Dahlia Dig & Divide: A HOE Gardens How-To

Keep in mind when reading this:  There are many ways to divide and store dahlias.  This is the HOE way, but not the only way...

Do You Really Need to Wait for a Frost?
Short answer: nope! You don’t have to wait for a killing frost to start digging up your tubers. What really matters is giving them enough time—at least 120 days of growth—to develop strong, mature tubers that can handle winter storage.

At HOE Gardens (Heaven On Earth Gardens), we usually start digging in November. About a week or two before that, we cut the plants down to encourage eye development. 

If you plan to dig now but divide in spring, skip the rinse! Just dig, dry, and store your clumps as-is. A little dirt won’t hurt—it actually helps protect them over winter.

Now, if you’re on Team Fall Division, here’s the plan: dig up the clumps and give them a gentle rinse with a garden hose. You’ll want to remove enough soil to actually see those eyes—but go easy on the water pressure. We’re cleaning tubers, not pressure-washing the patio.

Step 1: ask yourself, how many tubers of this variety do you want to plant next spring?

Step 2: Trim off all the “hairy bits,” broken necks, and any obvious blind tubers (those that connect to other tubers instead of the crown). If a tuber got a little roughed up during the dig—don’t panic! It’s only a goner if the neck is broken. A clean, straight cut will fix most battle wounds. Tubers don’t need to be perfectly shaped to be viable—they just need a strong neck and an eye. (Kind of like us after a long garden season.)

You can also say goodbye to the mother tuber—she’s the larger, darker one that did all the work this season and is ready for retirement. She’s earned it, but she won’t store well.

Step 3: Carefully remove tubers that have clearly visible eyes.

Step 4: Need more tubers? (The answer is almost always yes.) If so, move on to Step 5. If not, skip ahead to Step 7.

Step 5: Split the clump down the middle. You may need to sacrifice a tuber or two in the process—don’t worry, it’s for the greater good.

Step 6: Gently remove individual tubers that are attached directly to the crown, keeping as much crown tissue as possible with each one.

Step 7: Once you’ve got what you need, toss the rest—you’re officially done dividing!

Step 8: Give your freshly cut tubers a quick spa treatment: dip them in a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) for about 30 seconds. Then let them dry for 24–48 hours before storage.

Step 9 (Optional): Dust all cut ends with Ceylon cinnamon or sulfur powder to help prevent rot and mold. A little sprinkle of spice keeps things nice.

Step 10: Label and store your tubers. Future You will thank Present You for the effort.

Storage Notes:
We prefer storing in fresh potting soil—it’s simple, reliable, and easy to manage. But there are plenty of good options: plastic wrap, wood chips (sawdust works better than large chips), peat moss, vermiculite, or even sand. Use what you have access to!

Just remember: whatever you use, make sure your tubers are completely dry before packing. Any lingering wet spots will rot faster than you can say “spring bloom.”

When shipping internationally (or to certain U.S. states), we can’t use soil, so we use vermiculite instead. It’s clean, safe, and—bonus—it’s reusable. Peat moss and wood shavings, however, are one-and-done.

If you go with vermiculite or peat moss, keep them slightly moist—not wet, just a gentle humidity hug for your tubers.