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Lifting Dahlias and Cannas

Doogie72Doogie72 Posts: 62
in Plants

Hello.  Hopefully a quick question.  I'm a beginner gardener.  This year I planted some dahlias and Cannas for the first time.  Can someone advise me.  Is it essential that I lift these?  In which case do I wait until all the foliage has died back or do I lift them now.  Also any advice how to store them over winter?

I live in the South West, they are planted in a sunny South facing border near to the house so are quite sheltered.

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,196

    Hi Doogie. I think that you could leave the dahlias where they are as long as you can protect them with a nice deep mulch. If it were me I wouldn't leave the cannas though. I am just about to bring in my dahlias to dry them off - I'm in the North West so won't risk it. The frost has already zapped their foliage. I'll leave them in their pots until they are bone dry and that should be enough.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Chrissy the gardenerChrissy the gardener Posts: 1,072

    I live in the south west as well and I grow my cannas in large tubs and bring them in, I store them nearly dry in the pots in the summer house. I did leave some in the ground to see if they would over winter but no success so be sure and bring them in.

    Dahalias I leave in the ground with a thick mulch on them, I feel they make better plants if you don't keep lifting them.

    Im  on free draining soil if your soil is clay you will proberly have to lift your dahlias they will rot if they are standing in water.

  • Doogie72Doogie72 Posts: 62

    Thanks guys.  I think I may lift them all to be on the safe side.

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