It doesn’t matter if the stems and leaves begin to rot, because the roots are protected by the earth and will remain intact.

But to prevent rot from affecting them, it is important to separate them from the stems in time. For each climate zone, there are approximate dates when you need to dig up dahlias for storage. In the south of Russia this is usually the beginning or mid-November, and in the middle zone, including the Moscow region, it is mid-October. In the Urals they are dug up in early October, and in Siberia - in the middle or end of September.

How to properly dig up dahlia tubers for storage

In order to successfully carry out the procedure for extracting dahlia tubers from the ground, you may need:

1. a pair of gloves (to protect your hands from the ground);
2. shovel (for direct digging);
3. pruning shears (for trimming the top of the plant);
4. wooden or plastic box (for tubers).

Step-by-step instruction: We put on gloves and, using pruning shears (you can also use garden shears), cut off the above-ground part so that only a stump remains (up to 15-20 cm). We rake mulch and soil from the base of the bush. We retreat from it at a distance of 20-25 cm and dig a groove around it. Then we dig deep under the stem and remove the rhizome without touching the stem with our hands. If you pull the stump, the tubers can tear off the stem, as they are very brittle. We clear them of any remaining soil and cut off the small roots. We put the dug tubers in a box and prepare them for storage until spring.

How to properly prepare tubers before winter storage

Dahlia must be carefully prepared before storage. This will avoid damage to the planting material. Wash the tubers removed from the ground in lukewarm water. Cut off all shoots with a sharp knife. Then, having cut off the stems, divide them so that each division contains several living buds. If this is problematic, then you don’t have to share.

Dahlias are susceptible to various fungal diseases. To avoid this, they must be disinfected before storage. You can use regular potassium permanganate or special fungicides. Dilute 1 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of warm water, place the tubers in the solution for 20-30 minutes. Or take a 0.2% solution of Fundazol (an antifungal agent) and soak the tubers there for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Then they must be thoroughly dried for 1.5-2 weeks. If moisture remains on them, they will definitely rot. And only then can they be put away for winter storage in a specially prepared room.

Video:

How to properly store dahlia tubers

Properly prepared dahlia rhizomes must be stored under certain conditions. It is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature of +5...+8 oC in the room, moderate air humidity in the range of 60% - 80%. We can get this kind of humidity in the cellar if we place them there along with other root vegetables. If the humidity in the storage is not enough, it can be increased by placing a large container of water there.

This room should also be well ventilated to prevent mold from infecting the tubers. If there is no ventilation, then you need to ventilate yourself. The storage room should be dark. Light is allowed only for short periods of time.

Storage area for tubers

The above conditions for wintering dahlias until the next season can be met in the following rooms:

• Let's give examples.
• Cellar,
• basement,
• pantry,
• fridge,
• a glazed unheated balcony will help keep the tubers healthy.

Only in suitable premises with proper conditions will we be able to preserve high quality planting material.

Methods for storing tubers

Gardeners and flower growers with extensive experience in growing dahlias shared the following ways to preserve them.

In sand

The most popular storage method. In the sand, the mass and strength of the tubers is preserved until planting. But the method is also not without its drawbacks. If moisture gets into the sand, they can germinate, which will spoil the quality of the planting material. In addition, the sand itself is very heavy, and a container with tubers sprinkled with sand will be too heavy to lift.

Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-J94-Pcp7Qc/maxresdefault.jpg

In the sawdust

Another favorite and inexpensive way to preserve rhizomes. They are placed in containers, sprinkled with large sawdust and shavings. Sawdust and shavings can be obtained from the nearest sawmill. This method is good because the containers are very light and the dahlias do not sprout. But there is also a minus: sawdust is devoid of moisture, so it can draw water from the tubers. By spring, rhizomes stored in sawdust can dry out significantly.

Photo: https://handskill.ru/assets/i/ai/4/7/7/i/3278772.jpg

In paraffin

Although this method is the most labor intensive, it is also the most efficient storage method. It consists in dipping all the tubers into molten paraffin. This procedure must be performed quickly and carefully so as not to damage the roots or burn them. First, heat the paraffin until it completely melts. Then the tubers are dipped into it for 2-3 seconds, and after that they are immersed in cold water so that the paraffin hardens. In this form, dahlias can be stored even without sand and sawdust, and they still will not rot.

Photo: https://rastenievod.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/26.jpg

Everyone can choose for themselves the most appropriate method of storing grown tubers, taking into account the available conditions, apply it and place the planting material in the prepared room.

Protecting tubers from pests

If you store dahlias after bathing them in paraffin, then pests will probably not encroach on them. But if you choose another method, then encroachments cannot be avoided. You will definitely want to eat or just bite into the tasty and juicy tubers: thrips; granary mites; rodents (mice, rats). Periodically, from time to time, you need to visit the storage location to assess their condition and, if anything, take action.

If signs of insect damage are noticeable, then any insecticide (Inta-vir, Aktara, Aktellik) will come to the rescue. But when using such products, it is necessary to use protective equipment, a respirator and gloves, since working with poisons indoors is very dangerous. And under no circumstances process rhizomes if food is stored nearby.

Poison, traps or special glue, in turn, will help drive out mice and rats. Currently, there are special ultrasonic rodent repellent devices, but their effectiveness is exaggerated, many gardeners have already become convinced of this.

To be able to admire dahlias next season, you need to preserve them without significant losses. It is not enough to simply remove them from the ground and leave them for storage in the basement or cellar. They need to be carefully prepared: proper preparation of rhizomes for wintering helps preserve the quality and quantity of planting material.