SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

  • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Features
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Gardening
    • How to Start a Garden: Especially if you’re in Zone 3 or Zone 2
    • Seed Starting
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Perennials
    • Cut Flowers
    • Small Space Gardening
  • Recipes
    • Canning
    • Preserving
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • The Best Pumpkin Recipes
    • How to Make a Tempting Christmas Cookie Tray (Plus Recipes!)
  • Popular Posts
  • E-Books
    • Pretty & Practical Garden Planner
    • Cut Flowers Made Simple
    • Constant Colour Perennial Garden
    • Small Garden, Big Harvest
    • Growing Roots Online Gardening Course
    • Frost Proof Flower Garden
    • Bouquets Made Beautiful
    • Savvy Seed Saving Annual Cut flowers
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • Online Gardening Consultations
  • Seasons
    • Christmas

How to Overwinter Dahlias in Cold Climates

September 23, 2019

Dahlias are arguably one of the most beautiful cut flowers to grow, but they can be one of the trickiest to overwinter in cold climates, such as my zone 3 garden in the Canadian Prairies. If not stored properly, dahlia tubers can either rot or dry out–destroying your precious dahlias!! And let’s be real, a Cafe au Lait dahlia tuber is not cheap and you don’t want that baby to die on you. In this post, I’ll show you how to take care of your dahlias over winter, so they come back again next Spring.

P.S. A special thanks to Chantelle of City Girl Flower Farm for letting me photograph her beautiful dahlias.

Want to see what overwintered dahlia tubers (and gladiolus corms) overwintered correctly looks like? Watch this video:

Can’t I just keep my dahlias in the Ground over Winter?

Unless you live in zone 8 or higher, you can not keep dahlia tubers in the ground over winter. If you do, they will rot and become compost. In fact, you must dig them out before the first hard frost, and it’s better if you can get them out shortly after the first hard frost.

Dahlias need to be stored in the darkness in a heated garage or cool (but not freezing!) basement. You’ll also need a container to store them in, such as a flat cardboard box or large plastic container.

Label Dahlias before the First Frost

Once there is a risk of frost in the forecast, label the plants by tying survey tape or some other label around the very bottom of the stem. You need to do this step before the first frost so you can see every dahlia and know what it is. Unless you have a large flower farm where every section is already labelled, you will not remember what dahlia is which once frost hits and they are all shrivelled up.

Take note of what height the dahlias are if you have a bunch that are of varying heights.

Remove dahlias shortly after a hard frost

Once a hard frost has hit, trim off the stems, leaving 10 cm/4 inches or a bit less. Dig out the dahlia with a shovel, brush off the dirt, and let it dry for a day or two. Let them dry in a spot that gets no direct sun or frost.

While the typical wisdom says to remove dahlias after the first hard frost (around -5 degrees Celsius), the weather in Saskatchewan and other cold climates is not typical and you should use your best judgement.

Related: The 36 Best Flowers for a Cut Flower Garden

There are years that we’ve had surprise -30 temperatures in October. Maybe you have a lot of dahlias to remove and are short on time. If you can’t get your dahlias out shortly after that first hard frost, it’s better to start removing them shortly after the first light frost, than risk time getting away from you and the weather getting too cold.

How cold is too cold? There’s no simple answer, but consider this–Dahlias can survive a frost or two if the ground is still warm. I’d be worried if my dahlias were exposed to multiple nights of -4 to -10 degrees Celsius outdoors. And finally, a frozen dahlia tuber is a dead dahlia tuber.

Again, use your best judgement and err on the side of caution.

How to Store Dahlias So They Bloom next Year

There are a couple of different methods for storing dahlias so they survive the winter in your basement. No method is better than another, pick one that you feel is most convenient for you.

  1. Wrap in Plastic: Place clean and labelled dahlias in a plastic grocery bag or black garbage bag. Do not tie the bag shut–you still want there to be some airflow. Place the bag in a cardboard box, making sure that the dahlias stay dark.
  2. Place the dahlias in a container with moist (but not wet!) peat moss, growing mix, or vermiculite–or a combination of all three. It doesn’t matter which one you choose. Cover loosely with a black plastic bag to keep it dark.
  3. Are your dahlias in containers? You can just trim the stem, cover the dahlia loosely so it is dark and there is still airflow, and store the whole container in the basement. You could also store it in an attached garage as long as the temperature doesn’t go below freezing.

Get our easy beginner cut flower garden plan

    We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.
    Powered By ConvertKit

    Don’t set and forget–Check your dahlia tubers once a month.

    Caring for dahlias over the winter is not a set it and forget it proposition. Each month, you must uncover your dahlias to check and see if they have rotted or are starting to dry out. Ideally, your dahlia tubers should remain plump through out the winter.

    The key to preserving dahlia tubers over Winter: Darkness and Slight Moisture

    Dahlias are a bit of a diva when it comes to winter storage. They need utter darkness, and conditions that are moist, but not watery. The best way to achieve this is to mist them with water before storing them, and then to mist them again every month or two if they look like they’re starting to dry out.

    Don’t set your boxes of dahlias directly on a cement floor. The cement will steal the moisture and dry them out.

    Related: How to Grow a Floret-Style Cut Flower Garden on the Cheap

    If your dahlia tubers dry out over the winter, you can try to revive them by soaking them for an hour or two in a bowl of water, or giving them a generous misting. I’ve heard varying results on the internet about whether this works or not, but it’s worth a try.

    You can also just try and plant the dried out tuber directly into the ground in Spring. You might get lucky and it will grow.

    Get a head start on Your Dahlia Flowers in Spring

    The following instructions are best suited to my zone 3 climate in Saskatchewan, Canada, but can easily be adapted for zones 2-5. I’m assuming a last frost date of approximately May 21st.

    When you live in a place with a short growing season (90-100 days) you need to get a head start on growing your dahlias. Dahlias typically bloom from mid-to-late August and through September. If you get your tubers in late and there’s an early frost, you might not even get any blooms. (Ask me how I know!!)

    I bring my dahlias out from storage in mid to late April, mist them with water if they need it, and put them under a grow light or on a window ledge. A south facing window is best, but an East or West facing window will do. Most tubers start to get green shoots in about a week or so.

    If you have tubers that don’t get any green bits, don’t worry. You can still plant them and they will still grow once you put them outside. I would also try planting any tuber that look dried up on the off chance that they’ll survive. Don’t plant any tubers that have gone moldy.

    Once all risk of frost has past, take your tubers out to the garden and plant them. You’ll be rewarded with beautiful dahlias at the end of the season.

    Planting and overwintering dahlias is a bit of extra work, but the gorgeous blooms are well worth the effort. Will you grow dahlias this year?

    Get our easy beginner cut flower garden plan

      We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at anytime.
      Powered By ConvertKit
      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      10 Comments
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: annual flowers, dahlia, storage, tubers, winter

      Simple Tips to Easily Air-Dry Fresh Herbs at Home

      May 17, 2019

      Do you love cooking with a wide variety of herbs in your kitchen or use them for homemade remedies? Then you know very well how expensive herbs can be. Before I got into the whole growing and drying herbs, I used to regularly buy small quantities of a variety of fresh ones—or whenever I needed it for a specific recipe. But they always went rancid fast before I used it all up. Sometimes I was able to prolong their freshness by wrapping them in a paper towel. Even the price of tiny bottles of dried organic herbs can run high.

      Today I grow and dry most of my own. Because it is not only easy and much more economical, but I also get to enjoy them year round. If you are interested in how I started growing herbs then also read What I’ve Learned from my First Mini Herb Garden in zone 7b.

      This time I want to share how to best air-dry fresh herbs whether they come from your garden or are store-bought. It still is the cheapest and most uncomplicated method to produce flavorful dry herbs that last you quite long. So, let’s start and throughout I will provide some of my experiences on how to best maintain their flavors.

      Air drying is the best way to dry herbs easily.  Good to know next time I'm processing dried herbs!

      Preserving Herbs

      Dried versus Fresh

      I love using fresh herbs more often during warmer seasons. Luckily most of them grow well throughout the summer. So I’ll often resort to drying them when I have a sizeable end-of-season harvest.  Well, a lot of it also goes to neighbors!

      As someone who uses fresh and dried herbs often and interchangeably in my kitchen, I can tell you that the flavors and aroma of dried herbs are always somewhat different than fresh ones as is to be expected.

      Dried herbs might lose moisture and some of its characteristics, but whatever flavors remain are much stronger. Because they are packed with a more concentrated taste, don’t expect to use them the same way as fresh ones.

      Note: if you are not familiar with using dried herbs in your kitchen, know that a little goes a long way. They are three to four times stronger than fresh herbs. Sometimes people think that their dried herbs have little taste because they add it at the end of a recipe as you usually would with fresh herbs. Instead, add them at the beginning of your cooking (or during) to slowly release their aromas and build up the flavors.

      A Basic Drying Process

      Air-drying herbs is straightforward, easy and a pretty cheap way to preserve them. It doesn’t require much of your attention either, but the gentler you are with the whole process, the less flavor you will lose. I have noticed that if you keep the shape of the leaves and allow them to air-dry the natural way slowly, you will retain more of their essential oils which means more flavor and better quality.

      It is true that herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and sage dry well and reasonably quickly. That is because most of their leaves have a small surface area and less moisture. However, I did also have success with drying herbs that have flat softer leaves and a higher moisture content like basil, mint, and parsley.

      A note on parsley: from all the herbs that I have dried, I ‘ve found that parsley retains the least of its beautiful, distinct taste and almost becomes bland. It is excellent to have on hand when you need to garnish your dishes and add some green, but I prefer fresh parsley over dried anytime.

      I love growing herbs in my garden but I never know how to preserve them so they still taste good.  I can't believe how easy it is to preserve herbs with air drying--although there's more to it than meets the eye.  This post has lots of good tips. #herbs #air #drying #preserving

      Preparing herbs for drying

      If you have fresh store-bought herbs, gently wash and carefully pat dry them first. If you are harvesting your own, here are a couple of tips to lock in their flavors:

      1. Harvest them before the plant flowers. After doing some research and with some trial and error, I’ve learned that the oil content and taste of plants are better before they have started flowering.
      2. Try pruning them around mid-morning when the dew has dried but before it becomes too hot. I have tested this a couple of times, and it is true that herbs are more tender and fresh at the beginning of the day and therefore in better condition to prepare them for drying.
      3. Gently cut away only the best parts of the plant that you plan to dry immediately. You want to use the leaves that are in good shape and can preserve the maximum amount of flavor and oils.
      4. Shake off any excess dirt or insects outside. Then bring them in and give them a little rinse. But not too much otherwise you can strip them from their natural oils.
      5. Gently pat-dry them with a clean towel and remove as much moisture as possible. Then spread out on a large serving platter lined with kitchen or paper towels and place in a warm spot but out of any direct sunlight.

      You can also use a large baking tray, wooden board or just your kitchen table if you plan to dry a lot at once. It allows the herbs to further dry up after rinsing and before working them in batches (just for about an hour.) It helps if you do this with herbs that have broad leaves such basil or mint. There is less chance that way that they mold.

      Note: I have noticed that herbs from your garden preserve more of their flavor once dried than the ones you get from the store.

      I love growing herbs in my garden but I never know how to preserve them so they still taste good.  I can't believe how easy it is to preserve herbs with air drying--although there's more to it than meets the eye.  This post has lots of good tips. #herbs #air #drying #preserving

      Air-drying herbs

      In Bundles

      When you air-dry herbs in bundles, it takes about two to three weeks before they are totally dry. But it requires little to no maintenance, it is effortless to store, and it can look beautiful in your kitchen or pantry. Here is what to do:

      1. Make small bundles and tie their stems together with any twine, string or cotton thread. I avoid making large bouquets of herbs because they are harder to dry and can mold more easily.
      2. Hang upside down using (painters) tape to attach the string to the wall, a pantry closet, kitchen cabinet. Just make sure that it is in a dry and warm place, but away from sunlight.
      3. Check from time to time for signs of mold or mildew.

      Note: Bouquets of dried herbs also make for a beautiful gift for friends or family!

      In a large Basket

      An alternative option is to place them on paper towels in a large basket and cover them with paper bags poked with some holes for lots of air circulation. Then place it on top of cupboards in your kitchen to dry there for several weeks. Check regularly and turn them around if needed. It is a more suitable method if you tend to dry smaller amounts of herbs.

      Note: this is also how my grandmother would dry old bread for several days before transforming it into bread crumbs.

      Air drying herbs is so easy and it preserves the flavour better for storage.

      Tips on how to store dried herbs

      Once dry, I crumble the herbs with clean fingers, and I discard any thick stems. It is best to store it in small individual airtight containers. I like to reuse empty store-bought dried herb bottles with tightfitting lids. I keep the jars in a cool dark place like a kitchen cabinet, pantry or drawer. It will hold between 6 to 12 months. Of course, the sooner you use them, the more flavor they have.

      Because I use a lot of herbs, I often leave the dried cute bundles hanging in my pantry and cut off what I need.

      There is something special about opening a jar of dried herbs from your garden or having beautiful aromatic herb bouquets hanging in your pantry! And if dried well and with a little care, their flavors are amazing.

      I love growing herbs in my garden but I never know how to preserve them so they still taste good.  I can't believe how easy it is to preserve herbs with air drying--although there's more to it than meets the eye.  This post has lots of good tips. #herbs #air #drying #preserving

      Have you dried herbs at home before and used a different method that works well for you? Please share it with us in the comments and let us in on your secrets!

      Mariska Ramondino

      I love the challenge of creating and learning new things whether that is making original healthy meals for my family in the kitchen, working on home projects or learning how to tend my garden better. If I did not live in a suburban area, I would have a flock of chickens.

      www.mychefsapron.com

      3 Comments
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: air drying, drying, Herbs, Preserving, storage

      How to Harvest and Preserve Onions

      August 27, 2017

      Harvesting and preserving onions is one of the easier late-summer-early-fall gardening chores that you will do.  If done right, you’ll have onions well into March.

      [Read more…]

      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      14 Comments
      Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: Autumn, fall, Garden, garden chores, garden harvest, Gardening, harvest, late summer, Onions, Saskatchewan, storage, tips, tricks, tutorial, video

      What’s it Like to Downsize to a smaller house?

      April 2, 2017

      My husband and I have owned 4 different houses in our 10 years of marriage. Yes, we are crazy. Like most people, we started out in a smaller 1000 sqft home, moved up to 1250, and then up again to 1350. We realized that we were only really using half of our living space. We also only have one child and are unlikely to expand our family. So why were we paying for all that extra space? (Point made–a family of six rents out our 1350 sqft house.) We decided to downsize and haven’t looked back.

      What’s it like? Could you do it? Here’s what it’s like to downsize in your young-family years.
      [Read more…]

      Kristen Raney

      Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

      www.shiftingroots.com

      13 Comments
      Filed Under: 1929 house, Compromises, Renovation, Small Space Living Tagged: Decluttering, living, organization, small house, small space, storage

      Grow roots with us

      • Email
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

      Welcome!

      Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

      P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

      Recent Posts

      • How to Grow Eucalyptus for Cut Flowers (Even in a Short Growing Season!)
      • 26 Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements
      • 17 Perennial Flowers That Love Shade
      • How to Design a Cut Flower Garden in Raised Beds
      • How to Start a Cut Flower Garden

      Welcome!

      Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

      Connect with Shifting Roots On. . .

      • Email
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

      Find What You’re Looking For. . .

      Privacy Policy

      Got the seed starting itch? There's some things y Got the seed starting itch?  There's some things you can actually seed start now and you won't end up with crazy leggy seedlings and endless problems.  In fact, these plants require that you start now, and need to be started in zone 3 by the end of February at the absolute latest.⁠
⁠
I've already started some lisianthus and eucalyptus, and am waiting on my seed orders to start some more.⁠
⁠
If you're starting a luffa sponge, make sure you have some sort of eventual plan for the vine.  last year mine went over my fall windows before I was able to take them outdoors.⁠
⁠
P.S. I've actually never started onions from seed, so if anyone wants to chin in about their experience, feel free!
      Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year? Growing eucalyptus for the first time this year?  A new post is on the blog to walk you through it.  While in theory eucalyptus is easy to grow, it's challenging in my zone 3 garden for three reasons: ⁠
⁠
➡️It needs a long time to mature⁠
➡️I have a short growing season⁠
➡️I live in a cool climate, and eucalyptus grows better when its warm.⁠
⁠
That said, you can see by this picture that it can be done!!⁠
⁠
Are you growing eucalyptus this year?
      Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums Oh friends, if any of my nice, curated photos sums up how this last week went, I think it's this one.  Babies crying, trying to stay calm, outwardly looking like it's all under control, but feeling very overwhelmed.⁠
⁠
This post isn't gardening related, so feel free to scroll by if you're here only for the gardening content.⁠
⁠
Thankfully it's January, and I keep reminding myself that the Internet will not break if I don't keep to my self-imposed posting schedule.  But it doesn't make a week full of teething-and-not-sleeping baby any easier. ⁠
⁠
Felicity slept through the night for the first time ever last Monday, then proceeded to punish us with frequent wakings and terrible sleep until Saturday.  And as tough as this is in regular times, in Covid times its extra frustrating because I don't have my village.⁠
⁠
I can't just call up another Mama friend and go for coffee at her house.  I can't take my son out for a Mommy-and-Dominic date because everything he'd want to do isn't really much of an option.  There's no playgroup or play place to just drop in on.  And forget just taking everybody out to get groceries just for a change of scenery.⁠
⁠
I know people have way more serious problems than this, and I hope I don't sound whiny and entitled, it's not my intention.  Please know that I'm very grateful for my family and job and that so far we've been healthy. ⁠
⁠
A lot of you who follow me do so in part because you are also juggling life with very little people through this strange time.  I hope that in occasionally sharing my struggles, it makes you feel better about your struggles. (You're struggling too sometimes. . . right?)
      Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth deg Do you tend to plan out your garden to the nth degree, do you just wing it, or are you somewhere in-between?⁠
⁠
I tend to plan it all out, and then when I actually get out in the field, so to speak, the plan changes a little bit. ⁠
⁠
If you need a garden planner that's both pretty & practical, my garden planner is available in the ebooks section.  It's only $9 and has lots of upgrades from the previous planner.  Use code CANADA if you're Canadian to account for the exchange.⁠
⁠
P.S. You can see exactly what you're getting in the video--no surprises. ⁠
P.P.S  I get my planner bound and printed at a printing place.  Lots of people just print their own and put the sheets in a binder.
      Are you gardening in containers this year? When y Are you gardening in containers this year?  When you're shopping for vegetable seeds, look for varieties that have names with words like patio, tiny, small, etc.  While lots of vegetable varieties will do fine in a container, you'll have an easier time with ones that are specifically bred for that situation.⁠
⁠
📸 by @blushbrandphotography
      I'm living the pepper dream in this photo. While I'm living the pepper dream in this photo.  While these ones are a bit on the small side, who doesn't want ripe peppers in July in zone 3?!?! ⁠
⁠
Over the years I've gotten better at growing peppers, and I promise I'll spill my secrets in February when it's actually time to start them.  Until then, get yourself all or one of my four favourite varieties: ⁠
⁠
🌶️Carmen⁠
🌶️Escamillo⁠
🌶️Candy Stripe⁠
🌶️Hungarian Hot Wax⁠
⁠
Do you have a favourite pepper variety?⁠
⁠
      Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately? It Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately?  It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed, especially if you're new to gardening.  Why are there so many varieties of everything and which ones do I choose?⁠
⁠
Here's how I try to narrow it down.⁠
⁠
🌤️ Short growing season like me?  Try and prioritize varieties that have short dates to maturity.⁠
🥗 What do you or your family actually eat?  While I think you should always try a couple of new things, there's no sense in planting a giant garden filled with vegetables that you're not going to cook with. ⁠
🥒 Do you care whether your vegetables are heirlooms or hybrids?  Heirlooms are the kind that have been around for 50+ years and you can save seeds from.  Believe it or not, this year we're prioritizing hybrids for some of our garden.  The Hermit @mgsraney is obsessed with production this year, so anything that's going in "his" greenhouse better be able to produce a lot.  I'm using more heirlooms in my "glamour garden" as we call it, because I want things that are pretty and I can save seeds from.⁠
⁠
What do you prioritize when you're picking out seeds?⁠
      Load More… Follow on Instagram

      Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2021

      Copyright © 2021 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in