Are there any dahlia growers out there? If so, I need your help!
Earlier this year I bought 3 dahlia plants at the local nursery and now I’m hooked. I am kicking myself for throwing away the plant tags because I really like the ones I have {and want more!}.
I planted them early this summer and they are STILL blooming! I can’t believe it. All I did was water them and deadhead the blooms. That’s it.
The flowers just won’t stop! And now that I know how insanely easy dahlias are to grow, I want to know:
1. How and when do I dig up and store the tubers?
2. Where do you recommend I shop for dahlia tubers online?
Is it too late to order dahlia tubers for the spring? What are the websites I should be looking at and what kind of dahlias have you had great success with?
Are there varieties that are easier to grow than others? I’d like to have some for cutting flowers and some on the sides of the fence to display all summer {and apparently fall} long.
I’m on the hunt for pale pinks, salmon, and coral colored ones.
If you grow dahlias, I’d love to know more!
~Mavis
Mary says
Ask Dahlia Dill at Chandler Pond Farm in South Wheelock VT , the most amazing farm !
Maria says
I store my dahlias in paper bags in our basement, in an unheated room. I don’t rinse them after digging them up, so there is always a little soil left on them.
I usually dig them up right after the first frost, depending on the weather.
I love “Preference” and “Penhill Watermelon”.
Christa H. says
I buy dahlias at Costco in the spring and they are a great price for a good sized bag of multiple tubers I think around $16-18. I have also bought at “Swan Island Dahlias” online to get more rare varieties. They come stamped with the name on them but are $$$. I get blooms from May to November and cut them to bring inside for bathroom counter and kitchen sink bouquets.
I have also collected my own seeds to create my own varieties that cross with one another.
I am in the Piedmont area of NC and I don’t need to dig mine up in the late fall to store properly, but you would. I’ll dig to divide when needed.
Be sure you plant in full sun, 6″ deep, and in very well draining soil with compost added in so you don’t get rot.
Swan Island has growing guides on their site that are well done.
HollyG says
Swan Island Dahlias (not on Swan Island any more) is just about 30 south of us. It’s beautiful in the summertime.
Sandy says
I love going to Swan Island Dahlias ever year! It’s just lovely to walk through all the flowers. Have you ever seen the “Unicorn” ponies? 🙂
maureen detmer says
dahlias are easy, peasy. they grow well into the first frost. most beautiful and abundant in the fall. after a hard frost just cut back the wilted greens, dry the tubers for a few days and i store in my basement overwinter. i used to put some dried leaves and pine needles and a little soil around them, but don’t bother with that now and they seem to wether fine. couldn’t tell what that variety is, i just usually pick up packets at home depot or lowes in the spring, there are always plenty to choose from. the tubers get larger each year and you just divide.
Diane says
I would show a picture of the dahlia to the nursery where you bought them. Whoever orders the inventory might recognize the picture or can give you a list of the ones they ordered and you can look them up to find a match. That pink one looks really pretty with the yellow streaks in it.
Sue says
This is the best suggestion–the nursery knows what stock they ordered and will at least be able to narrow it down. Especially if you bring in a bloom (plus leaves) for them to examine.
My guess, aided by Google image search, is ‘Otto’s Thrill’. It seems to be a common nursery stock.
Nora says
Dahlias are to be dug up after the first frost, but before the frost reaches the ground. This way the plant dies down naturally and the tubers „knows“ when to stop sending water and nutrients upwards.
Store them cool, dark and dry – paperbags or single layer in (wooden) boxes, if stored in boxes – a little newspaper, dry leaves or sand prevents drying out. No need to wash them, a little soil or sand on them is okay.
Lived near Engelhard (famos gröber and in Germany – but they don’t sell anymore.
cat says
I’m sure there are growers in the states but whistling prairie flowers has some of the most gorgeous seeds for sale in Saskatchewan.
Meg C says
Dahlia enthusiast here! &, yes, they seem to bloom forever!
I cut my dahlias down (leaving about 6″ of stem) and let them be for about 2 weeks prior to digging them up and storing them. A previous comment said to do this after first frost and before frost reaches the ground, I agree! Also, if you have them in pots at all, you need to cut those down first and get them out before the first frost or the soil will be too frozen to work with (experience is a great teacher lol).
Once I dig them up, I clean the access dirt & critters (mostly worms) off of them and store them in gallon size ziploc bags with the tubers submerged in dry peat moss. I then store them in my basement (65* year round) in lidded boxes so that light does not get into the boxes.
When spring comes back around, I take them out usually the 2nd or 3rd week of May to plant directly in the ground. Your tubers will have little live nodes or actual sprouts on them by early-April, if you choose to check on them. Some growers will mist them over the winter so they don’t dry out and shrivel up. Also, there are some great youtube tutorials on dividing the tubers if you need to do so prior to planting.
One of my bestest friends is a dahlia farmer and taught me all I know. 🙂 I’ve found dahlias are a bit of an addiction — they are so gorgeous and there are so many varieties, it’s hard to not want to collect them all!
Bea says
Swan Island Dahlias in Woodburn, Oregon has huge fields and you can order a catalog or go online. They are accepting orders right now for spring 2026. The website has photos of all flowers – extensive variety. You won’t be disappointed!
Gigi says
I bought dahlia seeds this year and it was fun to see what got. Sarah’s Cottage Creations has a pretty selection and a fun flower CSA.
Jean C says
The website has a terrific “dahlia finder” feature – with photos of 300 + dahlias. Click on a photo and it gives you more info about that variety (color, height, diameter of the bloom and type of bloom). You should be able too find your variety there – or at least something very close. The names of the various dahlias are hilarious in some cases.
Diana near Atlanta says
Your post brought back a memory of me (age ~12) standing in a November Michigan sleet storm waiting for Mom to dig out dahlia bulbs then hand them to me to take in the house. Fun times!
As for new dahlias, check YT channel “Garden Answer” for ones that she used to grow. Had a whole cutting garden dedicated to them and she went over them all – where she got them and had pros and cons. She doesn’t do it any longer because the biggest cons were having to dig them out each year and the staking of them. Too much work when you’re working with acres of gardens. She also had trouble with thrips.
Here in GA, since the ground doesn’t freeze, I don’t have to dig mine up. I have a lovely white dinner plate one that has survived several years that needs dividing. I would be happy to send you some if you would like it.
Mrs. M says
Dahlia enthusiasts: did you know the USPS post office has Dahlia stamps right now? They came out this year and are very pretty!
Katherine says
Take a look on Etsy to see what Dahlia’s are available there. I’ve had only good luck with my plant orders.
Christie says
What is the name of the green hydrangea with the blushing tips in the last photo? It’s beautiful.
Mavis Butterfield says
It is a Bloomstruck endless summer hydrangea. They All of them are except the dusty pink one in the back. The blooms are crazy colorful this time of year. It really depends on the soil.
Jeri says
I’ve found a facebook page for Nestledown Dahlias based out of Westhampton, NY. She has many videos that cover any questions you might have, from planting, growing, pinching, digging (or not to dig), dividing and storing. Really good and informative
Jean C says
Google Dahlia Hill (located in Michigan ). They are a no -profit, volunteer based organization and have a great “dahlia finder” on their website.
Delma says
Raising 6 kiddos meant our garden had work to do in the way of providing food. About the time the last kiddo went to college a new neighbor moved in who built an enormous cut flower garden. What the heck? It’s job is to just be pretty? Crazy. So, in turn she introduced me to dahlias. Oh my. Your local library might have all of Erin Benzakein’s books. She has a couple on cut flower gardening and one dedicated to just Dahlias. She has a flower farm in Washington state, a website for buying tubers, and had a documentary on the Magnolia Network. Try googling Floret Farms. Good luck!
Tanya says
No gardening wisdom here but oh what great memories you brought back with the dahlia pictures this year. I was born and raised in the PNW but now live in Southern Florida. ALL the years growing up my mom had dahlias. In Washington she never dug them up (only when it was time to divide them) She had small ones and the dinner plate variety (big as a toddlers head). Every year in grade school in the 70’s she would send me to school with a bouquet of dahlias for my teacher. Thanks for the memories! 🙂