Overwintering Dahlia Tubers in Grow Bags | Container Gardening

Hello! My name is Bethany and I grow things in my rooftop container garden in Chicago, zone 6a. I am by no means an expert, just someone who enjoys sharing my garden journey.
In today's video, I'll show you how I overwinter my dahlias using the method that worked last winter. Let me know how you store your dahlia tubers. Do you dig them up or keep them potted?
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[@NicolesGardenNS]

A good scrub will help with those pruners, I’ve done that before lol :) Dry them well and then a couple drops of mineral oil near where the blades meet and open/close them a bunch to work it in. I try to remember to do this once a week because I use them so much. They’ll feel just like new!

[@ChicagoGardener]

Thank you! Ill definitely start oiling them regularly.

[@milankatz9628]

For the clippers, use steel wool to remove rust and then wipe down with WD40.

[@ChicagoGardener]

Thank you! I have both of those things in my house, so that’s perfect.

[@michellejames5953]

Great video! You can clean your pruners with steel wool and some “3 IN ONE oil” they even sell it at my little grocery store. You can also take them apart and give them a good oil and cleaning once a year. You can take pics or videos to know how they go back together. I would use your vermiculite method or wrap the individualdahlias in Saran Wrap and store in the garage. The key is to keep them in that temperature, your house will always be too warm. I believe 40-50 degrees is ideal. How disgusting to have the fly eggs! So glad you caught that. Lol

[@ChicagoGardener]

Thank you!! I’ll definitely try that on my pruners. I’m glad I didn’t permanently damage them 😆

[@michellejames5953]

@@ChicagoGardener No, not at all. I actually left mine in a garden tub that had filled with water and were soaking for weeks, so they were completely rusted. Btw, you can also store your Dahlias in cedar shavings that they sell for animal beddings. I plan to store mine that way and give them a spritz of water if they look dry. I’m gonna store them 4 different ways to experiment, I’ll let you know how it works out this Spring 😁 Just remember that the right way, is what works for you. There’s so many variables that it’s not a one size fits all. I plan on dividing mine this fall and storing them afterwards , I don’t want to chance that one rotten one, will rot the entire clump.

[@marilynruggeberg]

I am 3.5 hours West of you in Zone 5 Iowa. I overwinter my Dahlias like the Impatient Gardener. She is in Wisconsin Zone 5 and does not use vermiculite. Laura does use vermiculite but she is storing her tubers in a Root Cellar with a humidity setting. The Midwest is very dry in the Winter. I dig my tubers, let the dirt dry and clean it off. I put them in a plastic tub layered with small animal wood shaving bedding in my basement. I check them periodically to be sure they aren't too dry. If I notice any shriveling I lightly mist the wood shavings to add a minimal amount of moisture. I am afraid that Dahlia in the unheated Greenhouse will freeze and die for you. That Greenhouse will not hold enough heat for night time and cloudy days. I found "The Impatient Gardener" through Laura's Channel. Her weather is very similar to mine as far as the Growing Season which is very useful for me.

[@ChicagoGardener]

She does have much more similar weather to me too! Maybe I’ll try the wood shavings with the two I have to dig up in the raised bed.

[@jamieflint2550]

Good luck w the experiment!! Just a thought, you may still want to add a layer mulch (leaves or straw?) on the one going in the green house, since it'll only be a few degrees warmer than outside when the sun goes down. I look forward to hearing how it turns out!!

[@ChicagoGardener]

Since it’s supposed to be a very cold winter here I’m thinking I might even plop another growbag or pot filled with soil right on top of it for extra protection.

[@dollyperry3020]

I also have had good luck with just cutting them back and keeping them in the grow bags. I also had good luck with wax :)

[@ChicagoGardener]

Tell me more about how you use wax!?

[@Sacred5mokE]

If I had access to a rooftop like you have. I would build a mini green house with led lights for the winter.

[@ChicagoGardener]

I really want a greenhouse up here but the wind swept away my plastic one and when I talked to someone about something sturdier they said it probably wouldn’t be permitted 😫

[@privateperson5769]

I am trying to grow my dahlias in grow bags this year - one is in - just the early morning sun and it is drooping . I don't want to keep watering it, as last year I had tubers rot in containers. Keeping it in the shadey part of garden for now, to see if it stops drooping when it grows up a bit. ( Down Under - Spring here ) I'm like , if these dahlias are going to be like babies again this year ...won't bother again with any that cannot survive with tough love, haha

[@ChicagoGardener]

Mine were drooping when they first started growing as well! They always recovered after the intense part of the sunshine and they dropped less as they got larger so hopefully yours will too!

[@flowerpixel]

Oh gosh I need to take off an inch of soil on my grow bags too. I love bugs but the flies story was yuck. I also left my pruners outside in the rain for the first time recently

[@ChicagoGardener]

It was the grossest thing that’s ever happened to me in the garden 😆

[@Orchid93090]

Is your garage detached ? I also live in Chicago and am nervous about y dahlias in the garage since we get such low temps (ours is detached)

[@ChicagoGardener]

There’s a small breezeway but most of it is detached. I put them in the corner closest to where it’s attached though, assuming it would be a bit warmer. I also might but some pots around them too.

[@scott8838]

You have fiskars pruners just like mine. I use mine on everything you could imagine and they hold up great. If I used anything on mine it would be emery cloth. I wouldn't use oil or anything like that in fear I would infect my plants or trees. But I probably worry to much 😂

[@ChicagoGardener]

I’m giving mine a good clean today!

[@judymckerrow6720]

I consider you living in my neck of the woods, I live in south west Michigan. We’re SUPPOSED to have a VERY cold winter this year. So your greenhouse experiment may not work this year, something to consider,just a thought.🍁🍂🍁💚🙃

[@ChicagoGardener]

I’ve been thinking about that. It is supposed to be a terrible winter 😩 I think I’m going to try anyone and at least I’ll know for sure how they do when it’s absolutely freezing here!