I am a 74 year old gardener and enjoy your videos very much. Keep them coming. I have been a gardener since my early 20’s and have never lost my joy or love for this endeavor. Once bitten by this passion it is always with you. Good luck on your journey.
I have been growing Dahlias for 70 years started when I was ten gardening .as we had a sawmill, not far away I used to go and get many wheelbarrows of sawdust and shavings, I was taught to put a good thickness over the dahlias for the winter, then when the frost was gone it was raked up and put with animal manure to rot down. never lost any to frost as I remember. when well rotted then it was used as a feed and the PH stayed stable at 6. or 7. some bigger than dinner plates too.
Thank you - I’ve left dahlias in over winter and now they’re coming up for the third time. One did die off but another seems just as strong as ever. I do worry about them though so it’s nice to see you doing the same as me 👍🏻😊
@@georgecopen1490 I live in the south east of England- this year I’ve got 6 dahlia plants that I left in over winter all coming up - still growing their leaves but flowers should be soon.
Hope it goes well. Steven (and I) have found that we do occasionally lose a few dahlias, but compared to the faff of digging them up every year, I don't mind that.
So glad I found your video. I was about to go out and dig up my dahlias. I suspected that they may survive however, because last year I had neglected to dig up some in the back garden, and they thrived. I love the dahlias. Such colour and variety. Thank you for the tips. I live on Vancouver Island and dahlias grow so well here.
Omg I know you hear this 1,000 times a day but I love your voice. Instant love. My ears are singing. Normally I can be annoyed with different dialects. I do voiceovers for a side job and yours is so lovely. Thanks for this instruction as I'm growing my first round of bulbs this season and clueless on what's the best way about this. I'm afraid to dig up and store in the house in case they get damaged. Thank you! New subscriber here 💕
Thank you so much. Don't store dahlias in the house as they need to be somewhere cool and dark. Depending on your climate, give leaving them in the soil over winter a chance. If it doesn't work, you'll have to buy new dahlias, but if it does, it'll save you time.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden thank you I already decided to do that, per your video. I purchased the compost as you suggested and piled it on, then mulch. I agree if it doesn't work I'll get new bulbs. We are in Georgia in the states zone 7-8 similar as yours. We'll see what happens, thanks!! 👍🏽
Great! That’s for confirming that! I know that the soil rarely freezes more than a couple inches deep, and at a certain depth the ground maintains a constant temp of about 50’ F, so I wondered why all of the Dahlia info I had seen said to dig them up instead of just putting a few inches of mulch over the top. Thanks for sharing that you’ve done it successfully!
I'm in Gloucestershire and left my Cafe au Lait dahlia in over winter last year, unprotected because I was away for a time and simply forgot about it. Fortunately the winter was very mild here. This year it put on a fabulous show, so I decided to leave it in again but have covered it with a very thick layer of mulch and some fleece. I've also put a big wire hanging basket over it, so the cats don't think the mulch is a latrine! Fingers crossed it will come through unscathed and put on an even better display next year.
I've generally found that if dahlias are happy in your soil then they do come back bigger and better, although after about three years, it's a good idea to dig them up and divide them before they run too wild. I don't think they'll worry about anything the cat does, if you've got lots of mulch on top they should be fine. It's worth putting a marker in, such as a bamboo cane, so you don't forget where it is and accidently plant something there before it comes up again in late spring, and that should discourage the cat.
When I lived in East Anglia many years ago I didn't dig mine up either because I had two very small children and didn't have the time. They came back even with my neglect. I am an American and live in USA zone 6a. I am going to grow a few dahlias this coming year and I think I will try this.
I think it's worth trying - Zone 6a is marginal and they may not survive, but I do get occasional comments from Zone 5 gardeners who have succeeded. I think a lot depends on how wet your soil is, and if your area is fairly dry, dahlia may well survive.
Thanks for the video. I grow Dahlias on my allotment. I always leave them in. In the past I lave literally trampled them down to ground level using the stems as protection from frosts. I also cover them with spent compost and any straw I salvage from the strawberry beds. There are always loses, I use the opportunity to plant a new variety. The dahlias are cut for friends and local charities. I am located in the Cotswolds, the allotment is quite open.
I'm not sure what zone I'm in on the beach of Washington State, USA, but my dahlias look like big daisies and they are spreading everywhere that they drop their seeds. Procrastinating about cutting them back actually works for me and I couldn't be happier! lol I'm a lazy gardener, but I love to listen to you.
Good advice! This is what I did instinctively , having been too lazy to dig up my dahlias, and I never lost a single one. I’m lucky to be gardening in hardiness zone 9 in the UK though.
Our summers are not as hot as a USDA Zone 9, but our winters are very mild, like an 8 or a 9, and it's the winter temperature which is how you measure the Zones, because it's about which plants will survive the winter. That's why it seems so odd to talk about the UK as approximately a USDA zone 8 or 9!
If I lived in US zone 8 I wouldn't dream of bothering to dig them. However I'm in 6b, and have been toying with the idea of just giving them a really good cover. They never seem to grow again when I dig them, so not much to lose. The ones I planted this year are along a south-facing wall of the house so I figure my chances are better than 50-50. I agree with liking your voice. If Country Life ever did books on tape they could hire you!
Thank you so much. And just try leaving dahlias in over winter, piled high with compost. You may well lose them, but as you say, they don't come back when you dig them up, and it's much easier. I occasionally get comments from Zone 5 who have succeeded, but I suspect they have dry weather, which is the other factor.
I’m in mountains of Central Oregon Zone 5 and I wintered over Dahlias with lots of mulch. I even had Ranuculus come back in some raised beds that were heavily mulched with compost and wood chips. When plants popped up in spring I did have to cover them on nights that froze. It is dry here, occasionally snows and soil is sandy loam. Hope that helps!
I’m in zone 6b. I dug last year lost half of them anyway. Decided to leave in the ground this year. I bought 45 bags of steer manure for my 45 dahlias. I am going to cut open the bottom of the bag and turn it upside down on the trimmed plant leaving the plastic bag intact to keep the wind from blowing off the manure.This will also mark where the Dahlia is. I’m hoping the heat from the composting steer manure will keep the dahlias from dying. What do I have to lose I lost half of them last year anyway
This is a really great channel! Just subscribed. I'm in the South of Ireland so similar gardening conditions. I plan on making quite a big dahlia bed next year and the idea of having to dig up every single dahlia was certainly off putting so I'll give this a go. Thanks for such informative videos.
I tried Dahlias for the first time last year . After watching gardening programmes and some excellent You Tube videos I raised my tubers indoors in trays of shallow compost .. When the ' babies' were about 4 -6 inches high .. I cut them from the main tuber and potted them . I got about 4-6 fresh plants from each tuber . When planted out .. I had about a 80% success rate .....Part of the reason I did this was to save money ... but a great hobby . Also a professional grower on Gardeners World stated that the blooms from ' harvested' plants are actually better . My Dahlia bed turned into a hedge of colour ... Left them in the ground and mulched them .. fingers crossed for the spring ! A bit disappointed that the ' Bishop' variety didn't survive .. Some of mine are ' Bishop of Llandaff ' It was this variety that made me want to start with Dahlias ......
Wonderful x thanks. Once upon a time an old man from our neighbourhood approached me with what seemingly looked like and odd bag of potatoes . He asked if I had a garden and if so, I should plant them in the ground where there is sunshine and I would see the most beautiful flowers year after year. I took them gladly, in awe of what this stranger wanted me to experience! Such a rare encounter. Such an intriguing, kinda odd gift. Ha ha! Anyway I came to discover those odd potatoes were tubers and produce such beautiful Dahlias year after year. They are so tall now 8 years later! I leave them in the ground too. I will follow your tip on mulching and placing slug repellents in Spring. Our Dahlias are still in bloom though. We also see new buds appearing! Insect repellent is a must otherwise they shrivel up and die out mid bloom.
Daliah r my favourite flowers ever and this year I have alot in pots as i do most years, sadly they rarely seem to survive the frost and the snails which my garden is always full of 😩 I will try again this year covering them with alot more to protect them.
Yes. Depending on where you live with mild Winters is quite doable for some hardy Dahlias. I live in zone 7b here in NY where winters get frigid cold. So they must be pulled out & stored properly.
We enjoy all your programs on u tube I have planted more dahlias as it’s Spring in Australia now Thanks for all your up dates on gardening Janet & Trevor
im a gardener at a large golf complex. the thing is im not actually a gardener. or i wasnt. im a groundsman and used to looking after cricket and football pitches as opposed to dead heading plants. so my first attempt at growing daliahs this year has been relativley succesful. except for the fact that there is no uniform pattern. some have literally grown out of control and cant support their own weight. and others have been relativley short. so i think im going to have to dig them up and store over winter and replant in the spring with the tall ones in the middle (staked) and the smaller ones on the exterior. its been a massive but enjoyable learning curve. i live in the north of england by the way. so our winters are harsher than yours. thanks for the video. very informative
It's great to hear from you, good luck with the dahlias next year. I started with them before I grew other plants because they're so showy, a dahlia border almost always looks good even if there are the odd mistakes.
Living in south wales, i find that my dahlias suffer from rot from simply being to wet over the winter months. Most winters are mild here and rarely gets below -2 degrees Celsius. So now i simply cover the dahlia beds and keep most but not all rain water off them, and they seem to come back just fine in the spring.
Hi Alexandra, my dahlias I stored in their pots during winter in a frost free place have done so well! I have dug around them to check for any damaged tubers and wondered what to do with them now? Shall I bring them indoors?
Hello Alexandra, first of all, thank you so much for your beautiful and instructive videos, as well as for the very enjoyable calming rythme of your voice. I love dahlias and here, in the North of France where I live, it is ok to leave them in the ground if you’ve planted them deep enough (mine are as deep as 30 cm = 12 inches and they still find their way through the soil), and of course, mulch them as you show. I wanted to ask you the name of the beautiful cultivar that’s the lighter magenta red in the upper right corner of the image at time code 1.54 when you mention the 2 very dark varieties that are also striving in your garden. It’ s so beautiful I’m in love with this color ! Is it the Thomas Edison dahlia ? Thank you and please keep up the fantastic work !!! 😃
Wonderful video thank you. I’ve been debating whether to lift mine or not. Those in the ground went berserk this year. I’ll shift the pots but mulch the others.
Buna ziua dalile mele au doar radacini nu bulbi as putea sa le las in pamint peste iarna se mai dezvolta la anul sau nu daca nu au bulbii liam semanat din seminte va multumesc din ROMĂNIA judetul Hunedoara
Thank you Alexandra. This is my first year growing dahlias. I didn’t know that I should have started my anti slug/snail precautions so early in the year, so yes you guessed it the slugs and snails have made light work of my plants in my greenhouse even though I’m out there early morning and at dusk on slug watch. I have decided to put my dahlias in pots, that way I can do the copper wire attached to a battery method. I live in NW Ireland we don’t get hard frost here but I think I still might lift my tubers.
That's all well and good if you live in a temperate climate. I have winter temps of 40 degrees below zero. The ground freezes feet down 6 feet. No dahlia in the world survives that.
Practically all of Canada,in case you are thinking of moving here....6 feet freezing is a bit of an exageration though,that is unless its where thers no snow cover ..we are"lucky" and got 4 feet this year!
I live in canada gta and got my dahlia to survive in a pot even when it was exposed to negative 30 maybe negative 40 with windchill. I put leaves all around and ontop of the pot. About 30 cm all over it in general. I then removed the leaves in spring when it started to become positive temperature so that it wouldn't get soggy and rott. It survived without the leaves even when night temps went to -5. Now I will admit the tubers were not the greatest when I checked but there is green growth right now. There were tonnes of worms in the pot because of the leaves which is excellent. The worms are also probably what helped it survive if there was any root rot the worms would eat it and reduce further rot from spreading I assume. I'll let y'all know how it blooms. I'm going to slowly make this breed winter hardy.
Agree...I'm in US zone 8 and I have two Dahlias which always survive the Winter with a good mulch....but I have grown a few others that always disintegrate in the ground even as they were grown in the same location as the others had the same amount of mulch on top of them. This will be the first year that I will dig them up and store them.... yes it's a little bit of a hassle but they are adorable.
If you live in zone 5 where it gets colder, they can survive if you plant them on the south side of an east to west wooden fence, or south side of a house that gets good winter sun. The ground stays relatively warm and can keep the tubers from freezing. If you plant them in a place where they get direct cold winds and the ground gets little sun or sun for only part of the day, they will probably freeze.
I don’t know about that, in zone 5 this winter we had -20 F temps and many weeks in the single digits with not much sunlight. I don’t think I would chance it.
I live in zone 5a and I always dig my dahlias up. Although last winter I left some and they came back! But I think it was more of an exception, it does not happen often:)
I left mine tubers in but we had a very big downpour of rain and because of the cold the tubers rotted. I am a bit sceptical of leaving them underground, even though I intend lifting them all and planting in pots like I mentioned previously. Those in Monty Don's garden looks fabulous. Alas, all the gardens you have presented, the dahlias were also fabulous. I will let you know how things went, I trust they will thrive 👌
Good luck! You're right that they hate the wet - I've had quite a few comments from people who have really quite cold winters and leave their dahlias in successfully, but I think they all have fairly dry ones.
I've left some out with no mulch and they lived for years, I didn't know when I inherited some. I live in South Wales Uk, no idea what zone that is. Since then I've learnt water is the biggest enemy of dahlias over winter, when they get really soggy they rot, and a good frost on top makes them explode in a way. Now I baby them and take them all out to over winter and to split them. But yes, they are sometimes way hardier than we realise :) I genuinely am puzzled how some of mine lived out for about 6 winters with nothing at all to cover them, I didn't even cut them back! Was clueless lol But every year up they popped, getting increasingly bigger. I think they died eventually because I remember the tubers started to rise up and stand proud, and that probably wasn't wise with our first snow in about 7 years! XD Yet they had held strong in some truly cold, frosty horrible weather.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden they have come back into fashion in a big way, haven't they? I have planted around 20 in the past year, I love them, so do the Bees but only the open face ones
Thanks, most helpful! We’re in zone 8 in the US so we do indeed have milder winters. Although it’s the middle of January some home centers here are starting to sell summer flowering bulbs, tubers etc. Although the packaging says wait to plant until the soil is warm, I think I’ll put some in the ground now and cover them deeply with mulch. Sometimes Spring temperatures come so quickly here that plants have a difficult time getting enough chill hours to establish. 🌷
I agree, I think if the soil isn't frozen, you might as well pop them in. They'll always be happier in the earth than in the packet anyway. Also if you are storing them, you can't keep them anywhere too warm or they'll start to sprout, and then it will be difficult. A mistake I made with my daffodils this year.
🌼 Daffodils are wonderful. So cheerful and the squirrels 🐿 don’t eat them. Yes, my indoor storage spaces are too warm. I expect the few caladium tubers I have might sprout soon and then I’ll need to decide what to do. Probably I’ll plant them and keep them as temporary houseguests. Making sure they’re out of reach of the 🐈. Happy Gardening! 🌱
Help the dahlias I was storing indoors started to sprout.... should I allow it or will they never flower by may when I can take them outside? I’m in Rhode Island USA
I leave my Bishops alone until late spring and then tidy everything up. It leaves a mess in the garden but the wild life like it. The plants must have been there for about 7 -10 years. Over the years they have walked across the garden to the spot where they are happiest. I don’t do anything other than periodically mulch in spring - maybe every 2-3 years. I don’t even bother with slug pellets as despite the initial damage they grow tall and beautiful each year. I live in the South East as well.
I do use this method successfully. However my problem is when do I divide the tubers that are getting too big. In fall before covering with mulch (and then in my rainy Pacific Northwest, with a tarp to keep moisture mostly out) or should I dig them up to divide in spring. Neither time seems optimal so I just avoid the process and end up with too massive a tuber. Please advise.
Very helpful! This is my first year planting Dahlias, I was shocked by how big and heavy they get. I planted one near a spreading rose bush, so I should have done my research before planting. Do you have any suggestions on a good way to stake them during the summer? I had to keep going back and adding more support. I am in Georgia in the US and this year we were in the path of many hurricanes so I was out during the storms trying to keep the stalks upright.
I'm not sure any staking would survive a hurricane, but generally here people do their staking early in the season and either place or weave some sort of a cage over the emerging plants. You may find this post and the included video helpful. www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/make-natural-plant-supports-clippings/
Get some heavy duty posts ( I use street sign posts from work) and use netting, like a soccer goal net and hang it horizontally. Let the plant grow up through the holes. You will need to be sure the posts are stout.
I used a table saw to cut pressure treated 8 foot long 2x4's down the middle the long way, basically making them into 1x2's. I used another saw to cut an angle on one end of the stakes to make them go into the ground easier. Then I use cheap string or twine to tie the dahlias to the stakes as they get taller. They sell green poles at home depot, but you have to get the thicker, taller one in order to work, which are more expensive. I was taught to always hammer the stakes into the ground first before planting, then plant the dahlia next to the stake. If you do it after you plant, you risk damaging the tubers, or roots. I like doing it that way because I find it easier to space the dahlias out by evenly spacing out the stakes about 24 inches apart with a tape measure. Then I plant a dahlia on each side of the stake about 5 inches away. I usually plant the same color on each side because when you tie them to the stake, they will look like one plant...
Colleen, what Zone are you in? I'm 8a West Central, GA. So much rain, then unexpected freezing Temps after 85 degree days, my Dahlias from last year rotted. I'll have to take more precautions this year.
You have to be fortunate enough to have reasonably temperate climates to keep them in the ground. I was given dahlia tubers by a neighbor who had bought a bag at a box store and had no room to plant all of them. I hadn’t planned on planting dahlias and just dug it in somewhere. The following year, it came up and was clearly too big for the space, so I moved it to a small open space behind a big bush. It proceeded to grow again, even bigger than the year before, well over 6 feet, and I thought, well you’re on your own and left it where it was, now year after year. A prolific bloomer, almost no care, although I will follow the advice in this video now. It has bright yellow blooms with orange centers. Explosion? Maybe. At any rate, I was never so impressed with a plant. Put two more dahlias nearby last year and they are just as wonderful.
Yes, I agree, and if you do have the right climate, the right dahlia can take over the world. I had an orange one that practically took over the whole garden. So beautiful.
For dahlias in pots, would you suggest leaving them in but bringing the pot into a dry place over winter? I'd love to be lazy about this and just put the pots into the shed/garage... or will the tubers simply rot in the pots?
Nice advice!! I live in a town garden in the center of Belgium.I will really try your advice. Thank you so much! I will try the varieties you are using!!
Thank you for answerig my message. I normally write no comments. But your channel is inspiring me. I have a town garden that is very important to me. I started years ago with roses and lavender.(they were very disappointing) But with all the shade I switched to Camelia's (they flowered from december and are now in full bloom) on the North side.Al lot of structure green bushes (buxus ,taxus,euphorbia,yucca,tinus,helix...).With a lot of clematis climbing through them in summer. In this way I'm always glad to come home.Winter and summer alike. That's my idea of a garden:a nice,beautiful place to come home to . I wish you a lot of success with your channel!!
An alternative to outdoor wintering is to grow dahlias in pots/containers. Trim down to stalk in late Autumn and then store in shed for winter. Saves faff of traditional dahlia storage treatment.
I'm glad to hear this as I have just brought a couple of dahlias in pots into the potting shed, so I hope they'll survive the winter (I'm thinking of covering them in something like horticultural fleece as the potting shed is quite chilly.)
Yes Dahlias are lovely flowers but what with the usual winter tasks having to store them by recommended method.....lifting, washing down, separating, wrapping in paper with soil is time consuming. Might be something to do with the species but lost previous tubes with this method whereas those left in pots survived. @@TheMiddlesizedGarden
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden am also from the South of England, but South West now live in Los Angeles. It's a completely different sort of gardening! Not even sure of when or what to do with my roses so I am going to continue to watch your episodes :)
Yes, I like the kneepads that are stitched into Genus Gardening wear trousers and I also bought the Burgon & Ball kneepads from Amazon (amzn.to/2HBtpwr) and found them good. That's an affiliate link by the way, which means I would get a small fee if you bought through it, but it's a genuine recommendation of something I bought myself and found good.
At my mother's house in Ipswich, Massachusetts, which is zone 6b, I had dahlias survive the winter and grow plants the next year, but we didn't get any flowers from them. I tend to overdo things and I realized that the tubers survived because I planted them extra deep in the ground that year. I pre-started the tubers in a greenhouse, so when I was planting I didn't have to worry about the tuber trying to sprout through the soil; they already had a plant about 12 inches tall. So I put the tubers at 8-10 inches down in the ground. The extra depth is how they survived...
Hi there! I left my dahlias in the ground over winter with lots of mulch on top. I’ve now scraped back the mulch but can’t see any sprouts. When should I expect to see sprouts from the tubers? Many thanks!
I wouldn't recommend using plastic bags. If you pile the mulch on quite thickly, they should be OK but if they're not, I doubt that plastic bags would have helped
I don't water any plants over winter. They are basically dormant and there's always the chance that if I water before a freeze, then it will damage the plant.
I got a new dahlia, 4-5 large flowers bloomed and now the petals dried and have fallen off but the bud still remains healthy. Do we need to cut it? I can see around 5 naked buds which are almost a month old.
Can we keep dahlia plant the same pot for off season. I mean it is necessary to remove tuber and store it for next season. What if i keep the plant as it is for next season. As it is already mid March and i guess we can grow tuber in late June. So it is just 3.5 months. Do i really need to remove tuber and dry and store? Please answer
I've kept my potted dahlias in pots throughout the year. I just don't water the pots in winter. Don't dry and store your dahlias now - spring is the time to give the pot some fresh potting compost and start watering (not too much) again.
I live in the West Midlands and have some dahlias in the ground and several in containers - I was planning on mulching the ones in the ground like you have shown - and adding a layer of compost to the containers and storing them in our shed? Do you think this will work in my area? Last year I lifted and it was a long and tiresome job - thinking this may be an easier option? May lift two from garden that id like to ensure a better survival chance with - should I pot these up or store indoors like last year? Am very torn as time is a premium right now.. any advice would be greatly received!
Personally, I would add a big pile of mulch to all the ones in the ground, and possibly wrap the ones in the shed in horticultural fleece and bubble wrap. I think it's quite difficult to guarantee that your favourites will make it through the winter, but if you consider the time and effort involved in digging them up, then perhaps buying a new plant to fill the odd gap might be preferable. Hope that helps. Since making the video I've discovered that even the dahlias I didn't cover with mulch did actually make it through the winter in the ground, but they emerged much smaller and later.
Thank you for this posting as I do not want to dig up my dahlias at all. I live in zone 7, so sometimes our winters get cold, do you think I can still leave the tubers in the ground with sufficient compost protecting them?
I think it is marginal in a Zone 7 and depends on whether your soil tends to be very wet (dahlias hate wet, cold soil) - I know from the comments I get that some people in Zone 7 do succeed, but others don't. I would suggest giving it a try and hoping for the best but I'd give it 50/50, I'm afraid.
Also depends on how many you have - I don’t have enough to risk losing half of them so I believe I’ll go ahead and dig them up today. I kind of need to move them anyway. Thanks for the post!
Ah, I think it's very unlikely although Erin from The Impatient Gardener TH-cam channel is Zone 5 and just spotted one of her dahlias that had survived the winter, very close to her house wall.
I'd add the compost first and then put the fleece on top only when a hard frost is forecast. The compost slowly deteriorates and feeds the soil and it can't do that so well if the fleece is in the way, although the fleeces do break up and leave little bits of plastic based fleece in the garden. Good luck with it - I think you are a little colder than we are in the winter, but it's always worth a try.
Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately I didn't get round to putting out my Dahlia Bishops this year, and I have a bagful of tubers, still nice and firm, in the shed. Will they be ok for me to plant out next year, as I think it's far too late (now late June) for me to consider putting them out now?
I'm not sure, to be honest. Might be worth popping them in the ground now and see what happens, although I don't feel too hopeful. But it might keep them alive if not flowering for this year, then they could come back next.
Thanks for this information. I am at US zone 8b and been thinking about not digging the dahlias out but was not sure about it. This video encourages me have it a go, mulch them well, and put a mini green house using empty flower pots or some clear plastic from my recycle.
I think 8b is very similar to our weather in southern England. Hope it works (mine has eight times out of ten, I would say). But I don't mind occasional losses as it gives me an opportunity to buy something new!
No, definitely not. While they're dormant, they're not taking up any water and if they have too much, they may rot. Also if there's a freeze when the soil is wet, that may kill the roots. Don't worry if it rains - they may be fine, but just don't add any extra water.
I tried this method last last year in London (plants were grown in pots) and got pretty good results this year. Only a couple died. I was wondering should I have done anything more this Spring to help them grow other than the anti-slug advice? I made sure they were buried pretty deep in soil over winter but should I have reduced the soil content as Spring was approaching?
Sadly, I think it's unlikely. You could experiment if you don't mind losing a couple of dahlias, but I think there's too much of a jump between 8 and 5, and we never get winters as cold as -25!
The dahlias in pots should be fine, but move them close to the house or to a sheltered spot and wrap them in something like horticultural fleece or sacking. Dahlias hate wet, cold soil, so if you get a lot of rain, then you'll have more trouble keeping them going through the winter than I would with dry cold weather. I don't think dahlias will be happy in your soil if the winters are very wet, but you could always experiment to see what happens. Though I suspect they will not survive. Hope that helps.
Greetings and Thank You!!! I'm trying dahlias for the very first time this year. I have a small garden. I'm in U.S. zone 7. I got so hopeful for a moment when you mentioned that you leave your tubers in the ground. I think that I'll have to plant them in pots for easy winter removal. I do have one question though. Are there a specific group of dahlias that seem to do well in the ground? Thank You Again for your informative video. Cheers!
I don't think it's necessarily about specific groups of dahlias, and I fear that Zone 7 will be a bit too cold, but you might as well give it a try! One thing that seems to make a difference is whether you have wet cold winters or dry cold winters - wet cold winters are really bad for dahlias, but they seem to deal with drier cold winters a bit better.
They do multiply a bit and don't water them because they hate being in cold, wet soil. Cooler dry soil is just about OK. Not all dahlias will survive but most of mine have
I planted about 20 tubers all around my garden in the ground and now heavy rain is predicted for 99% of this month. Do you suggest I dig them out, dry them and replant them in June or cover them? Please advice.
They should be fine. Dahlias don't like getting soggy, but all plants can cope with some weather change. If a frost is forecast over night, then cover with some newspaper or a horticultural fleece.
@@TheMiddlesizedGardenI will do 😊Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I'd be extremely grateful if you can do a vid on plant supports (for climbing roses, honeysuckle, peony etc) Happy Gardening & stay safe 🤗
Plant so that the roots are covered and the stem sticks out of the ground. Plant once you are confident the frosts are over. Early May is usually fine.
Great channel found it today and subscribed. A question if I may, I grew for the first time quite a few dahlias this summer in pots. They did really well but the foilage wasn't. Loads of discoloration of the leaves, and also some mildew, They are still going strong, I m in Ventnor Isle of Wight. Anyway my question is I didn't have any border space when I got them to put them in the ground, however, I started a new huge tropical border in July. Is it okay to transfer the dahlias now into the ground for overwintering and also permanent spot? If it is okay then how would you plant them? would they need compost ( i ve heard its best not to use compost with them when planting) Should I remove everything before I plant and water ect ect?
Some of your dahlia questions should be answered in this video, but I wouldn't advise planting them in the ground now. I did this last year and the dahlias I planted didn't survive over winter, although the dahlias that were already there, I left in the soil and covered with mulch were fine. I think the best advice for mildew on leaves etc is to make sure the plant is well watered and also to feed the soil with a layer of well rotted manure or garden compost. There's planting advice here from the very expert Stephen Edney: th-cam.com/video/ExwzinP-teU/w-d-xo.html
My first year growing Dahlias. My potted Dahlia Dahlegria Orange Yellow Tip was stunning last year. In the past week it has started to produce flowers but they are a dark burgundy colour, how has this happened?
I'm not completely sure but I think that plants sometimes revert to one of the parent plants they were bred from. I've had the odd change in some of my dahlias, although they were in the ground, not in pots.
Minus 20 to 30 is not unusual where I live, but I forgot one dahlia near my house wall once, in gravel and sand. Big surprise when it survived. Anything is possible 😁
That's amazing. People often say that plants and plants in pots near the house wall are dramatically better protected than those even a few feet further away, because a house wall absorbs sun and central heating during the day and gives it off at night.
Hi, I did not dig up my dahlias several years and then noticed, that soil was raising up the normal level. So I decided to dig up my dahlias. When I did it, I was surprised as roots were so big I could not even hold them! What`s your suggestion on this? What do I have to do?
I too noticed that the dahlias seemed to be expanding. I think that after a certain number of years in the ground, it is a good idea to dig them up because they do seem to spread and then to revert to something a bit less interesting than they used to be. I think, perhaps, it's best to leave them in some years and dig them up if they've been in for more than five years.
I decided to leave my dahlias out in the soil last winter (2019/2020) We've had very little frost, but almost constant rain from November through to February. It's now mid April and nothing doing on the dahlia front. I have gently uncovered one and the tubers felt firm. Should they be bursting into life by now, or are they dead? I'm in Gloucestershire and my soil generally dries very quickly, though not last winter! Would appreciate your opinion.
I don't usually see any shoots in my dahlias until May when they're left in the ground. I know that they hate wet winters, so it could be bad news, but I think wait about a month before taking any more steps. But protect from snails - a light scattering of slug pellets made from ferric phosphate (which is allowed in organic use and won't hurt wildlife). However, it needs some damp to work so if you don't have any rain within 24 hours of scattering the pellets, then water the area. Slug pellets based on ferric phosphate include Sluggo.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much for the first class info. Looks like I may have been a little hasty and expected the plants to be reaching for the sky too soon! This is the only time I've left dahlias out over winter, my bad luck it just had to be the wettest one since time immemorial!
Yes but you are in zone 7-9 correct?? Not possible in Canada in zones 4-6 unless u want expensive tubers turning to mush...but I do love your garden and your videos anyway! Thanks from Canada and slug tips!
Yes, you are right - leaving dahlias to overwinter in the ground is generally only possible in zones 8 or 9 or warmer (which I say in both in the video and the description) - although there is one comment below from Anthony Robertson who says that they may be fine in Zone 5 if planted in a warm spot. It's all a bit trial-and-error, too, as there can be very cold spots in gardens which are technically Zone 9 and so on... thank you for commenting and for viewing from Canada!
You can leave terra cotta pots out all winter on the west coast as well !, Vancouver winters are nowhere near as brutal as they are in Ontario unfortunately. Oh how easy it was to have a fab garden when I lived in BC! So balmy compared to where we are in zone 4a...when I was first learning to garden I lost a bunch of nice varieties of tubers completely mulched, protected in a cold frame etc. But have since learned how to store my growing collection in rubbermaids (w amendments ) in a cold basement now...
I live in New Zealand and have loved Dahlias since my Mum grew fond of them so I have been growing them since before my Twenties now and I'm in my early Fourtie's I have never over wintered them and have only learnt of people doing this since belonging to a Dahlia page where they talk about gall disease a lot which I also never heard of, why I'm not sure? 😂 they also swap and buy different types they're after anyway as I said I have never over wintered mine I have always left them in the ground. I have only lifted to gift a tuber or dig them deeper as they've slowly risen up out of the ground and I'm wondering why do people do it? Also why we need to divide them up does that not make the plant smaller?
If you live somewhere where the ground is very cold, the dahlia will die if it's left in the ground. That's why people with cold winters dig up dahlias. The reason why they lift and divide them every 2-3 years is that the plant grows new roots underground, so it can get very big, but the original roots die off. So you get a very big plant with a dead part in the centre. If you dig it up, and divide it, you'll get lots of new plants for free, which will become as big as the original one day.
I'm in the South East too and haven't seen any of mine except those in pots. I'd say they should be up by the end of May unless something has happened to them. We did have an exceptionally wet winter.
I keep mine in the ground as well. But I want to split my plant up. Can I dig up, split and then put back in the ground? I'm in Washington state and we have mild/warm winters.
Oddly enough I tried this once and it wasn't successful. I dont know why but I think the safest thing is to dig it up, split it, then pot it up early spring and plant out once frosts are over.
Depends on where you live and how much rain. In Vancouver Canada we lost all our Dahlias in the winter 3 years ago because of too much rain and cold. Now I dig them up. I lost Dahlias I had for many years and it was really sad.
I am a 74 year old gardener and enjoy your videos very much. Keep them coming. I have been a gardener since my early 20’s and have never lost my joy or love for this endeavor. Once bitten by this passion it is always with you. Good luck on your journey.
Thank you!
Much good luck in continuing with your passion. It has kept me strong and vibrant into my 79th year.
I have been growing Dahlias for 70 years started when I was ten gardening .as we had a sawmill, not far away I used to go and get many wheelbarrows of sawdust and shavings, I was taught to put a good thickness over the dahlias for the winter, then when the frost was gone it was raked up and put with animal manure to rot down. never lost any to frost as I remember. when well rotted then it was used as a feed and the PH stayed stable at 6. or 7. some bigger than dinner plates too.
Interesting-- because you have quite heavy soil I think?
Thank you - I’ve left dahlias in over winter and now they’re coming up for the third time. One did die off but another seems just as strong as ever. I do worry about them though so it’s nice to see you doing the same as me 👍🏻😊
What zone ??
@@georgecopen1490 I live in the south east of England- this year I’ve got 6 dahlia plants that I left in over winter all coming up - still growing their leaves but flowers should be soon.
Love hearing your tips since we live in Zone 8, Oregon, USA! Thanks so much for confirming that I don't need to dig my Dahlias; one less fall project!
Hope it goes well. Steven (and I) have found that we do occasionally lose a few dahlias, but compared to the faff of digging them up every year, I don't mind that.
I'd test your zone with leaving only one type to test the first winter. Good luck.
So glad I found your video. I was about to go out and dig up my dahlias. I suspected that they may survive however, because last year I had neglected to dig up some in the back garden, and they thrived. I love the dahlias. Such colour and variety. Thank you for the tips. I live on Vancouver Island and dahlias grow so well here.
If they survived last year, there's a good chance they'll survive this year, especially covered in a layer of mulch. So I hope it goes well.
I’m a zone 2/3 in northern Canada. Definitely need to dig up my dahlias.
Omg I know you hear this 1,000 times a day but I love your voice. Instant love. My ears are singing. Normally I can be annoyed with different dialects. I do voiceovers for a side job and yours is so lovely. Thanks for this instruction as I'm growing my first round of bulbs this season and clueless on what's the best way about this. I'm afraid to dig up and store in the house in case they get damaged. Thank you! New subscriber here 💕
Thank you so much. Don't store dahlias in the house as they need to be somewhere cool and dark. Depending on your climate, give leaving them in the soil over winter a chance. If it doesn't work, you'll have to buy new dahlias, but if it does, it'll save you time.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden thank you I already decided to do that, per your video. I purchased the compost as you suggested and piled it on, then mulch. I agree if it doesn't work I'll get new bulbs. We are in Georgia in the states zone 7-8 similar as yours. We'll see what happens, thanks!! 👍🏽
I give you a thumbs up just for having such a listen-toable voice!
Ruby Gray that's really kind of you to say so - it doesn't seem like that to me!
I could also listen to her voice all day!
@@kassiscc1 isn't her voice fascinatingly perfect. 💕💕
@Ruby...I agree, I'm in love💕
So true! It's very comforting. Could be a very good story reader.
Great! That’s for confirming that! I know that the soil rarely freezes more than a couple inches deep, and at a certain depth the ground maintains a constant temp of about 50’ F, so I wondered why all of the Dahlia info I had seen said to dig them up instead of just putting a few inches of mulch over the top. Thanks for sharing that you’ve done it successfully!
Thank you!
I'm in Gloucestershire and left my Cafe au Lait dahlia in over winter last year, unprotected because I was away for a time and simply forgot about it. Fortunately the winter was very mild here. This year it put on a fabulous show, so I decided to leave it in again but have covered it with a very thick layer of mulch and some fleece. I've also put a big wire hanging basket over it, so the cats don't think the mulch is a latrine! Fingers crossed it will come through unscathed and put on an even better display next year.
I've generally found that if dahlias are happy in your soil then they do come back bigger and better, although after about three years, it's a good idea to dig them up and divide them before they run too wild. I don't think they'll worry about anything the cat does, if you've got lots of mulch on top they should be fine. It's worth putting a marker in, such as a bamboo cane, so you don't forget where it is and accidently plant something there before it comes up again in late spring, and that should discourage the cat.
When I lived in East Anglia many years ago I didn't dig mine up either because I had two very small children and didn't have the time. They came back even with my neglect. I am an American and live in USA zone 6a. I am going to grow a few dahlias this coming year and I think I will try this.
I think it's worth trying - Zone 6a is marginal and they may not survive, but I do get occasional comments from Zone 5 gardeners who have succeeded. I think a lot depends on how wet your soil is, and if your area is fairly dry, dahlia may well survive.
Thanks for the video. I grow Dahlias on my allotment. I always leave them in. In the past I lave literally trampled them down to ground level using the stems as protection from frosts. I also cover them with spent compost and any straw I salvage from the strawberry beds. There are always loses, I use the opportunity to plant a new variety. The dahlias are cut for friends and local charities. I am located in the Cotswolds, the allotment is quite open.
I might try a bit of trampling, I know alot of people fold their canna leaves over to protect the roots, so it makes sense for dahlias.
I'm not sure what zone I'm in on the beach of Washington State, USA, but my dahlias look like big daisies and they are spreading everywhere that they drop their seeds. Procrastinating about cutting them back actually works for me and I couldn't be happier! lol I'm a lazy gardener, but I love to listen to you.
Good advice! This is what I did instinctively , having been too lazy to dig up my dahlias, and I never lost a single one. I’m lucky to be gardening in hardiness zone 9 in the UK though.
Yes, I think it gets much more variable below 9 and absolutely impossible below 8.
I live in US zone 8, so I was pleased to hear you mention that. For some reason, I thought your winters were much harsher. Thank you for the advice.
Our summers are not as hot as a USDA Zone 9, but our winters are very mild, like an 8 or a 9, and it's the winter temperature which is how you measure the Zones, because it's about which plants will survive the winter. That's why it seems so odd to talk about the UK as approximately a USDA zone 8 or 9!
Your voice is lovely, You should do audiobooks!
Bp37625 e827619 that's so kind of you to say so - I sometimes feel rather self-conscious about my voice so that's encouraging - thank you
I concur. 👍🌻🌻🌺🌺❤️
I second that! 😊
If I lived in US zone 8 I wouldn't dream of bothering to dig them. However I'm in 6b, and have been toying with the idea of just giving them a really good cover. They never seem to grow again when I dig them, so not much to lose. The ones I planted this year are along a south-facing wall of the house so I figure my chances are better than 50-50.
I agree with liking your voice. If Country Life ever did books on tape they could hire you!
Thank you so much. And just try leaving dahlias in over winter, piled high with compost. You may well lose them, but as you say, they don't come back when you dig them up, and it's much easier. I occasionally get comments from Zone 5 who have succeeded, but I suspect they have dry weather, which is the other factor.
I’m in zone 5, our ground freezes and we get a lot of snow, I dig mine up, but interesting video ❤️👍🏼
I’m in mountains of Central Oregon Zone 5 and I wintered over Dahlias with lots of mulch. I even had Ranuculus come back in some raised beds that were heavily mulched with compost and wood chips. When plants popped up in spring I did have to cover them on nights that froze. It is dry here, occasionally snows and soil is sandy loam. Hope that helps!
I’m in zone 6b. I dug last year lost half of them anyway. Decided to leave in the ground this year. I bought 45 bags of steer manure for my 45 dahlias. I am going to cut open the bottom of the bag and turn it upside down on the trimmed plant leaving the plastic bag intact to keep the wind from blowing off the manure.This will also mark where the Dahlia is. I’m hoping the heat from the composting steer manure will keep the dahlias from dying. What do I have to lose I lost half of them last year anyway
This is a really great channel! Just subscribed. I'm in the South of Ireland so similar gardening conditions. I plan on making quite a big dahlia bed next year and the idea of having to dig up every single dahlia was certainly off putting so I'll give this a go. Thanks for such informative videos.
Thank you!
Thanx for sharing this Short..to the point..descriptive..informational and useful video
Thank you!
Thankyou I'm trying out a dalhia front garden nothing but I've played with lavender and roses but these look really vibrant
I always buy new Dahlia tubers every year, I’m came across this video and going to try it this year! Thank you for all the useful information!!
You are so welcome!
I tried Dahlias for the first time last year . After watching gardening programmes and some excellent You Tube videos I raised my tubers indoors in trays of shallow compost .. When the ' babies' were about 4 -6 inches high .. I cut them from the main tuber and potted them . I got about 4-6 fresh plants from each tuber . When planted out .. I had about a 80% success rate .....Part of the reason I did this was to save money ... but a great hobby . Also a professional grower on Gardeners World stated that the blooms from ' harvested' plants are actually better . My Dahlia bed turned into a hedge of colour ... Left them in the ground and mulched them .. fingers crossed for the spring ! A bit disappointed that the ' Bishop' variety didn't survive .. Some of mine are ' Bishop of Llandaff ' It was this variety that made me want to start with Dahlias ......
Wonderful x thanks.
Once upon a time an old man from our neighbourhood approached me with what seemingly looked like and odd bag of potatoes . He asked if I had a garden and if so, I should plant them in the ground where there is sunshine and I would see the most beautiful flowers year after year. I took them gladly, in awe of what this stranger wanted me to experience!
Such a rare encounter. Such an intriguing, kinda odd gift. Ha ha!
Anyway I came to discover those odd potatoes were tubers and produce such beautiful Dahlias year after year. They are so tall now 8 years later!
I leave them in the ground too. I will follow your tip on mulching and placing slug repellents in Spring.
Our Dahlias are still in bloom though. We also see new buds appearing!
Insect repellent is a must otherwise they shrivel up and die out mid bloom.
How interesting!
Why, thank you!
I feel you covered all areas on this subject thanks for your time 🌹🐞🐦👍👍👍👍
8
Daliah r my favourite flowers ever and this year I have alot in pots as i do most years, sadly they rarely seem to survive the frost and the snails which my garden is always full of 😩 I will try again this year covering them with alot more to protect them.
I was undecided whether to lift or mulch, now I've decided. Thanks!
Yes. Depending on where you live with mild Winters is quite doable for some hardy Dahlias. I live in zone 7b here in NY where winters get frigid cold. So they must be pulled out & stored properly.
I agree, that is getting really quite cold for dahlias.
We enjoy all your programs on u tube
I have planted more dahlias as it’s Spring in Australia now
Thanks for all your up dates on gardening
Janet & Trevor
Thank you. V envious of your spring as we slip towards autumn.
Thanks Alexandra. I’m going to leave my dahlias in the ground mainly because I don’t have space to store them. I shall put a thick mulch over them.
Going to have to subscribe because I keep running into your videos and I always end up staying to the end.
Thank you!
im a gardener at a large golf complex. the thing is im not actually a gardener. or i wasnt. im a groundsman and used to looking after cricket and football pitches as opposed to dead heading plants. so my first attempt at growing daliahs this year has been relativley succesful. except for the fact that there is no uniform pattern. some have literally grown out of control and cant support their own weight. and others have been relativley short. so i think im going to have to dig them up and store over winter and replant in the spring with the tall ones in the middle (staked) and the smaller ones on the exterior. its been a massive but enjoyable learning curve. i live in the north of england by the way. so our winters are harsher than yours. thanks for the video. very informative
It's great to hear from you, good luck with the dahlias next year. I started with them before I grew other plants because they're so showy, a dahlia border almost always looks good even if there are the odd mistakes.
Living in south wales, i find that my dahlias suffer from rot from simply being to wet over the winter months. Most winters are mild here and rarely gets below -2 degrees Celsius. So now i simply cover the dahlia beds and keep most but not all rain water off them, and they seem to come back just fine in the spring.
Yes, I think wet is worse than cold for dahlias. You've clearly done the right thing.
What do you cover them with?
Clear and simple. That's what I like
Thank you ! I am new to dahlias!! And I agree with Ruby Gray below!!
Hi Alexandra, my dahlias I stored in their pots during winter in a frost free place have done so well! I have dug around them to check for any damaged tubers and wondered what to do with them now? Shall I bring them indoors?
Hello Alexandra, first of all, thank you so much for your beautiful and instructive videos, as well as for the very enjoyable calming rythme of your voice. I love dahlias and here, in the North of France where I live, it is ok to leave them in the ground if you’ve planted them deep enough (mine are as deep as 30 cm = 12 inches and they still find their way through the soil), and of course, mulch them as you show. I wanted to ask you the name of the beautiful cultivar that’s the lighter magenta red in the upper right corner of the image at time code 1.54 when you mention the 2 very dark varieties that are also striving in your garden. It’ s so beautiful I’m in love with this color ! Is it the Thomas Edison dahlia ? Thank you and please keep up the fantastic work !!! 😃
Thank you so much. It's a dahlia called Con Amore.
Thank you Alexandra, I’ ll definitely add « con amore » to my collection!
Wonderful video thank you. I’ve been debating whether to lift mine or not. Those in the ground went berserk this year. I’ll shift the pots but mulch the others.
I live in South West France, my garden has clay soil and it rains a lot in winter, do you think I can plant bulbs?
Buna ziua dalile mele au doar radacini nu bulbi as putea sa le las in pamint peste iarna se mai dezvolta la anul sau nu daca nu au bulbii liam semanat din seminte va multumesc din ROMĂNIA judetul Hunedoara
Beautiful colors Dhalias. Thanks for sharing
Nice video, thank you. What zone are you in? We are in zone 5 temps to zero F and occasional below zero.
Thank you Alexandra. This is my first year growing dahlias. I didn’t know that I should have started my anti slug/snail precautions so early in the year, so yes you guessed it the slugs and snails have made light work of my plants in my greenhouse even though I’m out there early morning and at dusk on slug watch. I have decided to put my dahlias in pots, that way I can do the copper wire attached to a battery method. I live in NW Ireland we don’t get hard frost here but I think I still might lift my tubers.
That's all well and good if you live in a temperate climate. I have winter temps of 40 degrees below zero. The ground freezes feet down 6 feet. No dahlia in the world survives that.
Absolutely!
Blimey, where do you live out of interest :) 6 foot frozen, I don't fancy that! :)
Practically all of Canada,in case you are thinking of moving here....6 feet freezing is a bit of an exageration though,that is unless its where thers no snow cover ..we are"lucky" and got 4 feet this year!
I live in canada gta and got my dahlia to survive in a pot even when it was exposed to negative 30 maybe negative 40 with windchill. I put leaves all around and ontop of the pot. About 30 cm all over it in general. I then removed the leaves in spring when it started to become positive temperature so that it wouldn't get soggy and rott. It survived without the leaves even when night temps went to -5. Now I will admit the tubers were not the greatest when I checked but there is green growth right now. There were tonnes of worms in the pot because of the leaves which is excellent. The worms are also probably what helped it survive if there was any root rot the worms would eat it and reduce further rot from spreading I assume. I'll let y'all know how it blooms. I'm going to slowly make this breed winter hardy.
Agree...I'm in US zone 8 and I have two Dahlias which always survive the Winter with a good mulch....but I have grown a few others that always disintegrate in the ground even as they were grown in the same location as the others had the same amount of mulch on top of them. This will be the first year that I will dig them up and store them.... yes it's a little bit of a hassle but they are adorable.
If you live in zone 5 where it gets colder, they can survive if you plant them on the south side of an east to west wooden fence, or south side of a house that gets good winter sun. The ground stays relatively warm and can keep the tubers from freezing. If you plant them in a place where they get direct cold winds and the ground gets little sun or sun for only part of the day, they will probably freeze.
That's interesting - it's the first time I've heard dahlias overwintering successfully in Zone 5 but what you say makes sense.
I don’t know about that, in zone 5 this winter we had -20 F temps and many weeks in the single digits with not much sunlight. I don’t think I would chance it.
I live in zone 5a and I always dig my dahlias up. Although last winter I left some and they came back! But I think it was more of an exception, it does not happen often:)
@@Dahliaismypassion a 3 foot mound of shredded leaves helps. 5b. Im trying Anthony, method. They simply don't store well for seven months.
@@doniellestenson3502 I wish you luck! It a chore to dig them up, store, divide…
I left mine tubers in but we had a very big downpour of rain and because of the cold the tubers rotted. I am a bit sceptical of leaving them underground, even though I intend lifting them all and planting in pots like I mentioned previously. Those in Monty Don's garden looks fabulous. Alas, all the gardens you have presented, the dahlias were also fabulous. I will let you know how things went, I trust they will thrive 👌
Good luck! You're right that they hate the wet - I've had quite a few comments from people who have really quite cold winters and leave their dahlias in successfully, but I think they all have fairly dry ones.
If you cover with a tarp they should be fine
I've never dug mine up but have used this method, they always survive
I do occasionally lose a few, but that's usually because I failed to add the mulch to protect them.
I've left some out with no mulch and they lived for years, I didn't know when I inherited some. I live in South Wales Uk, no idea what zone that is. Since then I've learnt water is the biggest enemy of dahlias over winter, when they get really soggy they rot, and a good frost on top makes them explode in a way. Now I baby them and take them all out to over winter and to split them. But yes, they are sometimes way hardier than we realise :) I genuinely am puzzled how some of mine lived out for about 6 winters with nothing at all to cover them, I didn't even cut them back! Was clueless lol But every year up they popped, getting increasingly bigger. I think they died eventually because I remember the tubers started to rise up and stand proud, and that probably wasn't wise with our first snow in about 7 years! XD Yet they had held strong in some truly cold, frosty horrible weather.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden they have come back into fashion in a big way, haven't they? I have planted around 20 in the past year, I love them, so do the Bees but only the open face ones
Thanks, most helpful! We’re in zone 8 in the US so we do indeed have milder winters. Although it’s the middle of January some home centers here are starting to sell summer flowering bulbs, tubers etc. Although the packaging says wait to plant until the soil is warm, I think I’ll put some in the ground now and cover them deeply with mulch. Sometimes Spring temperatures come so quickly here that plants have a difficult time getting enough chill hours to establish. 🌷
I agree, I think if the soil isn't frozen, you might as well pop them in. They'll always be happier in the earth than in the packet anyway. Also if you are storing them, you can't keep them anywhere too warm or they'll start to sprout, and then it will be difficult. A mistake I made with my daffodils this year.
🌼 Daffodils are wonderful. So cheerful and the squirrels 🐿 don’t eat them. Yes, my indoor storage spaces are too warm. I expect the few caladium tubers I have might sprout soon and then I’ll need to decide what to do. Probably I’ll plant them and keep them as temporary houseguests. Making sure they’re out of reach of the 🐈. Happy Gardening! 🌱
Help the dahlias I was storing indoors started to sprout.... should I allow it or will they never flower by may when I can take them outside? I’m in Rhode Island USA
@@taramellow3016 From what I’ve read, you need to find a cooler place to store them. In the house, they think it’s Spring. Do you have a garage?
Thank you, great advice and a beautiful voice.
Thank you!
I leave my Bishops alone until late spring and then tidy everything up. It leaves a mess in the garden but the wild life like it. The plants must have been there for about 7 -10 years. Over the years they have walked across the garden to the spot where they are happiest. I don’t do anything other than periodically mulch in spring - maybe every 2-3 years. I don’t even bother with slug pellets as despite the initial damage they grow tall and beautiful each year. I live in the South East as well.
Good to hear. Some of my dahlias wander around the garden too.
I do use this method successfully. However my problem is when do I divide the tubers that are getting too big. In fall before covering with mulch (and then in my rainy Pacific Northwest, with a tarp to keep moisture mostly out) or should I dig them up to divide in spring. Neither time seems optimal so I just avoid the process and end up with too massive a tuber. Please advise.
Very helpful! This is my first year planting Dahlias, I was shocked by how big and heavy they get. I planted one near a spreading rose bush, so I should have done my research before planting. Do you have any suggestions on a good way to stake them during the summer? I had to keep going back and adding more support. I am in Georgia in the US and this year we were in the path of many hurricanes so I was out during the storms trying to keep the stalks upright.
I'm not sure any staking would survive a hurricane, but generally here people do their staking early in the season and either place or weave some sort of a cage over the emerging plants. You may find this post and the included video helpful. www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/make-natural-plant-supports-clippings/
Get some heavy duty posts ( I use street sign posts from work) and use netting, like a soccer goal net and hang it horizontally. Let the plant grow up through the holes. You will need to be sure the posts are stout.
I used a table saw to cut pressure treated 8 foot long 2x4's down the middle the long way, basically making them into 1x2's. I used another saw to cut an angle on one end of the stakes to make them go into the ground easier. Then I use cheap string or twine to tie the dahlias to the stakes as they get taller. They sell green poles at home depot, but you have to get the thicker, taller one in order to work, which are more expensive.
I was taught to always hammer the stakes into the ground first before planting, then plant the dahlia next to the stake. If you do it after you plant, you risk damaging the tubers, or roots. I like doing it that way because I find it easier to space the dahlias out by evenly spacing out the stakes about 24 inches apart with a tape measure. Then I plant a dahlia on each side of the stake about 5 inches away. I usually plant the same color on each side because when you tie them to the stake, they will look like one plant...
Colleen, what Zone are you in? I'm 8a West Central, GA. So much rain, then unexpected freezing Temps after 85 degree days, my Dahlias from last year rotted. I'll have to take more precautions this year.
Hi
Thanks so much for getting back to so quickly.
I don't seen to have any luck with Dallas at all. Your flowers luck FAB.
Thank you!
You have to be fortunate enough to have reasonably temperate climates to keep them in the ground. I was given dahlia tubers by a neighbor who had bought a bag at a box store and had no room to plant all of them. I hadn’t planned on planting dahlias and just dug it in somewhere. The following year, it came up and was clearly too big for the space, so I moved it to a small open space behind a big bush. It proceeded to grow again, even bigger than the year before, well over 6 feet, and I thought, well you’re on your own and left it where it was, now year after year. A prolific bloomer, almost no care, although I will follow the advice in this video now. It has bright yellow blooms with orange centers. Explosion? Maybe. At any rate, I was never so impressed with a plant. Put two more dahlias nearby last year and they are just as wonderful.
Yes, I agree, and if you do have the right climate, the right dahlia can take over the world. I had an orange one that practically took over the whole garden. So beautiful.
For dahlias in pots, would you suggest leaving them in but bringing the pot into a dry place over winter? I'd love to be lazy about this and just put the pots into the shed/garage... or will the tubers simply rot in the pots?
I would like to know as well
EXCELLENT ADVICE...I WILL ENDEAVOUR TO EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR SUGGESTION........NOTHING LIKE PLANTS IN BLOOM
Nice advice!!
I live in a town garden in the center of Belgium.I will really try your advice.
Thank you so much!
I will try the varieties you are using!!
Lut Tuts I hope you enjoy them
Thank you for answerig my message.
I normally write no comments.
But your channel is inspiring me.
I have a town garden that is very important to me. I started years ago with roses and lavender.(they were very disappointing)
But with all the shade I switched to Camelia's (they flowered from december and are now in full bloom) on the North side.Al lot of structure green bushes (buxus ,taxus,euphorbia,yucca,tinus,helix...).With a lot of clematis climbing through them in summer.
In this way I'm always glad to come home.Winter and summer alike.
That's my idea of a garden:a nice,beautiful place to come home to .
I wish you a lot of success with your channel!!
Hey, did you try this last year? How did it go?
An alternative to outdoor wintering is to grow dahlias in pots/containers. Trim down to stalk in late Autumn and then store in shed for winter. Saves faff of traditional dahlia storage treatment.
I'm glad to hear this as I have just brought a couple of dahlias in pots into the potting shed, so I hope they'll survive the winter (I'm thinking of covering them in something like horticultural fleece as the potting shed is quite chilly.)
Yes Dahlias are lovely flowers but what with the usual winter tasks having to store them by recommended method.....lifting, washing down, separating, wrapping in paper with soil is time consuming. Might be something to do with the species but lost previous tubes with this method whereas those left in pots survived. @@TheMiddlesizedGarden
Anthony London, do you water soil a bit or at all over winter?
Just taking care of my Dahlias today - am here in Los Angeles. Did not have a good year with them. Hoping for a better 2021!
I hope you do too!
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden am also from the South of England, but South West now live in Los Angeles. It's a completely different sort of gardening! Not even sure of when or what to do with my roses so I am going to continue to watch your episodes :)
When do u think i should i cut dahlias back? Before the first frost?
Great channel to find because I am in the same area as you. Thanks
Thank you!
Another wonderful video💕.
Do you have a recommendation for knee pads for gardening?
Yes, I like the kneepads that are stitched into Genus Gardening wear trousers and I also bought the Burgon & Ball kneepads from Amazon (amzn.to/2HBtpwr) and found them good. That's an affiliate link by the way, which means I would get a small fee if you bought through it, but it's a genuine recommendation of something I bought myself and found good.
Powdery mildew has taken hold in my flower garden. Any advice in getting rid of it?
Thank you for this information about Dahlias!
Our pleasure!
At my mother's house in Ipswich, Massachusetts, which is zone 6b, I had dahlias survive the winter and grow plants the next year, but we didn't get any flowers from them. I tend to overdo things and I realized that the tubers survived because I planted them extra deep in the ground that year. I pre-started the tubers in a greenhouse, so when I was planting I didn't have to worry about the tuber trying to sprout through the soil; they already had a plant about 12 inches tall. So I put the tubers at 8-10 inches down in the ground. The extra depth is how they survived...
Interesting, thank you!
Hi there! I left my dahlias in the ground over winter with lots of mulch on top. I’ve now scraped back the mulch but can’t see any sprouts. When should I expect to see sprouts from the tubers? Many thanks!
I'd say May, but depending where you live, it has been an unusually wet winter, and that damages dahlias more than the cold. Fingers crossed!
This is really helpful, thank you. I’m wondering if covering the bed with plastic bags after mulching would help too?
I wouldn't recommend using plastic bags. If you pile the mulch on quite thickly, they should be OK but if they're not, I doubt that plastic bags would have helped
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden I put on mulch and a tent with 6 ml plastic to let the water run off secured with heavy rocks...is this ok?
Hi new Subscriber here Ihave always wondered if you could leave Dahlia,s in overwinter now I will definitely give this a try...thank you xxxShaz
Hope it goes well. If you have a very cold, wet winter, they may not survive, but it's always worth trying.
Hello- thank you for this information! Do you continue to water tubers left in the ground? Or stop once you cut them and then start again in February?
I don't water any plants over winter. They are basically dormant and there's always the chance that if I water before a freeze, then it will damage the plant.
I got a new dahlia, 4-5 large flowers bloomed and now the petals dried and have fallen off but the bud still remains healthy. Do we need to cut it? I can see around 5 naked buds which are almost a month old.
Snip off any flower head after the petals have dropped off.
Can we keep dahlia plant the same pot for off season. I mean it is necessary to remove tuber and store it for next season. What if i keep the plant as it is for next season.
As it is already mid March and i guess we can grow tuber in late June. So it is just 3.5 months. Do i really need to remove tuber and dry and store?
Please answer
I've kept my potted dahlias in pots throughout the year. I just don't water the pots in winter. Don't dry and store your dahlias now - spring is the time to give the pot some fresh potting compost and start watering (not too much) again.
I live in the West Midlands and have some dahlias in the ground and several in containers - I was planning on mulching the ones in the ground like you have shown - and adding a layer of compost to the containers and storing them in our shed? Do you think this will work in my area? Last year I lifted and it was a long and tiresome job - thinking this may be an easier option? May lift two from garden that id like to ensure a better survival chance with - should I pot these up or store indoors like last year? Am very torn as time is a premium right now.. any advice would be greatly received!
Personally, I would add a big pile of mulch to all the ones in the ground, and possibly wrap the ones in the shed in horticultural fleece and bubble wrap. I think it's quite difficult to guarantee that your favourites will make it through the winter, but if you consider the time and effort involved in digging them up, then perhaps buying a new plant to fill the odd gap might be preferable. Hope that helps. Since making the video I've discovered that even the dahlias I didn't cover with mulch did actually make it through the winter in the ground, but they emerged much smaller and later.
Thank you for this posting as I do not want to dig up my dahlias at all. I live in zone 7, so sometimes our winters get cold, do you think I can still leave the tubers in the ground with sufficient compost protecting them?
I think it is marginal in a Zone 7 and depends on whether your soil tends to be very wet (dahlias hate wet, cold soil) - I know from the comments I get that some people in Zone 7 do succeed, but others don't. I would suggest giving it a try and hoping for the best but I'd give it 50/50, I'm afraid.
Also depends on how many you have - I don’t have enough to risk losing half of them so I believe I’ll go ahead and dig them up today. I kind of need to move them anyway. Thanks for the post!
I wish this would work in my Zone 5 area because I don't really have a good place to store them and I spend a fortune buying new bulbs every spring!
Ah, I think it's very unlikely although Erin from The Impatient Gardener TH-cam channel is Zone 5 and just spotted one of her dahlias that had survived the winter, very close to her house wall.
I`m in East Midlands and have bought some fleece. I intend to cover the "crowns" with fleece topped off with compost. Fingers crossed!
I'd add the compost first and then put the fleece on top only when a hard frost is forecast. The compost slowly deteriorates and feeds the soil and it can't do that so well if the fleece is in the way, although the fleeces do break up and leave little bits of plastic based fleece in the garden. Good luck with it - I think you are a little colder than we are in the winter, but it's always worth a try.
Thanks for this. When would you cut them down and protect them..do you do this before the first frost or late September
you usually wait till the frost has got them, then cut them down.
This was super helpful! Thanks so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Worked a treat can confirm!
Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately I didn't get round to putting out my Dahlia Bishops this year, and I have a bagful of tubers, still nice and firm, in the shed. Will they be ok for me to plant out next year, as I think it's far too late (now late June) for me to consider putting them out now?
I'm not sure, to be honest. Might be worth popping them in the ground now and see what happens, although I don't feel too hopeful. But it might keep them alive if not flowering for this year, then they could come back next.
Thanks for this information. I am at US zone 8b and been thinking about not digging the dahlias out but was not sure about it. This video encourages me have it a go, mulch them well, and put a mini green house using empty flower pots or some clear plastic from my recycle.
I think 8b is very similar to our weather in southern England. Hope it works (mine has eight times out of ten, I would say). But I don't mind occasional losses as it gives me an opportunity to buy something new!
Yes, hello!! I have a question---do you continue to water the dahlia's---in the winter---even though they are covered up?? Thanks for a reply :-)
No, definitely not. While they're dormant, they're not taking up any water and if they have too much, they may rot. Also if there's a freeze when the soil is wet, that may kill the roots. Don't worry if it rains - they may be fine, but just don't add any extra water.
I tried this method last last year in London (plants were grown in pots) and got pretty good results this year. Only a couple died.
I was wondering should I have done anything more this Spring to help them grow other than the anti-slug advice? I made sure they were buried pretty deep in soil over winter but should I have reduced the soil content as Spring was approaching?
I don't remove any soil or mulch, it just breaks down. On the whole, I like to make it as easy as possible
I live in a zone 5, will this method work in my winters? In a bad year we can get temperatures as low as -25 to -30 c.
Sadly, I think it's unlikely. You could experiment if you don't mind losing a couple of dahlias, but I think there's too much of a jump between 8 and 5, and we never get winters as cold as -25!
Scotland quite cold weather here so much rain , my dalhia I planted in pots possible leave them winter ? Just add your advice added more topsoil ?
The dahlias in pots should be fine, but move them close to the house or to a sheltered spot and wrap them in something like horticultural fleece or sacking. Dahlias hate wet, cold soil, so if you get a lot of rain, then you'll have more trouble keeping them going through the winter than I would with dry cold weather. I don't think dahlias will be happy in your soil if the winters are very wet, but you could always experiment to see what happens. Though I suspect they will not survive. Hope that helps.
Greetings and Thank You!!! I'm trying dahlias for the very first time this year. I have a small garden. I'm in U.S. zone 7. I got so hopeful for a moment when you mentioned that you leave your tubers in the ground. I think that I'll have to plant them in pots for easy winter removal.
I do have one question though. Are there a specific group of dahlias that seem to do well in the ground?
Thank You Again for your informative video.
Cheers!
I don't think it's necessarily about specific groups of dahlias, and I fear that Zone 7 will be a bit too cold, but you might as well give it a try! One thing that seems to make a difference is whether you have wet cold winters or dry cold winters - wet cold winters are really bad for dahlias, but they seem to deal with drier cold winters a bit better.
Thank you for the helpful tips. Will the dahlias multiply if I don’t dig them? Also, I shouldn’t water them after covering with compost, correct?
They do multiply a bit and don't water them because they hate being in cold, wet soil. Cooler dry soil is just about OK. Not all dahlias will survive but most of mine have
will they be okay when it rains?
I planted about 20 tubers all around my garden in the ground and now heavy rain is predicted for 99% of this month. Do you suggest I dig them out, dry them and replant them in June or cover them? Please advice.
They should be fine. Dahlias don't like getting soggy, but all plants can cope with some weather change. If a frost is forecast over night, then cover with some newspaper or a horticultural fleece.
@@TheMiddlesizedGardenI will do 😊Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I'd be extremely grateful if you can do a vid on plant supports (for climbing roses, honeysuckle, peony etc) Happy Gardening & stay safe 🤗
I plan to plant dahlias in the ground. I’m in the south east. How deep should I plant and when?
Plant so that the roots are covered and the stem sticks out of the ground. Plant once you are confident the frosts are over. Early May is usually fine.
Great channel found it today and subscribed. A question if I may, I grew for the first time quite a few dahlias this summer in pots. They did really well but the foilage wasn't. Loads of discoloration of the leaves, and also some mildew, They are still going strong, I m in Ventnor Isle of Wight.
Anyway my question is I didn't have any border space when I got them to put them in the ground, however, I started a new huge tropical border in July. Is it okay to transfer the dahlias now into the ground for overwintering and also permanent spot?
If it is okay then how would you plant them? would they need compost ( i ve heard its best not to use compost with them when planting) Should I remove everything before I plant and water ect ect?
Some of your dahlia questions should be answered in this video, but I wouldn't advise planting them in the ground now. I did this last year and the dahlias I planted didn't survive over winter, although the dahlias that were already there, I left in the soil and covered with mulch were fine. I think the best advice for mildew on leaves etc is to make sure the plant is well watered and also to feed the soil with a layer of well rotted manure or garden compost. There's planting advice here from the very expert Stephen Edney: th-cam.com/video/ExwzinP-teU/w-d-xo.html
My first year growing Dahlias. My potted Dahlia Dahlegria Orange Yellow Tip was stunning last year. In the past week it has started to produce flowers but they are a dark burgundy colour, how has this happened?
I'm not completely sure but I think that plants sometimes revert to one of the parent plants they were bred from. I've had the odd change in some of my dahlias, although they were in the ground, not in pots.
Minus 20 to 30 is not unusual where I live, but I forgot one dahlia near my house wall once, in gravel and sand. Big surprise when it survived. Anything is possible 😁
That's amazing. People often say that plants and plants in pots near the house wall are dramatically better protected than those even a few feet further away, because a house wall absorbs sun and central heating during the day and gives it off at night.
Hi, I did not dig up my dahlias several years and then noticed, that soil was raising up the normal level. So I decided to dig up my dahlias. When I did it, I was surprised as roots were so big I could not even hold them! What`s your suggestion on this? What do I have to do?
I too noticed that the dahlias seemed to be expanding. I think that after a certain number of years in the ground, it is a good idea to dig them up because they do seem to spread and then to revert to something a bit less interesting than they used to be. I think, perhaps, it's best to leave them in some years and dig them up if they've been in for more than five years.
I decided to leave my dahlias out in the soil last winter (2019/2020) We've had very little frost, but almost constant rain from November through to February. It's now mid April and nothing doing on the dahlia front. I have gently uncovered one and the tubers felt firm. Should they be bursting into life by now, or are they dead? I'm in Gloucestershire and my soil generally dries very quickly, though not last winter! Would appreciate your opinion.
I don't usually see any shoots in my dahlias until May when they're left in the ground. I know that they hate wet winters, so it could be bad news, but I think wait about a month before taking any more steps. But protect from snails - a light scattering of slug pellets made from ferric phosphate (which is allowed in organic use and won't hurt wildlife). However, it needs some damp to work so if you don't have any rain within 24 hours of scattering the pellets, then water the area. Slug pellets based on ferric phosphate include Sluggo.
@@TheMiddlesizedGarden Thank you so much for the first class info.
Looks like I may have been a little hasty and expected the plants to be reaching for the sky too soon! This is the only time I've left dahlias out over winter, my bad luck it just had to be the wettest one since time immemorial!
Yes but you are in zone 7-9 correct?? Not possible in Canada in zones 4-6 unless u want expensive tubers turning to mush...but I do love your garden and your videos anyway! Thanks from Canada and slug tips!
Yes, you are right - leaving dahlias to overwinter in the ground is generally only possible in zones 8 or 9 or warmer (which I say in both in the video and the description) - although there is one comment below from Anthony Robertson who says that they may be fine in Zone 5 if planted in a warm spot. It's all a bit trial-and-error, too, as there can be very cold spots in gardens which are technically Zone 9 and so on... thank you for commenting and for viewing from Canada!
I live in Vancouver canada.and I have over 25 dahlia plants and I never take them out for winter.they are fine you just need to cover them well.
You can leave terra cotta pots out all winter on the west coast as well !, Vancouver winters are nowhere near as brutal as they are in Ontario unfortunately. Oh how easy it was to have a fab garden when I lived in BC! So balmy compared to where we are in zone 4a...when I was first learning to garden I lost a bunch of nice varieties of tubers completely mulched, protected in a cold frame etc. But have since learned how to store my growing collection in rubbermaids (w amendments ) in a cold basement now...
Very beautiful information and beautiful video.
Very very thanks for the advice.
(Atyant sunder jankari)
Thank you.
I live in New Zealand and have loved Dahlias since my Mum grew fond of them so I have been growing them since before my Twenties now and I'm in my early Fourtie's I have never over wintered them and have only learnt of people doing this since belonging to a Dahlia page where they talk about gall disease a lot which I also never heard of, why I'm not sure? 😂 they also swap and buy different types they're after anyway as I said I have never over wintered mine I have always left them in the ground. I have only lifted to gift a tuber or dig them deeper as they've slowly risen up out of the ground and I'm wondering why do people do it? Also why we need to divide them up does that not make the plant smaller?
If you live somewhere where the ground is very cold, the dahlia will die if it's left in the ground. That's why people with cold winters dig up dahlias. The reason why they lift and divide them every 2-3 years is that the plant grows new roots underground, so it can get very big, but the original roots die off. So you get a very big plant with a dead part in the centre. If you dig it up, and divide it, you'll get lots of new plants for free, which will become as big as the original one day.
Can you tell me when I can expect to see dahlias appearing above the mulch please. I live in the south east.
I'm in the South East too and haven't seen any of mine except those in pots. I'd say they should be up by the end of May unless something has happened to them. We did have an exceptionally wet winter.
I keep mine in the ground as well. But I want to split my plant up. Can I dig up, split and then put back in the ground? I'm in Washington state and we have mild/warm winters.
Oddly enough I tried this once and it wasn't successful. I dont know why but I think the safest thing is to dig it up, split it, then pot it up early spring and plant out once frosts are over.
I never get frost in my area, so what do I do with dahlias when it’s time for them to finish?
Cut the foliage off and put a big mound of compost on top. Put in a stick so you don't forget they're there.
Depends on where you live and how much rain. In Vancouver Canada we lost all our Dahlias in the winter 3 years ago because of too much rain and cold. Now I dig them up. I lost Dahlias I had for many years and it was really sad.
Very much so, also on your micro-climate as well as your climate ( a frost pocket in Zone 9 could be worse than a sheltered spot in Zone 8)
Thanks so much for your advice.
Would you do a video on peony care after flowering?
I will certainly try to, as I have been thinking about peonies.