Question
Dear Sir, I recently purchased a loarge number of Dahlias, they were actually what I would call 'seed' Dahlias, or Dahvinola, They re considered an annual by most folks, howver I have heard that You can 'lift' I think is the term, the plants and remove the tubors and then replant, is this true. I live in Northeastern Oklahoma, and thus the winter is fairly mild. I have had good luck with Dahlias planted from large tubors coming back in Texas, but am new to Oklahoma. Could you please let me know about whether or not I should remove these after the blooming season and save the tubors, or just treat them like an annual, thanks  bob.

Answer
Dahlias can be grown from seed or from tubers. Seed grown tubers will also produce tubers which can be lifted and stored.

For best result, plant your dahlias in full sun and in moisture retentive soil. Fertilize monthly using 10-10-10 fertilizer. In late fall (prior to first frost), cut the top of the dahlia off and leave it like this for 4-6 weeks. Do not fertilize or water then (it is ok if it rains). After 4-6 weeks, use a garden folk to gently lift the tuber. The tuber will have a swollen part with a thin neck attached to the main tuber. Be careful not to cut or break the neck. The tuber has no growing points. The growing point is attached to the central root stock to which the tubers are attached. When cutting the tubers from the central root stock, make sure you get some of the central root stock with it.

Let the tubers dry for a few days and then dust with a fungicide. Then roll the tubers in plastic wrap and store cool and dry (such as 40F, e.g. fridge) for the winter.