When do I dig up dahlias?

[NewspaperDoll]

Everything I’ve read says after the first frost/when the leaves turn black, but I’m in London and we haven’t had a frost yet. We’re on clay soil so I don’t want to leave them too long (although we haven’t had much rain either so it’s not boggy yet). Should I dig them up now or wait a bit longer?

I have never bothered digging mine up.

Cut back the dead stuff and put a thick mulch on top. Keep an eye out for the first shoots in spring as they are vulnerable to slug damage.

My soil is clay too. Mine stay in year after year

I’m lifting my potted ones now so I can plant tulips in the pots. The plants in the ground stay there with old compost piled on top like a molehill.

You dont have to wait for frost before you dig them up. If they are still green and growing cut most of the top growth off and position them upside down initially so the water drains out. Brush off all the soil when they’ve dried out

Thank you everyone 😊 I have two in the ground so I’ll try leaving one over winter (and the other one is in the wrong place so I’ll dig it up and it can be my insurance). Love the gardening boards ♥️

You can lift them any time now. I dig up mine as I anm also on London clay. If it is very wet they can rot especially if the wet is followed by frost. I leave mine in a box or on a tray in the air so that the soil can dry off. Then put them in the garage. Most important is not to store them with wet soil around them. If we do get a lot of rain you can just hose them off a then Let the tubers dry before storing.

Mine are still in full bloom!