Lift and store dahlia tubers over winter

Use this guide in autumn once the first frost has blackened your dahlia foliage. You need a garden fork, secateurs, labels and a pen, shallow trays or crates, and dry compost, sand or wood shavings for storage.

Step by step

1. Decide whether to lift or leave

   In milder areas with free-draining soil, many gardeners leave dahlias in the ground under a thick mulch of about 10–15cm of compost, bark or straw. In cold areas, heavy clay or anywhere that stays wet in winter, tubers often rot, so lifting is safer. Tubers in pots can simply be moved, pot and all, to a frost-free shed or garage and kept dry. If you have a prized or expensive variety, lift it regardless to reduce the risk.