Mary Lynn
Hi, I have a question, I am not a GARDENER - but I did send for some beautiful dahlias - what do I do now? Some are spent, others are still in bloom - shouldn't I be doing something soon? Thank you for your help. Mary Lynn
Marianne
Welcome to growing, and we've all started out as beginners so don't worry. Did you send for the dahlias by mail? Are they now growing in your ground or in pots? If your dahlias are in the ground or in pots and the flowers are spent or fading you should cut the tops of the plants off at ground level. Next I need to know if you live in an area with very cold winters (do you get snow every year?) if so dig up the roots of the dahlias and if they are tuberous dahlias they will have roots that look a bit like skinny potatoes. These are tubers and can be brought indoors for the winter, placed in a cool dry spot and then replanted into the ground in May. If you dig up the roots and find only fibrous or roots that look like skinny spaghetti, then they are not tuberous dahlias and they plants will just die this winter and you can buy new plants in spring after all chance of a frost has passed - usually in May. Now if you live in a mild winter area (it snows just rarely and the winter temp is usually above freezing) you may be able to take a shortcut and just cut the dahlias to the ground and then cover the soil where the roots are with oil cloth or plastic to keep out the rain all winter. This will keep them from rotting. In spring remove the covering and new shoots will bring you new dahlia plants. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
Marianne Binetti
Not only is Marianne terrific as our Ask The Expert columnist, but she also is well renowned in the gardening community, has authored numerous gardening books and currently trains Master Gardeners through out the state of Washington.
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