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Dahlias and frost

lovegardening77lovegardening77 Posts: 332
in Plants
Evening all, we had our first frost overnight last night!! Should I be taking up the dahlias? They're still flowering🤔

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    When I grow dahlias I waited until the foliage was blackened by frost and then lifted and dried the tubers. 

    Or if your garden soil is relatively free draining and not too exposed to heavy frost you could try a thick mulch over them and crossing your fingers  ;)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • lovegardening77lovegardening77 Posts: 332
    Ok, so unless they start turning black they'll be ok? My first time growing them, they were a bag of mixed dahlia so I didn't know what colours to expect. Now they're in flower and although very pretty, they're not planted according to colour co ordination. So I'll dig them up when time comes and note colour for next year. I don't like bright red and pale yellow together.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    It is obvious when the frost gets them. They collapse overnight.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Attach labels while you can still see the flower colours!  Then after the top growth has been blackened by frost you can cut it off and lift and store the tubers (instructions here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=337 if you're not sure what to do).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • lovegardening77lovegardening77 Posts: 332
    Thankyou! Yes I'll definitely attach labels. There's a lovely gentleman on YouTube who grows dahlias, I follow him religiously!!
  • LittlegrowerLittlegrower Posts: 80
    Talking of YouTube, you should check out dahliaholic his dahlias are the absolute best. One day I'll get my garden to look like his 
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