Sweet Love

Sweet Love Decorative Dahlia tubers can sometimes be left in the ground year-round, but whether this is successful depends largely on your winter climate and soil conditions. Dahlias are not reliably frost hardy, so leaving the tubers outdoors carries some risk. In areas with mild winters and well-drained soil, Sweet Love Decorative Dahlia tubers may survive outdoors, particularly when they are protected with a thick layer of dry mulch. However, cold temperatures combined with wet or waterlogged soil can cause the tubers to rot or freeze. For the best chance of keeping your dahlias for another growing season, dig up the tubers after the foliage has been damaged by frost, allow them to dry, and store them in a cool, dry and frost-free location. If you choose to leave them in the ground, cut back the stems and cover the crown with a generous layer of mulch.

If you forgot to plant your Sweet Love Decorative Dahlia tubers, don't worry — you may still be able to grow them successfully. If it is still spring or early summer and the danger of frost has passed, plant the dormant tubers as soon as possible in a sunny, sheltered location with fertile, well-drained soil. Planting later than recommended may mean your dahlias start flowering later or have a shorter flowering season, but the tubers can still produce healthy plants. If you discover the tubers after the normal planting period, check them carefully before planting. They should feel firm and healthy rather than soft, rotten, or severely dried out. Plant the tubers with their growing points facing upward and water them after planting, but avoid keeping the soil excessively wet. If you have missed the entire growing season, store the healthy tubers in a cool, frost-free place and plant them the following spring.

Sweet Love Decorative Dahlias are not fully frost hardy, so their tubers need protection from freezing temperatures. The plants can tolerate normal outdoor growing conditions during the warmer months, but frost can damage the foliage and freezing conditions can kill the tubers. This is particularly important in regions where winter temperatures regularly fall below freezing. At the end of the growing season, allow the foliage to be affected by the first frost, then cut the stems back. In colder climates, carefully lift the tubers from the ground and allow them to dry before storing them somewhere cool, dry, and completely frost-free until spring. In milder climates with well-drained soil, you can potentially leave Sweet Love Decorative Dahlia tubers in the ground, but they should be protected with a thick layer of dry mulch. Proper winter protection gives your tubers a much better chance of producing healthy new growth the following year.