Dahlias are a real decoration for the garden, and any beauty requires attention. But do not worry - these handsome men do not require landing in gilded pots and fertilizers enriched with diamonds. No, just keeping dahlias for the winter just has to be right, especially if you plan to keep them at home. But not only the storage, but also the excavation of the dahlia must be made in a certain order.
Digging and preparing dahlias for winter storage
First it is necessary to cut off the stems, leaving 10-15 cm above the ground. Next, dig the bush at a distance of about 25 cm. Then we set the pitchfork or shovel under the tuber, and, holding the stem, carefully take it out. Dug up the tubers gently, so as not to damage, cleanse from the ground and put it to dry. Dry the roots in well-ventilated rooms at room temperature or, if the weather is dry and sunny, you can dry them on the street. After about 6 days, the tubers need to be cleaned with a sharp knife from small roots and cut the stems no longer than 3-4 cm. The slices are sprinkled with lime-pushenka and give them another time to dry. For this, the corn-club is laid out in a dry cool room and covered from the cold by any nonwoven material: newspapers, straw or burlap. In this position, you need to hold for a couple of weeks. Preparing dahlias for storage, thus, will allow them to shrink less in winter, which means better to survive the cold season.
Keeping dahlias in the apartment
Storage of dahlias in winter should be made at a temperature of 3-5oC, and therefore recommend to harvest the tubers in the cellar. But what should residents of apartment buildings do? We do not have cellars, so it's impossible to keep the cornclubs of these flowers in the apartment? Nothing of the kind - it's even possible! Many gardeners successfully store dahlias at home, on balconies and even in refrigerators. But let's start in order.
The dried tubers are placed in a plastic or metal barrel and shifted with sphagnum (moss). A barrel is placed in a previously dug hole, closed with a lid with holes in it. On the lid put a wooden box to create an air layer, and then all this construction is covered with a plastic wrap, in order to protect the tubers from the ground. And then there was only to dig a hole with a barrel.
To store dahlias in winter on the balcony you need to prepare the tubers as follows. Carefully inspect the root crops for damage, if any, then treat them with charcoal. Further, the tubers are placed in boxes and poured over with sand or peat. We remove the boxes on the balcony or put it next to it, only away from the battery. Tubers for the winter need to be checked several times and turned over to prevent decay. If, during such inspections, you find the decaying areas, then gently clean them and treat the cut with charcoal.
There is an interesting way to store dahlias for the winter in the refrigerator. Of course, if you have a lot of tubers, then perhaps this method will not work. But if they are few, then you can put dahlias in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. We lay the tubers in a plastic bag with holes and cover them with sawdust. Check dahlias
If there is no possibility to place the cornclubs in a cool place, then there is still such a method as storing dahlia in paraffin. To do this, melt the paraffin in a water bath and immerse it in a minute tuber. When the paraffin film is solidified, it is necessary to dunk it in paraffin once again. Next, the tubers are put in a plastic bag, pouring with sawdust or peat. Packets are tightly knotted and put away for storage. Such treatment can be subjected only to very well-dried root crops. When the planting time comes, the tubers will need to be rubbed a little so that the paraffin film is cracked, but do not scrape it, you risk damaging the tubers.
Choose one of the proposed methods and these beautiful flowers will surely please you with their beauty for the next year.