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A Homes & Gardens report draws on advice from experienced dahlia growers to outline storage errors that can damage tubers over winter. Their recommendations include removing large clumps of soil, drying tubers fully, using breathable containers and keeping them cool, dark and above freezing. The supplied report ends before its full list of five mistakes is available.
Homes & Gardens has published advice from experienced dahlia growers on storing tubers through winter, warning that trapped moisture, poor airflow and unsuitable temperatures can damage them before spring planting. The report describes several practices to avoid, although the supplied source excerpt cuts off before all five advertised mistakes are shown.
The report advises gardeners in frost-prone climates to lift dahlia tubers after the first frosts and store them indoors until planting time. A key point is to remove large clumps of soil, which may conceal soft or damaged areas and can harbor disease organisms, according to gardener and homesteader Lindsey Chastain. The source does not say that every tuber must be scrubbed completely clean: it notes that growers differ on how much soil to remove.
Chastain’s advice is to clear away loose soil, while Shelly Deaton, owner of EarthSpoke Farms, says a thin soil layer may help prevent tubers from drying out. The report’s practical distinction is between leaving large clods in place and keeping a light coating. If tubers are rinsed, they should be dried completely before storage. Deaton warns that wet tubers can create condensation and encourage rot.
The report recommends drying cleaned tubers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area for at least 48 hours and up to a week. Tubers should feel dry and firm before packing; soft ones can be removed with clean pruning snips to protect the rest. For winter storage, the article favors breathable containers, such as open crates or ventilated cardboard boxes, rather than airtight containers that can trap humidity. Vermiculite, dry wood shavings or coconut coir are cited as packing options.
Preventing Winter Tuber Loss
Stored tubers are the starting material for next season’s dahlias. Rot, drying and freezing can leave gardeners with fewer viable plants to put in the ground, so care during the dormant months affects what may grow and flower later. The advice also matters to gardeners who keep named varieties: damage to a tuber can mean losing that particular plant.
The recommendations focus on managing moisture rather than applying a single cleaning rule. Removing excess soil can make damage easier to spot, but aggressive washing adds a drying step; leaving tubers wet or sealing them in a humid container raises the risk of decay. The report presents these as growers’ experience-based practices, not as a guarantee that every tuber will survive or produce more blooms.
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From Autumn Lifting to Spring
Dahlias are commonly lifted and stored where winter frost could damage tubers left in the ground. The source describes the process as beginning after the first frosts: gardeners cut down the stems and lift the tubers carefully, then prepare them for indoor storage until spring. It does not provide a planting calendar for particular regions, which can vary with local weather.
The report gathers advice from growers with different approaches. EarthSpoke Farms, run by Deaton, grows nearly 10,000 dahlia plants and more than 400 cultivars, according to the source. Deaton describes using coconut coir, while Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers recommends vermiculite or dry wood shavings as packing materials. These are examples rather than a claim that one material suits every home or storage space.
“If you have soil on your tubers before you store them, that can harbor disease organisms.”
— Lindsey Chastain, gardener and homesteader, as quoted by Homes & Gardens
Storage Advice Has Limits
The source excerpt ends partway through its temperature discussion, so it does not show the complete article or confirm the full set of five mistakes promised in the headline. The details of any additional mistakes are therefore not available here and should not be inferred.
The temperature figures are growers’ recommendations, not a universal guarantee. The excerpt gives a general target of 40–50°F, while Deaton reports keeping tubers at about 40–45°F and roughly 90% relative humidity. It does not explain how to measure humidity at home, how storage needs differ by dahlia variety, or what to do in every local climate. The report also does not provide comparative trials showing that one packing material or method produces more blooms.
Check Tubers Through Winter
Gardeners following the report’s guidance can begin by lifting tubers after frost risk reaches their plants, removing large clumps of soil, and allowing any rinsed tubers to dry fully. They can then pack them in a ventilated container with a suitable dry or moisture-buffering material and choose a cool, dark storage location that stays above freezing. The source names a breezeway, basement or garage as possible locations when conditions are appropriate.
The excerpt does not give a schedule for inspecting stored tubers or a spring planting date. Gardeners will need to monitor their own storage conditions and consult local growing guidance for when to replant. The full list of five mistakes and any further advice cannot be confirmed from the supplied excerpt.
Key Questions
When should dahlia tubers be lifted for winter storage?
The report says the process starts after the first frosts, when gardeners cut down the stems and lift the tubers. Local weather and growing conditions affect timing.
Do dahlia tubers need to be washed before storage?
Not necessarily. The advice is to remove loose soil and large clumps; the report says some growers wash tubers, while others leave a thin layer of soil. Any tubers rinsed must dry completely before storage.
What temperature does the report recommend?
Chastain gives a general range of 40–50°F and says the location should be cool and dark. Deaton says her farm stores tubers at about 40–45°F. These are reported recommendations, not a guarantee for every setting.
Which containers and packing materials are suggested?
The report recommends breathable containers, including open crates or cardboard boxes with holes. It names vermiculite, dry wood shavings and coconut coir as packing materials used or recommended by growers.
Does the source confirm all five storage mistakes?
No. The supplied excerpt cuts off during the temperature section. It describes several storage risks, but does not contain the full list advertised in the headline.
Source: homesandgardens.com
