Info on digging up, storing, and separating Dahlia tubers?

[superpony123]

Hi! Noob here. (well, not to gardening, but HERE, yes!)

I've never really worked with dahlias until this year (after falling in love with the big dinnerplate dahlias in the garden at Mohonk in NY!) and now I've got quite a few (6 dinnerplates as well as a number of small and medium sized ones). I want to make sure that when the first freeze comes (I know, not for a while) and it's time to dig the tubers up, I'm doing everything correctly. I've read a little bit on the internet but nothing was very clear.

Enlighten me! What are the best ways to store them? Any preparations?

Thanks

ETA: another little question.

We had an invasion of ants (lasted for about a day, killed the suckers, but they killed one of my little dahlias! we now have ant traps hidden around the garden and it's worked well). I could find out, of course, when I go to dig everything up in the fall, but is there any hope that the tubers are still good for that dahlia? I don't really know what exactly the ants do to kill them, but is there hope that the tubers are not entirely decimated?

[superpony123]

oops! I put this in the wrong section of the forum. shoooot. how do I move this?

[superpony123]

actually, maybe not. I thought I saw a general garden care type of section but I guess I'm mistaken, as I've gone back to look and can't find it.

NEVERMIND THIS POST AND MY OTHER POST!

but please do help out in regards to my OP

[Kisal]

I think you need to wait until the first frost kills the top growth, before you dig the tubers for storage.

I remember my grandmother washed the all the dirt off the tubers with a garden hose, and then let them dry in the shade for a day or so.

She stored them in the basement, in cardboard boxes full of sand. She would pour a couple of inches of sand into the box, carefully lay out the tubers, then cover them with more sand.

[hendi_alex]

Yep, let the tops get killed back. Then dig, clean, and let dry a day or two as per previous post. I stored mine successfully in peat moss, though you will likely lose a small percentage of tubers stored over the winter.