Store the tubers in a basket, paper bag, or cardboard box filled with moist sand, sawdust, peat moss, or vermiculite. Allow the tubers to dry for a few days, then brush off loose soil and trim the stems to about 2 inches (5 cm.). Dig clumps of tubers carefully with a spade or garden fork, then spread them in a single layer in a shady, frost-free location. Zone 7 and below – Trim the dahlia plant to a height of 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm.) after frost has nipped and darkened the foliage.

Protect the tubers by covering the ground with at least 3 or 4 inches (7.5-10 cm.) of bark chips, pine needles, straw, or other mulch. At this point, you can safely cut the dead foliage to 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm.) above the ground.

Zone 8 and 9 – Watch for foliage to die back after the first killing frost in autumn.

Zone 10 and above – If you live in zone 10 or above, you can grow dahlia plants as perennials.

Once you know which zone you’re in, the following tips will help in growing or keeping these plants healthy and happy each year. In order to get the most out of your dahlias, you’ll need to determine your hardiness zone.

If your hardiness zone is 7 or below, you have a choice: either grow dahlias as annuals or dig the tubers and store them until spring. Tender dahlia plants are actually tropical plants and they are perennial only if you live in USDA plant hardiness zone 8 or higher. Perennials are plants that live for at least three years, while tender perennials won’t survive cold winters. Can dahlias be grown as perennials? The answer, again, depends on your climate. Are dahlia flowers annual or perennial? The flamboyant bloomers are classified as tender perennials, which means they may be annual or perennial, depending on your plant hardiness zone.

Dahlia dreamy days