How I’m Lifting, Dividing and Storing Dahlia Tubers This Year
A little look at the process I’ve used this season — of course it’s a bit methodical, definitely muddy, and built for this farm, this scale, and this climate.
The Work of the Season
The flowers are long finished, the rows cleared, and the cold is settling in. We’ve had a few sub-zero nights already, and the rhythm has long shifted from bloom to harvest—this time, underground.
I’ve finished lifting all of this season’s dahlia tubers—batch by batch, bed by bed. While the soil doesn’t freeze here, the early cold is enough to signal it’s time to move. And with everything out of the ground, the focus turns to dividing, storing, and getting ready for what comes next.
Lifting the Clumps
Each clump is lifted once the plant has fully died back and while the soil is workable. I use a garden fork to loosen around the plant and gently lift from underneath, taking care not to slice through the tubers or snap necks.
Every plant is pre-labelled while it’s in bloom—so by the time they’re lifted, I already have accurate identification and variety tracking in place. As they come out, the clumps go into ventilated crates, soil still on, I didn’t wash immediately.
Instead, the crates are stacked into the cooler—a consistently cold, dark space with stable humidity. It’s been ideal for preventing both drying out and freezing as the temperatures dip.
Dividing Tools and Timing
Of course the washing is the least fun, though I look pretty funny with the visor, long plastic apron that finishes just at the top of the gum boots, allowing the odd dribble in and a slightly tipped up table for run off. I decided on the visor as I had to learn the hard way that back splash is really messy and if you don’t blink you get a face full of muck.... oh, and I double glove, insulated gloves with extra large rubber gloves over top…
I wash section by section and once they are cleaned up I divided each variety —working through the crates as time allowed, rather than rushing the job all at once. There are other farm jobs to be done so I was able to set my pace.
For tools, I use:
- Needle nose secateurs for precision
- Felco No. 2 for general division
- A multi tool for the giant clump division
- And, Milwaukee pruning shears for thicker, woody stems
Tubers are assessed for firmness, neck integrity, and structure. Anything soft, shrivelled or broken is discarded. The goal is clean, healthy divisions with at least one visible eye, strong neck, and solid body.
All of the tubers are kept sorted by variety and prepped for packing.
Storage Setup
Once divided, tubers are stored in ventilated crates lined with damp newspaper and fresh wood shavings from the local feed store (used for horse bedding). It’s simple, clean, and provides a good balance of air circulation and moisture retention.
The crates are stacked in the cooler until sale or planting, and I check on them regularly to make sure everything stays stable. I’m more concerned about drying out than rotting at this point as anything that was dubious went in the compost and I’ve made sure that nothing is touching within each layer.
What’s Coming
About 30% of this year’s stock goes into early release. These are divisions that are cleaned, sorted, labelled, and ready to post—selected for shape, quality, and performance. They are still held until spring when I’ll see the viable eyes before sending them to their new homes.
The rest will be held for a second sale in spring, after pre-orders have been fulfilled and planting stock finalised. This staggered approach gives me the flexibility to offer more without risking shortfalls come next season. And, it’s important for me to honour my existing orders and take care of this little community.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of ways to divide and store dahlias—but this is what’s working here, on this farm, this winter. It’s a system that fits the climate, the volume, and the quality standards I’m aiming for. There’s still refinement ahead, but the foundations feel solid.
I’ll share another post walking through how I prep and plant dahlia tubers, what I’ve learned about spacing and staking, and how I care for them as they grow. But for now, it’s all about storage, patience, and watching the crates fill up.
Oh, and I’ve been on the sales spree cycle too - I’ve found some lovely new additions to add to the collection and am really looking forward to broadening my offerings in the coming seasons.