Time to Dig and Store Dahlia Tubers and Canna Rhizomes

After a week of heavy rains, we had a sunny yet cool day in northeast Ohio.   The weather was in the fifties and a perfect time to begin my fall clean up chores. Today, I dug up and divided my dahlia tubers and canna rhizomes and tomorrow will harvest the rest of the zinnia seeds.

Since the next couple of days will be sunny but cool, I am going to shred and throw all my perennial clippings and mulched leaves into my vegetable / flower garden and lightly till the plant material into the garden. 

Of course next spring I will do an early tilling and add peat moss, lime, and composted cow manure into the garden.

But let’s go back to the divisions of dahlias and cannas.

These flowers cannot survive an Ohio winter and need to be dug now or after the first light frost which kills the leaves.

Like the sweet potato, dahlias produce tubers, which are actually stems, which will serve as the beginning of the new dahlia plants. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I am recommending that you view  The Colorado Dahlia Society blog which has a great visual description on the digging, cutting and storing of dahlia tubers.
  　
I have not had great success with cannas this year or last but decided to dig them up and try the varieties again next year.  Cannas are actually tropical plants and the blog Cool Tropical Plants . Com has a very good description how to grow, plant, and store canna rhizomes.  

Essentially, both dahlias and cannas need to be stored in a dark cool dry area in a mixture of peat moss or saw dust and not be allowed to dry out or freeze.  The perfect location is in our basement pump room which is generally a cool 60 degrees through the winter. 

Throughout the winter, you should sporadically check the plant tubers and rhizomes to be certain that they are not drying out or rotting.   There are many who would recommend a light dusting of a fungicide on the dahlia bulbs which could help reduce some losses. 

Freshly Dug Dahlia Tubers and Canna Rhizomes