Lots of dahlias here! Crittergarden - you can leave the dahlias outside until blackened by frost. If anyone has them in the earth, as I do with all of mine, they have to be lifted in zone 7 and under, soil removed, turned upside down (to drain the water) for three days, then stored for the winter. A friend in Arkansas doesn't have to lift hers but got poor performance this year. I told her they've been growing and need division. I think she found it hard to believe but dug and found many plants so she now has them separated and replanted.
