Digging & Storing Dahlia Tubers

There is a certain rhythm to working with dahlias that extends well beyond their blooming season.

As the growing season comes to a close, the process begins. Digging, cleaning, dividing, and preparing tubers for their winter rest. Each step feels both practical and a bit ceremonial, preserving what was grown this year for what will return the next.

After the first frost blackens the foliage, I begin lifting the tubers from the ground, carefully loosening the soil and pulling them up with as little damage as possible. From there, I take time to gently wash away the dirt, revealing the full structure of the clump.

Once cleaned, the tubers are divided into more manageable sections. Each tuber needs a healthy body, neck and eye in order to be viable. Holding the potential for a new plant, some dahlias produce huge clumps and can be divided into many new plants; others produce just one or two good tubers.  Dividing is HARD WORK... it is tedious and sometimes dangerous, you need to be careful you don't cut yourself. After dividing, I dip any cut or broken ends into cinnamon which prevents rot.  They are then left to cure overnight. This resting period allows the outer skin to dry and toughen slightly, helping protect them through the months ahead.

From there, each tuber is wrapped in plastic wrap and placed into bins before heading into storage. I keep mine in a refrigerator set between 45 and 50 degrees, a temperature that keeps them dormant without risking freeze damage.

There is something deeply satisfying in this work.  A way of carrying the garden forward, even as everything above ground fades away.

Each tuber tucked into storage holds both the memory of last year’s blooms and the promise of what’s to come.