Oh no, I just found loads of dahlias 😭

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I just found 13 dahlia tubers that somehow got missed this spring. They haven’t been in the ground. Annoyingly they’ve even got eyes, and in some cases shoots on them. Only two have gone totally shrivelled and soft. I don’t have a greenhouse. Any chance of planting them indoors, do you think? (Not even sure I have room for 11 dahlias indoors…)
How much would they need to grow to survive this winter?

I’d be inclined to leave them and just make sure that I planted them next year. They’re due to die soon, and my worry would be they’d expend energy to put out new shoots but not get enough back to replace it, let alone to increase the storage for next year.

Growing indoors isn’t ideal. Not enough light. And if Dahlia winter die off is triggered by light levels rather than cld, it’s not going to help anyway

All this is theoretical not based on experience so could be rubbish

I didn't know you weren't meant to grow them indoors. I have some in a pot that I rescued from a supermarket, they're in my kitchen and growing like mad. Is that going to end in disaster?

With the price of dahlia bulbs (been looking!) I'm not surprised you're crying!!

Dahlias are quite often dug up in winter and packed in crates with paper or dry soil and stored in the garage or shed. I would do this

Here is the guidance.

ngb.org/2019/09/27/storing-dahlias-for-winter/

@BloodAndFire nah they will be fine indoors although they do die back in the winter.

The thing that kills dahlias is being soggy - if you keep them dry (and unfrozen) they should be fine.

I would put them in a paper bag, stores some where cool, but frost free. Depending on where you live, me SE UK corner 10 minutes from the sea. The ones in my south facing free draining front garden stay in all winter. Next spring,march in my case, I put them in pots of compost just under the surface,shed, garage,(I do have green houses) cover them completely I use plant saucers. Leave them alone around 10 days. There should be grown, pale but will green up nicely,once lid is removed. This is from Sarah Raven.

I only had one dahlia last year and I kept it in a paperbag under the stairs. I think it might have been a little too warm. I've got a bunch more this year so I'm worrying about where to keep them. Are they likely to be damaged by mice?

I didn't know you weren't meant to grow them indoors. I have some in a pot that I rescued from a supermarket, they're in my kitchen and growing like mad. Is that going to end in disaster? I was talking in the context of starting them into growth indoors at the beginning of the dormant season

Thanks, that's a relief. They are one of the many 'reduced to 99p' plants that I've brought back to life just by watering them (supermarket just leaves them to bake to death)

Thanks for the replies, I’m absolutely kicking myself. It’s some of my best coloured ones too 🥺 I don’t know how I messed it up so badly.

I threw them in a bucket of water last night, like you do if they’re a bit dry before planting, bar two which went straight in the bin. I’ve pulled them out and put them on a towel to dry. Some of them have big healthy shoots coming off of them, they’d clearly have done well this year. Others now seem more shrivelled that I thought last night.

I was going to try overwintering in the ground this year, as some of my neighbours manage. I don’t know whether just to plant these out and see what happens. Forecast is for 25° next week (but that is unusually warm here).

What a muppet.

I’ve got a collection of Bishop’s Children that I grew from seed. Remarkably straightforward

Not quite the point but i never dig up my dhalias. They come back year after year.

Dahlias won't grow now, it's far too late. As soon as we get frosts they're over. Just get them dry again, put them in a cool dry place over winter and get them potted up in spring. And don't leave them in water anymore 😬 Think of them as potatoes.