Help a newbie to dahlias, please. I just received several clumps of lovely dahlias, but at present am not sure what I should do with them. Should I store them over the winter? If so, should I separate the tubers? Can I store them in saw dust? Or, is it possible that I can go ahead and plant them now and mulch them well? Please help! I don't want to lose any. TIA.

It makes more sense to me to store them for the winter - if you have a cool 40-50 degree area to keep them. (garage?)

If you don't have a good place to keep them, then maybe plant them, but having really good draining soil is a must, as wet and cold is a sure way to rot them.

I have a garage. We do have wet winters. I am afraid that they may rot if I plant them this late. What do I need to do in order to store them as clumps?

Store them in slightly, very slightly - damp peat moss or vermiculite, in boxes. Air tight plastic storage bins may trap to much moisture, so cardboard, or something with vent holes is better.

for your help. I have plenty of med. grade vermiculite, so I'll use that in the cardboard box they came in to store them in my garage.

I'm not a dahlia expert, but I have about 10 that I've had for eight or so years. I have never dug them for winter; I have dug them only to move them from my old home to the new one where I currently reside. I have never lost any of mine

I live in Aiken county, so I expect you would be able to do the same since we're practically neighbors.

That being said, if someone that is an expert suggests digging them for better growth habits or increasing flowers, I would certainly consider it. I just know that it is not a must for the weather we have in our part of the state.

If you check back through some of the posts, you will see some of my pictures from this year's blooms.
Hope this helps,
Regina

Thanks for your input, Regina. I will definitely go back through the threads and look for photos of your blooms.