Put dahlias

The first frosty nights end this year's dahlia bloom, signaling that it's now time to dig up the tubers and put them away for frost-free winter storage.

Tools and accessories needed: Digging fork, secateurs, transport container for discarded tubers, wooden boxes or other suitable containers for storage, newspaper for lining the boxes, new labels if necessary, and (moist) material for covering (sand, bark humus).

• Dig up the dahlias only when the above-ground parts of the plant have frostbitten, so that the tubers can store reserve material for overwintering and the next season for as long as possible.
• Cut off the herbaceous parts -leaving a piece of the stems about a hand's width - and compost - If individual varieties are labeled, do not accidentally add the label to the compost, but attach it to the plant as soon as it is turned out. If the name of the variety is not known, note the height and flower color on the label in order to be able to plant suitable assemblages again next year - Pick up the tubers carefully with a digging fork, without damaging them. Let dry for a few days in an airy place and shake off the loose soil. Take only well-dried, undamaged dahlia tubers into winter storage, otherwise there is a risk of rotting. - Place on a layer of paper in wooden crates and store at 6 to 12 °C in a dark room during the winter. In rather dry storage rooms, cover with moist sand or bark humus so that the tubers do not dry out.
• Plants in pots can be stored together with them ** Overwinter with an almost dry soil ball, but do not let the soil dry out completely ** Also store the bulbs and tubers of canna, gladioli, begonias** and other frost-sensitive bulb and tuber plants now and overwinter them cool and frost-free.