The Rural Florist

Please, for the love of dahlias, don’t do this them 🙏

I see it every Spring, and I fell into the same trap myself before I knew better.

A dahlia tuber with an exposed crown is a bit like a fish out of water. It might survive, but survive isn’t the same as thriving.

Two ways it tends to go wrong: the exposed crown gets watered to compensate for looking dry, and that water sits on skin that’s not built to handle it, rot sets in. Or the crown dehydrates completely with nothing left to sprout from. Or they’re just soooooo slow to wake up because they’re not happy with the way you’ve planted them.

You’ll sometimes see experienced growers potting up with the crown deliberately exposed. This is usually for taking cuttings, in a controlled, humid setup they’re monitoring closely. That’s a different goal to potting up at home.

I bury all of my dahlias fully, crown included, because they belong under the ground. It’s easy enough to shift the dirt away if you want to take a cutting, and more shoots will sprout away in time.

This is one of those topics where there could be a difference in opinion, and I would love some robust debate if you disagree. Let’s compare notes so we can all learn together 📝

Your new tuber purchases have arrived or you’ve finished dividing, now what?

Let’s talk storage. My preference is getting them into proper storage rather than leaving them in the bag they arrived in, as they can be prone to shrivel. I layer crates with a mix of fresh potting mix and sawdust and tubers, tucked away somewhere cool and dark, checked every couple of weeks. A little shrivel isn’t the end of the world, a light misting can help, keep an eye out for rot too. The fresh potting mix should provide a good moisture balance.

Want a head start instead? Potting up tubers and placing them in a warm spot like a greenhouse is an option. Just keep an eye on moisture as you go, it’s a bit of a balancing act depending on your setup.

And whichever way you go, make sure the whole tuber is covered, crown included. More on why that matters in the next reel 👀

What’s your storage method? Do you hold off till planting time in October or do you like to jump the gun and get them growing?

You don’t have to dig and divide your dahlias every year 👀

Most NZ gardeners can leave tubers in the ground over winter with good drainage (not alpine areas). For US growers, that’s roughly zone 8 and warmer.

I didn’t lift a single clump in my first few years as a hobby gardener and they were almost all fine. I’ve lost the odd tuber either way, in the ground or dug out and stored.

Gardening is all about trial and error, as the seasons ebb and flow, you learn what works for you.

Follow along for the next episode on winter storage and tell me, are you team DIG or team LEAVE THEM BE?