It is impossible to imagine a modern flower garden without huge terry-colored dahlias, which adorn it from the middle of summer and until the frosts. Breeders produced a large variety of species and varieties, which differ in both the color of the buds and in the shape of the petals.
Dahlias are perennials, but in order to make them blossom blossom and next year it is required with the onset of colds to dig their tubers to save plants from freezing. After the first frosts are barely struck, the bushes of these magnificent flowers are a sad sight, and this is only the ground part.
The same thing happens with root crops - they just freeze and die. To avoid this happening to your favorites, you need to know how to store dahlias at home in winter.
How to prepare tubers of dahlias for wintering?
To begin with it is necessary to be defined, when to dig out tubers, after all their storage during winter period depends on it. There is an opinion that it is necessary to dig tubers as soon as the temperature drops to 0 ° C, but not lower.
You should choose a warm sunny day, because when the frost nodules can freeze and deteriorate even before storage. Since the planting material is very fragile, all actions should be done as accurately and slowly as possible so as not to damage the plants.
In the soil of the tuber, dahlias occupy a large enough area, approximately 50 cm in diameter, and therefore, in order to dig them out, it will be necessary to retreat about 40 cm from the stem of the plant and dig a deep enough pit to extract the whole earthen lump. The plant needs to leave a root neck about 15 cm long, trying not to break it or damage it.
After the tubers are excavated, they are washed in large amounts of water to release from the ground, and then immersed in a weakly-stirred solution of manganese for 30 minutes for disinfection.
Next, the tubers are dried in the sun and separated with a shovel or a clean sharp knife, thus cutting off the small roots. The largest "potatoes" should be chosen for storage, since the best flowers are obtained from them.
At what temperature should dahlias be stored in winter?
Best plants will feel when the temperature of the surrounding air is not lower than 5 ° C and not higher than 12 ° C. After all, if it is less, it can lead to the death of tubers. A higher, contributes to untimely germination, depriving plants of the rest period.
Where to store the tubers of dahlias in winter?
To store this planting material will require enough space, because they will be a lot. Although most flower growers prefer to leave only a couple of nodules of each variety, and distribute the rest to their neighbors or dispose of, because such a plant as a dahlia is rather prolific and by the autumn it grows large bush.
Most often, plants are stored in the basement or on the balcony of the apartment . And that and that method is appropriate if the tubers are properly prepared and the air temperature is optimal for this.
There are many options for storing tubers in winter. For this, river sand, peat, sawdust is used, or the tubers are stored simply in plastic boxes, which allow plants to be ventilated and not prety, as happens in various bulk materials, adapted for storage. It is very important that the humidity of the room is not higher than 60%, otherwise the plants will not survive until the spring and will rot.
How to store dahlias in the refrigerator?
Usually in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator just the optimal temperature and humidity for storage of tubers. To protect them from drying and spoilage, each tuber is wrapped in a food film and numbered for convenience, so as not to confuse varieties. This method is suitable for those who have free space in their refrigerator.
How to keep dahlias in the winter in an apartment?
Those who do not have a cellar and excess space in the refrigerator can be advised to store tubers in sawdust or sand on a relatively warm balcony, where the air temperature is not above 10 ° C.