Dahlia Digging, Dividing & Storage

[@laurelsayer7557]

As always, so clearly and concisely presented. Thank you for taking the time to do this for us.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You're very welcome Laurel

[@jimcroker1939]

Gardener in England here. Very helpful has reminded me I need to put my Dahlias away for winter 😂 really enjoying the videos. Great to get other perspectives from other countries ❤

[@reneedevry4361]

I clean, trim and dry my tubers upside down indoors then have been using crumpled packing paper around my tubers. I pack loosely upside down in cardboard boxes and place in cold storage. I have been doing this for 40 years successfully in Ottawa but our climate is not as damp. Great video❤👍 Thank you. 🥰🇨🇦

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks for sharing your method and success Renee!

[@pintsizestories196]

I only have a few dahlias. After unsuccessfully trying to store them in my basement (probably too dry) as bare tubers in shavings, I had success by keeping them in their pots and just giving them a little water now and again. They were cut back. This year, I planted two large dahlias in the ground. Late summer I cut them back and potted them in 12"pots. They sprouted a bit and continued growing until frost. Now they are in the basement and will hopefully be fine in the spring.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks for sharing that. I was interested to hear from Kama that she'd done reasonably well storing them as full clumps in soil. I suppose the demonstration of the rotted mother tuber makes the case for why it sometimes works better clean, inspect and do at least a rough division in fall - but I never ever argue with success!

[@LawforFun]

Things need experience. I'm learning to do KZbin channel 😂

[@leeck5491]

Excellent precise advice. I found this fascinating. Your videos are always done so well. Thank you.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks so much Lee

[@sayehhossainzade8257]

Thank you for this interesting and useful video. I enjoyed it and learned a lot.

[@katipohl2431]

Best Presentation on Dahlia tuber harvest and storage. Storage in vermiculite with air humidity of 75% at 5 degrees Celsius.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Kati. They were 12C on the day of shooting & storage, but that's probably a bit warm over winter. Kama mentioned that temps consistently up near 10C would probably result in premature sprouting, so she targets closer to 5C (or at least sets the heaters at that level)

[@janeb.6b]

Very interesting/educational Jason, thanks. I look forward to your video's.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks so much Jane!

[@HoustonKeith72]

Really interesting! Dahlias sure are beautiful.

[@dao8805]

This lady obviously really knows her stuff. I don't grow dahlias myself but my neighbors do and I will be sure to tell them about this video. Thank you for another well done video :)

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Our pleasure!

[@cynthiagustafson2541]

Very helpful! I just dug my dahlias. It was so cold yesterday that I decided to wait to hose them off.

[@pamelamercado6902]

Thanks for the info It was very interesting I havent planted this flower but if i do ill have some of the info needed to keep them happy.❤

[@jomassey4207]

Great informative video. Thanks😊 Jo

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Jo!

[@geraldinefields1730]

More, more and more. Thank you,

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Very welcome!

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

Thank you, This is a very helpful video

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Ana. BTW, love your garden!

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you so much!

[@lieslfeldman1725]

I use a cut free glove to avoid blood loss. They are made for oyster workers, and they do work. They are sold on Amazon. Be sure to check the level of cuttings resistance for the ones you buy.

[@loganpirie4387]

Great video! I love her farm.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Logan

[@karenschwartz5209]

Thanks, 😊

[@dustyflats3832]

I started tall and short basic dahlias from seed a couple years ago. Never grew them before and they were more difficult to dig after two years. I may not continue on with them because I learned that they get gall? that can pass on to roses. However, they are such a bright spot in the garden and maybe will get a specific variety that I really love and continue. I never clean them up, but this year they were huge and will deal with it next spring. We have sandy soil so no rot problem. I stored them in our experimental above ground root cellar and we had a high humidity issue so I guess they liked it. I would be more attentive if I had seen big money, but I grew them from seed. As a kid we had a lot of canna flowers and we never washed the tubers. I think the soil helps protect just like on potatoes. Thanks for the info. I’ve never divided them yet and will need to as I didn’t know they had suckers. I guess each has to have a neck?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. The term gall probably too general, because it refers to any undifferentiated growth, no matter the cause - and there are lots of causes. The one Kama demonstrated here was leafy gall caused by Rhodococcus fascians. It can spread a cross a wide range of plants including geraniums, chrysanthemums and even tomatoes. Not usually roses so much, but I couldn't rule it out. The point being that eliminating dahlias doesn't deal with the risk of soil born pathogens, and we live on a world dominated by bacteria! Yes, when dividing to get new dahlias you'll be looking for a tuber with a body (fat part), a neck (narrowing before where it joins with the old stem), and a crown (which is sort of that disc or collar where it joins the old stem).

[@allmanslife8482]

Hi Jason a question about selling rose What is the best way to transport roses by post Maybe if you could do a video about the different ways to post Rose Thanks so much for your help

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The shipping situation is going to vary by country/region, so I can only answer for Canada. We're using a flat-rate shipping box to get the roses anywhere in the country for the same price. It's not competitive with rates and service times in the US (for instance) but it does give us some certainty on quoting shipping prices for our customers. Service time varies from 2-3 days for customers in our own province up to about 10 days for customers on the other coast. As you can imagine, 10 days in a box is not so much fun for roses, but so far we've had a good rate of survival. We defoliate the roses by quite a lot before shipping so that we don't end up with mushy/shocking looking foliage when the package is opened. The only other quick note is that we've sometimes had plants suffer from either extreme cold or heat in transport, and that may guide some decisions on shipping dates.

[@brendabailey2307]

That was so interesting as I’m lifting my dahlias now. Question how does dahlia gall affect the plant if you leave it ?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I did insert an image of a more advanced gall, and it looks like it progresses into congested and distorted growth over time. Kama mentioned that (at least in the earlier stages) you still might see decent flowering, and reading up on the disease it looks like it's a mixed-bag. Some gardeners may just find a reduction in vigor and see some cosmetic symptoms, others may see a more dramatic decline. Either way, because it's not curable and can spread to other plants (besides even dahlias) it's probably good practice to eliminate the plant and remove nearby soil.

[@franceshoward7112]

Could you use fresh kitty litter

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Good question. I looked it up, and yes, some people have used unscented non-clumping litter successfully. When I quizzed Kama on storage medium, she mentioned some others. Wood shavings, sawdust, sand, perlite, peat. Basically something that doesn't come in with a lot of moisture, and isn't itself prone to rot. The specific choice will probably come down to trial, error and adjustment (especially of humidity levels and containers), but many things can work.

[@mark-wn5ek]

Dale-yas and boo-kays. Strange how I always thought it was dowel-yas and bow-kay. Must be a tow-may-tow, tow-ma-tow thing.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Lol. You know it. Actually didn't hear it until the edit. Day-lee-ah is pretty common in north America, boo-kay is less so - but man do I enjoy all the different ways we pronounce things!

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

why vermiculite? Why not store in newspaper? I really hope she is re-using the vermiculite

[@milvolts1]

I had bad rate of success with newspaper. Out of 20 tubers only 3 survived last year. I live in zone 5b. The three grew well this summer. I will be using 10% damp peat moss. Tuber has to be completely dry. It is good to remove all soil for less chance of rotting. Good luck. And God bless.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. I suspect it ends up somewhere in the back garden, but I'll have to quiz Kama on it. She mentioned a few other media used by other growers: sawdust/wood shavings, perlite, peat (I know that won't be for you!), sand, coconut fiber. She did mention at a different stage in the video that newspaper seemed to collect a lot of moisture. It does come down to personal trial, error and adjustment.

[@annann-fn2zi]

Hi Jason, please accept my apologies. I ve been benefiting from your videos without subscribing all this time. When I searched for your channel just now to look up something I’d when I realized i had not subscribed to your channel. Not sure if at some point I accidentally unsubscribed but I’m very sorry Jason.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Ann. Nothing to apologize for: subscription is for your convenience rather than mine, and doesn't benefit me directly. I suppose it's a nice ego boost to say I have a certain # of subscribers, but that's about it. I do get paid for views, and I'm happy to hear you've been watching and enjoying the videos!