Is it too late to save young dahlias?

sarah.e.bielby · September 2021

Hi everyone, I'm very new to gardening and in my excitement I planted some dahlia seeds in pots at the end of July. They are doing well but now I have lots of 6 inch high plants. Is there anything I can do to save them over winter? I'm not sure whether to plant them out and let them take their chances with the slugs and frost, or whether to cut them back after the first frost, dry them out and store them in the shed. I doubt they will have had much chance to make big tubers. It's quite mild winters where I live (Cambridge, UK).

I don't mind writing off a packet of seeds and doing something more sensible next year but it would be nice to save some of them if I can!

Fairygirl · September 2021

I think you've answered your own question @sarah.e.bielby

I've never grown them from seed, and they certainly wouldn't survive here if outdoors. However, even in a milder area, small plants would really struggle if put outside and left there. You could try it- maybe a cloche, or fleece would be enough to protect them. Normally, a thick layer of compost can be enough, but as they're small, I think that might just finish them off.
Perhaps just keep them in the pots they're in, and see how they get on over the next month or so. If you keep them in a sheltered spot outside, they might mature a bit, and then you can do the drying off and storing.
If you had a greenhouse [I'm guessing you don't] they'd be fine in there, but if you have a porch that might be enough to just keep them ticking over, and they might stay viable that way.
Someone else may be able to advise though, depending on whether it's possible, or even worth trying that.

sarah.e.bielby · September 2021

Thanks for the advice @Fairygirl . I do have a mini greenhouse (one of the metal frame with plastic cover ones), also a conservatory, a fairly gloomy glass porch, or a car port where it never gets frosty. I'll leave them to mature outside / in the mini greenhouse for as long as possible until it starts to get cold. It'll be a bonus if I get a few flowers in the next month or two as well 🙂 Then I think you're right, if they still seem quite small I'll try them in the porch / conservatory which are quite cool in winter, or if they seem quite mature I'll try drying some. Maybe I'll do half of each and see if either method works 🤷🏻‍♀️ Thanks 🙂

Fairygirl · September 2021

As long as you don't have to spend ages attending to them, it's probably worth just experimenting.

Is it too late to save young dahlias?

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