{"id":36234,"date":"2016-12-15T17:23:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-16T00:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=36234"},"modified":"2017-04-14T13:58:24","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T19:58:24","slug":"dahlia-tuber-winter-storage-and-garage-insulating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/dahlia-tuber-winter-storage-and-garage-insulating\/","title":{"rendered":"Dahlia Tuber Winter Storage and Garage Insulating"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-36246\" title=\"dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-blooms-to-remember-copy.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>I had another highly successful year of growing dahlias.<\/strong> Not only did my <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Tips for Direct Planting Dahlias in Southwest Idaho\" href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/tips-for-direct-planting-dahlias-in-southwest-idaho\/\" target=\"_blank\">direct planting experiment<\/a><\/span> work well, but I grew some unexpectedly robust <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Fun Flowers to Grow from Seed: Simple Tall Dahlias\" href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/fun-flowers-to-grow-from-seed-simple-tall-dahlias\/\" target=\"_blank\">dahlia plants from seed<\/a><\/span>. The only trouble with that was that they didn&#8217;t bloom until a couple of weeks before killing cold weather. This inspired me to dig them up and try to save them for next year, something I haven&#8217;t done with dahlia tubers before.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Swan Island Dahlias\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dahlias.com\" target=\"_blank\">Swan Island Dahlias<\/a><\/span> sends a wonderful little growing guide with their tubers. The first step is knowing when to dig. In summary:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>wait until the plants have died back, indicated by turning black and brown<\/li>\n<li>cut the stalks off at about 6 inches<\/li>\n<li>dig gently to avoid breaking them<\/li>\n<li>wash them (which I didn&#8217;t get to), then let them dry in a protected place for about a day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For winter storage, they recommend between 40 &#8211; 50\u00b0F. Our basement is too warm, even the cooler pantry room, which hovers around 60\u00b0F. The greenhouse is inconsistent, getting quite warm on sunny winter days. Plus, it is a high humidity location <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Fun Flowers to Grow from Seed: Passion Vine includes video tour of my greenhouse\" href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/fun-flowers-to-grow-from-seed-passion-vine\/\" target=\"_blank\">with the pond and waterfall<\/a><\/span>. The garage seemed the best option, but it would take some work. Thus, I engaged in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"The Quick Garage Insulating Make Over\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.mydbsupply.com\/the-quick-garage-insulating-make-over\/\" target=\"_blank\">a quick garage insulating make-over<\/a><\/span>, which I wrote about for D&amp;B Supply.<\/p>\n<p>Storage requires:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a storage medium, like slightly dampened peat moss, sand, or saw dust<\/li>\n<li>cardboard boxes or ventilated crates<\/li>\n<li>lining of newspaper or something similar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With the following procedure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>line the box with around 10 sheets of paper<\/li>\n<li>put an initial layer of packing medium over the paper<\/li>\n<li>add a layer of tubers<\/li>\n<li>add more storage medium<\/li>\n<li>and so on until the box is full<\/li>\n<li>check the tubers throughout the storage time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what it looked like when I did it <em>(click on any photo to enlarge)<\/em>:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36248\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36248\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-first-layer-in-box.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36248 size-medium\" title=\"The newspaper is covered by a layer of dampened peat moss and part of the first layer of dahlia tubers are inside.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-first-layer-in-box-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"The newspaper is covered by a layer of dampened peat moss and part of the first layer of dahlia tubers are inside.\" width=\"300\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-first-layer-in-box-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-first-layer-in-box-768x579.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-first-layer-in-box-1024x771.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36248\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The newspaper is covered by a layer of dampened peat moss and part of the first layer of dahlia tubers are inside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36249\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36249\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-cover-with-more-peat-moss.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36249 size-medium\" title=\"The first layer of dahlia tubers has been covered with some more dampened peat moss. To dampen it, I just lightly sprinkled it with a sprinkling spout watering can.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-cover-with-more-peat-moss-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"The first layer of dahlia tubers has been covered with some more dampened peat moss. To dampen it, I just lightly sprinkled it with a sprinkling spout watering can.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-cover-with-more-peat-moss-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-cover-with-more-peat-moss-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-cover-with-more-peat-moss-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36249\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first layer of dahlia tubers has been covered with some more dampened peat moss. To dampen it, I just lightly sprinkled it with a sprinkling spout watering can.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36250\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36250\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-second-layer.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36250 size-medium\" title=\"The second layer of dahlia tubers is partially covered with peat moss.\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-second-layer-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"The second layer of dahlia tubers is partially covered with peat moss.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-second-layer-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-second-layer-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-second-layer-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The second layer of dahlia tubers is partially covered with peat moss.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36251\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36251\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-full-box.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-36251 size-medium\" title=\"And the box is full of dahlia tubers and peat moss!\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-full-box-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"And the box is full of dahlia tubers and peat moss!\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-full-box-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-full-box-768x560.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-full-box-1024x747.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">And the box is full of dahlia tubers and peat moss!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_36255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-36255\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-boxes-in-closet.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36255\" title=\"I filled a total of 2 and a half boxes, then put them in a closet next to a house wall. To read more on this, check out the blog I wrote for D&amp;B Supply!\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-boxes-in-closet-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"I filled a total of 2 and a half boxes, then put them in a closet next to a house wall. To read more on this, check out the blog I wrote for D&amp;B Supply!\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-boxes-in-closet-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-boxes-in-closet-768x560.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/dahlia-tuber-storage-boxes-in-closet-1024x747.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-36255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I filled a total of 2 and a half boxes, then put them in a closet next to a house wall. To read more on this, check out the blog I wrote for D&amp;B Supply!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The growing guide also gives some very nice instructions (with a simple illustration) for dividing the tubers, which I plan to do, since most of my tubers are huge! This, of course, depending on how well I monitor and regulate the temperature for their storage. We are expecting some sub-zero lows pretty soon. I might have to bring them into the laundry room for a few nights until I get the final insulating and heating options for the garage worked out. All the while, I will dream of dahlias blooming next year.<\/p>\n<p>Edit 4.14.2017: My husband purchased a temperature regulated heater to hang near the dahlias, away from the walls. The heater was designed to switch on if the surrounding temperature was below a certain point. This point could be set on the heater.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I had another highly successful year of growing dahlias. Not only did my direct planting experiment work well, but I grew some unexpectedly robust dahlia plants from seed. The only trouble with that was that they didn&#8217;t bloom until a couple of weeks before killing cold weather. This inspired me to dig them up and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[49],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36234\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}