I bought an unusual black dahlia tuber on the spring bulbs rack at Lowes the other day and am wondering how to store it until it's time to plant. Right now it's still in the little plastic bag with sawdust and I have it in my car, which stays cool but doesn't freeze. Should I go ahead and pot it up and keep it in the cold greenhouse? Wrap the bag in frost cloth and store it somewhere cool? Or what?

When do you plant out your dahlias normally? Usually when I buy mine I pot up right away as I start my dahlias inside so they are in good shape when they finally go out and past the stage the slugs will attack and my bloom season is short. I'm zone 4b and the stores around me don't start selling dahlias usually until March 1 which is usually when I begin potting up and put under my lights.

Storing in the car though cooler - your car can also heat up during the day so it may be cycling through hot and cold and I'd think long term that might not be wise. You also don't want it to dry out and get dehydrated as a result.

I don't know if this will help you out, I'd check your last frost date and if you can grow inside until you plant out that might be good so you don't loose what might have been a nice tuber at time of purchase.

ScarletTricycle said:When do you plant out your dahlias normally? Usually when I buy mine I pot up right away as I start my dahlias inside so they are in good shape when they finally go out and past the stage the slugs will attack and my bloom season is short. I'm zone 4b and the stores around me don't start selling dahlias usually until March 1 which is usually when I begin potting up and put under my lights.

Storing in the car though cooler - your car can also heat up during the day so it may be cycling through hot and cold and I'd think long term that might not be wise. You also don't want it to dry out and get dehydrated as a result.

I don't know if this will help you out, I'd check your last frost date and if you can grow inside until you plant out that might be good so you don't loose what might have been a nice tuber at time of purchase.

Hi ScarletTricycle...I usually pot them up in March as well, and have decided to just bag them in vermiculite for another month or so and keep in the back room where it's cooler. I went back and bought another bag of the tubers to give me a little insurance (they're Verrone's Obsidian if you're curious)
Glad I didn't pot them up last week because we got hit with major snow yesterday!
thanks!

Good to hear! March is coming soon and I long to have blooms. Are you just doing black dahlias in your garden? I got an email from a local dahlia friend - I'll be getting a honka dahlia as she thought I could try it in a pot.

ScarletTricycle said:Good to hear! March is coming soon and I long to have blooms. Are you just doing black dahlias in your garden? I got an email from a local dahlia friend - I'll be getting a honka dahlia as she thought I could try it in a pot.

oh no...I have a couple other dahlias ordered through a local grower that are more sunset-y colors...I just buy the ones that REALLY appeal to me because frankly I find them a lot of work.
Looked at the Honka...it's a similar form to the one I bought, jsy different color...pretty!

Sounds like you'll have pretty colors all together! Enjoy.