Tiny Tubers, Winter Growing, and Dahlia Storage Tips

**Tiny Tubers, Winter Growing, and Dahlia Storage Tips** **Dahlia Farm Hotline: End-of-Season Burnout, Storage Supplies, and Winter Growing Decisions** Danlye from Vynehill in Minnesota and Christin from Black Penny Farms in Ohio talk through the end-of-season mindset: frost uncertainty, burnout, seed collecting, and how to make practical decisions before storage season begins. They also cover what to buy now, what to leave until spring, and whether bringing plants indoors for winter growing is worth the workload. **In this episode** - The emotional ups and downs of the dahlia season winding down - Simple storage options, including shoeboxes and bulb crates - Christin’s system for storing a large collection of varieties - Why small tubers and pot tubers - are worth keeping - What to consider before bringing greenery indoors for winter - Whether to buy tubers now or wait for spring - The work involved in winter growing - Practical tasks to tackle before storage season **Timestamps** 00:00 — The Dahlia Farm Hotline kicks off 00:38 — End-of-season burnout and frost anxiety 03:43 — Minnesota’s delayed frost changes the plan 05:22 — Content-day ideas and reducing mental load 07:16 — Your content style doesn’t have to stay the same 09:18 — Reusing content without starting from scratch 12:06 — What to do now to prepare for storage 13:34 — Christin’s shoebox storage system 15:13 — Using bulb crates for oversized clumps 16:42 — Saving hard-to-divide tuber clumps for spring 17:24 — Markers, flagging tape, and ordering supplies early 18:58 — Why cut-resistant gloves are a must 21:07 — Bringing greenery indoors for winter growing 24:20 — Christin’s dip method and pest control 26:44 — Why avoiding green material is usually best 31:17 — Should you buy tubers now or wait until spring? 35:28 — The workload of winter growing 37:37 — Don’t start cuttings too early 39:23 — How small is too small to store? 43:15 — Big tubers, rot risk, and the case for tiny tubers 46:33 — Planting small tubers in clumps or multiples 49:39 — Pot tubers as an easy-to-store option 51:28 — Homework: tag, sort, store, and plan **Key takeaways** - Store the tubers you want to keep—not just the ones that look perfect. - If you’re new to storage, consider waiting until spring to buy more tubers. - Bringing green material indoors can mean added work managing pests and mildew. - Small, firm tubers with an eye may still be viable. - Treat winter growing as a significant commitment, not just a side project. **Action items** - Keep tagging plants and collecting seed. - Order storage supplies before you need them. - Get cut-resistant gloves for dividing tubers. - Review duplicates and varieties that are too similar. - Note which colors you’d like to add next year. - If your storage system is untested, consider waiting until spring to buy more tubers.