Dahlia tubers?

[Honeyandfizz]

I've just bought 3 dahlia genova plants from homebase. Really keen to keep them year after year if possible. For those in the know do you take them out of the ground over winter or can they be left in place? Many thanks

I lift mine because,if we have a very wet winter they rot. We garden on clay. Maybe on lighter soils and drier areas you could leave them in.

Kwirell how do you store them? Also do you plant them out direct next year or put them into compost first?

Many thanks by the way I'm a novice!

Around November I lift them and knock off most of the soil. I put them in the garage in a cardboard box. If the soil is damp when I lift them, I line the box with newspaper, so absorb the water.

This year I made a mistake and planted them in the soil, in spring because I was fooled by the warm weather. I then had to rescue them and pot them up. They seem very slow this year. So in future I will start them in pots to keep an eye on them. They have only just gone into the garden, which I think is the latest I have ever done it. No sign of top growth this year yet.

I grew dahlias for the first time last year, and decided to lift them . I shook all the soil off them, let the roots dry, and then put them in a box in my cold greenhouse. I potted them up into fresh compost this spring, kept them in the greenhouse and gradually started to water them. Once they had plenty of nice shoots I hardened them off, and planted them out about 2 weeks ago the - first flowers are just budding now.

i'm on sanding soil and grew from seed last year. i lifted them and then replanted in the soil in april (don't have greenhouse). only 2 are coming up and are much much smaller than the one i obviously missed in the soil and left outside over winter.

I read somewhere that you should cut them back after first frost and then lift the tubers, hanging them upside down if they are very wet. Store in a cool dark place over winter. Pot up in spring and keep in a greenhouse / cold frame until it's warm outside consistently.
Well worth the effort though - I love dahlias! I've got three dark leaved 'bishops', one 'bora bora', one dark purple Pom Pom type, and two mystery ones!

Thanks very much for the advice all I'll definitely lift them then.

I was on the hunt for cafe au lait tubers but everywhere was sold out, I'll have to plan earlier next season!