And so the great unravel and unpacking begins, a little later than anticipated of course. There is always so much to do in the garden and I also have two allotments that in dire need of vegetables. On the allotment I like to grow lots of different things – four different types of cucumbers and beans, two of beetroot, eight of potatoes and five of squash. Taste over yield is key for me and I like to trial things. I can’t tell you the number of dahlias I grow because I honestly don't know.
My dahlia tubers have been sat in their boxes over winter and new boxes have been added, mainly from Peter Nyssen. I also had one sent to me on Valentine’s Day and still have no idea who it is from. It is very pretty though and I am looking forward to planting it.
As you’ll know from my blog a few months ago, I diligently dug the dahlias up, with help from my wonderful father in November, where they then sat in wheelbarrows in the greenhouse. My post shows you what to do if you want to dig up your dahlias and store over winter. I cleaned off the dirt, tidied them up, cut them up, discarded bits I didn’t want, wrapped them in newspaper and stored them in boxes in the frost-free garage.
Dahlia tuber unwrapped after overwintering, trimmed and cleaned
Digging up your dahlias isn’t essential, it is purely a personal choice, but given the rain we get here in south Wales, my concern is that they could have rotted in the ground and developed some nasty diseases. I like my tubers to be as clean as possible before I pot them up. I also needed to use the bed for tulips in the spring. In December I planted about 700 tulips, in trenches, and have been selling them locally in mixed bouquets. It’s amazing what you learn isn't it? This year I will be planting my tulips earlier, at the proper suggested time, in an effort to end up with longer stems.
TOP TIP:
Consider keeping bulbs in the fridge for a cold spell in advance of planting, to initiate longer stems.
Quick Links
How to pot up Dahlias & how many Dahlias per pot
Dahlia tubers potted up and labelled, showing above the compost