Great information! I am happy to have found your videos. I am in the southern most part of mainland Ontario Canada. While our Winters are quite mild here compared to the rest of Canada we still get below 0 temps. This being my first year growing dahlia I had no clue where I was going to store them. I do not have a basement and my garage is heated with a wood stove. I saw a local grower posted on social media she was packing her tubers away for the winter in her flower cooler. and I followed her lead and put mine in a Coke fridge I have in the garage.I keep set at 5 deg C. Very close to your method I used wood shavings in a cardboard box but I layered them with shavings, tubers, more shavings more tubers. Most clumps are looking perfect but it seems the ones in the middle of the box have stored best. The bottom of the box and also the top layer seem to be more dried out than those in the middle. This fall I will add your plastic and damp newspaper top tips! Bless you in all you do Sir! xo

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Hi Margaret, I'm glad you found something useful. You have a perfect place to store regarding temperature by the sound of it. It's always a fine line between too damp and too dry and you will find your own best practice as time goes by. I've found that frequent checks on the condition of the tubers means you can react and adjust conditions if needed. One reason why I have stopped using shavings is that they obscure the view so makes checking more difficult. Also they make a mess when you come to recover them to get growing. Having said that, shavings are probably the best choice if you are going to "pack and forget". Good luck with your Dahlia journey!

Great info. I've tried a few storage methods with limited success. I used wood shaving last winter but found the tubers dried out a fair bit even when I spritzed them with water every few weeks Your method of lining the box and adding a damp new newspaper may do the trick for us. Thanks for posting. Cheers from Canada.

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Hi Bullobca, thank you for commenting and for your kind words. I have tried shavings, and like you had some poor results. My main gripe with them is they obscure the view of the tubers which makes monitoring them difficult. They are also messy and it takes time to clean the tubers up. I hope you have a great upcoming season in Canada, good luck!

During the two recent severely cold periods (average -5C to -7C) that we've had in the UK in this winter, how have your stored dahlias in 'banana boxes' fared? Have you had to take additional precautions to keep them from freezing? I've had to bring mine into my unheated utility room. You might recall that this winter, I have stored my dahlias in dry compost in a plastic container with a lid. One of my neighbours left his stored dahlias in his unheated greenhouse and consequently lost them all to the freezing temperatures.

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Hi again Ashe, yes I have heard similar horror stories from keen growers who have lost all their tubers during that spell. Mine are in an out house, and the temperature is monitored (lowest reading was 2C) - I have a heater in there in case it's needed. An outside greenhouse is, I'm afraid, very vulnerable.

Muy bien

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Yesid

Thank you for another very informative & detailed advice. This winter, I am storing my dahlia clumps in layers covered with dry compost in two large plastic boxes with lids. As I see it, the principal advantage of your method of storing is that it provides a very 'immediate way' to check the on-going health of the tubers. I am considering adopting your method when I next check my tubers in January. I have a few questions that your experience may help clear up: a) Have any of the tubers started to dry out as yet? b) During your 'health-check of the tubers, have you had to re-wet the top layer of the newspaper or had to discard it as it was too wet? c) How often would you suggest checking each box? Kind regards, Ashe

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Hi AsheU thanks for another good question. No tubers are showing signs of drying atm although that is a risk - the newspaper will dry out first which is part of method. I have rewet some - just a spray on the back layers is enough (avoid a soggy newspaper at all costs.). I check once a month, but if there are any issues showing up I shorten the interval for just those boxes. I have noticed some superficial mould on a tuber or two so I will post a video discussing this, soon.

Just came across your channel today, glad i did, very imformative, really enjoyed the videos iv'e watched so far, think i'll be giving this method of storage a go this year, also will try the individual tubers wrapped in cling film also, thank you

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind comment, I'm glad you found something useful. There is a follow up video on storing your tubers coming within the next few days. Happy growing!

Could u use your loft to store them i presume it is going to be above freezing...obviously dark and very airy Ty Dave Ps if u thnk the chippings dry them out why put them onto the bottom of the box Ty

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

7 ай бұрын

Hi David thanks for your question. A loft can be ok but I imagine temperature variations could cause trouble. A constant temperature between 4C and 8C is perfect, which is much more likely to be achieved in a cellar than a loft. The other disadvantage is access - I like to check for rot and drying at least every 2 weeks and if access is not easy you are likely to not bother, and in spring you might have a collection of tuber corpses if you are unlucky. I dont use chippings any longer - the main disadvantage is that they obscure the view. You can have a rotten tuber in the collection and not see it (although you can usually smell it! Hope this helps

@davidalmond9334

7 ай бұрын

Hi Ty for the reply...getting in the loft ain't a problem....but I'll have to take some temps from up there its all lit and boarded....by the way good videos very informative and useful Ty Dave

How about using Straw in place of Wood Shavings etc ?

@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

Жыл бұрын

Hi Unjun thanks for your question. I see no reason why not, although I've no experience as such. To fill the dead space I imagine straw would need to be chopped down somewhat.