Dahlias

[horseshoes]

Last year I had some new raised beds and decided to have one as a dahlia bed, and what a show I had from them! They were wonderful and flowered right up until the end of last month. I read up about them and the advice was that I dig up the tubers, dry them and store in peat. I have dug them up and I'm not joking - they are ENORMOUS! What started out as tubers about the size of my (very small) hand, they're now about the size of my cat, with some individual tubers being the size of large potatoes. Now my question is this. Because they're so large, I'm going to struggle to find enough boxes large enough to store them, would it be OK to plant them back into the raised bed to overwinter there? T.I.A.

[woofgang]

that entirely depends on what happens this winter. the tubers are not frost hardy and will freeze to mush if it gets cold enough. Why not store as many as you can and risk the rest?

[Prudie]

Where do you live? I leave my dahlias in all year round and so do my neighbours but we are right down South.

[horseshoes]

I'm in North Wales Prudie; I've left the Bishop of Llandaff in over winter in the garden and he was OK. I think I'll do what Woof has suggested; plant some and store the rest.

Thanks both.

[Togo]

You can split those tubers down Horseshoes. The individual " potato ones will all come again. We take ours up (and the Begonias) because we get hard frost some years. We dry them out after lifting and then brush off any soil residue and wrap them individually in newspaper to prevent any fungal spread. Ours go into the loft(attic) until late Feb., and then we put them into a tall cloche, that I rebuild, unwrapped and then we pot them up in starter pots. When they start to show growth I take cuttings and then repot them into the main pots or borders. The Bishop range are quite hardy but some of the pompom types are very susceptible to frost wipe out.

[Prudie]

Sorry horseshoes, didn't really clock the username when I answered, I know you live in N Wales

[horseshoes]

That's OK Prudie; no apology needed:-)

Togo, the Bishop is the only type I've had previously. What I have now ARE mostly pompoms (purple and red) and purple (yes I LOVE purple flowers) chrysanth types. Oh yes and a couple of purple with white tips too.

[Togo]

Morning Horseshoes. We have Llandaff, Leicester, and York, besides some massive white pompom and yellow, orange and purple pompoms. Reliable, but I would warn anyone who lives in frost free area to watch out if the Bishop series are planted in the garden and left. They spread like mad and will take over a whole area. I am also in N. Wales as you probably know Horseshoes, I think you may be a bit further in land than us here. We can see the Sea, but are inland just a mile or so and fairly high up.

[woofgang]

I would love to have the Bishop series spread like wildfire in my garden.

[Prudie]

I have 2 the same of almost exhibition varieties - don't know the name but the flowers are absolutely huge Chrysanthemum type of bright bright orange with yellow edges. They produce a mass of foliage, grow to about 4 feet but the flowers are getting later and later - only in bud now and they will get frosted off shortly. Not sure what is wrong with them.

[Togo]

Bishop of Cardiff is I think the most prolific Wolf. A pal of mine had them in a corner of his garden and in a few years they ran riot. When he dug them up I took some of the tubers and have had them ever since. Reliable with lovely yellow and red blooms that last right into late Autumn if they are dead headed or cut for vases. The foliage is a lovely dark green and chocolate colour too.

http://thumbsnap.com/i/8A48w91h.jpg

[Togo]

Here you are Woof( sorry about the wrong moniker earlier) a list of the Bishop series.

http://gardenerstips.co.uk/blog/flowers/bishops-dahlias/

[Chipchopper]

I'm just wondering if you had any large plastic or terracotta pots to store them in, if you can't round up enough box's to put them in ?. Also, sawdust seems to be okay as a peat alternative.

[horseshoes]

Thanks all for your replies and help. OH has made some super wooden boxes for them now so I'll be able to store most. I'll plant the rest back in the raised dahlia bed and see what happens.

[Togo]

Nice one Horseshoes. Don't forget that you can cover the dahlia bed if a hard long frost is imminent. I have used plastic sheeting before now for a few weeks, winter 2009/2010 springs to mind, with newspaper or straw under it.

[woofgang]

Togo I love them Llandaff is my favourite. I have bought them many times but even though I live in the south they don't keep or spread

[Togo]

Shame that Woof. Down South you should have an advantage in terms of temperature and sunny spells. Dahlias like rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter and a fairly neutral soil pH around 6.5. So I would perhaps check out your soil conditions and drainage in the chosen spot. Again covering in cold spells is a help.