Dahlias - ok to lift and dry?

 Mine have all stopped flowering. I have a couple dozen in a small area on
the allotment. Location exposed, 500'amsl and East facing.
I believe you are meant to lift them, trim the stems down to 6" and turned
upside-down for a length of time:-

1. How long to keep the exposed to the elements?

2. Would it pay me to wash any soil off first?

Here's the forecast for the SW for next couple of days.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/sw/sw_forecast_weather.html

They will be wrapped in crumpled newspaper and bagged in the loft.
Many thanks for your replies.
Bertie

 
I have been lifting now for a couple of weeks, I lift in the morning
leaving the tubers on the surface; after removing as much soil as
possible; to dry then box in the afternoon, I cut the stems back to
around 3 inches and place the tubers upside down in the boxes, these
are then moved inside to carry on drying,
In early Jan I turn the tubers the right way up and bed them into the
boxes with moist compost ready to start into growth for me to take
cuttings.
If you are going to store the tubers in newspaper no problem, but I'd
put them intocardboard  or wooden boxes rather than bags.
You dont say if they are first year tubers or older ones.
Some people wash any soil off the tubers (sometinea using  a weak
bleach solution.) and dust with flowers of sulphur prior to storing.

 

"Dave Hill"  wrote in message


Thanks Dave, these are mainly 3, 4 and 5 year old plants. Winter of 09/10 I
left them in the ground and no damage done. Last winter was cooler and I
lost 4 plants. Winter of 08/09 they were in loft and I lost 3 - as you say,
this could be due to dampness in plastic carrier bags.
Raining as I write, but tomorrow should be ok, I'll try your method. Looking
at the radar, the rains reached you:-
http://www.raintoday.co.uk/

 "Bertie Doe"  wrote ((SNIP))

Whilst you mention leaving in the ground, we had a row out on our old
allotment for years and they only ever suffered with slug damage as the
shoots were showing. I originally planted them very deep, twice as deep as
recommended or more and that allowed them to come through the winters in an
exposed* site.
* that is always relative, before someone up a mountain in Scotland says
anything. :-)
--
Regards  Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup from the W. of London UK

 
The main thing that kills dahlias left in the ground is the wet not so
much the cold, though in a hard winter that will wipe them out.
As you say Bob you have to put slug bait out from mid May onwards if
you have left them in.
Leaving dahlias tubers in plastic bags will almost certainly lead to
rot unless they are 100% dry, store them in dry compost, slightly damp
pearlite or vermiculite or peat.
Large tubers, those several years old will have to be split some
people will advocate doing it straight after lifting when the stems
are still green, others leave them till early spring.
If you have several tubers of a variety I would lift one or two in
case of a hard winter,
I find If I leave tubers in the ground because I don't want them  they
come up the following spring where as If I wanted them but had
forgoten them they die.
Sods Law.