Before Or After 1st Frost

[Nyboy]

When do you dig up dahlias ? When do you move tender plants inside?

 

[aftermidnight]

@Nyboy Dahlias.....AFTER first frost. Tender Plants.....BEFORE first frost.

Annette

 

[Nyboy]

 

[Beekissed]

Dig up plants to move them inside? Not in this lifetime, before or after frost.

 

[Nyboy]

Bee I used to feel the same way. Started changing when I bought 1st lemon tree

 

[Beekissed]

What do you do with all your lemons, NY?

 

[Nyboy]

LOL small tree if I get 10 a year t is a good crop. Have you ever tasted a meyer? Supermarkets are starting to carry them. They are not sour like most lemons.

 

[Beekissed]

Never have, but it sounds like I'd like them.

 

[Nyboy]

If you see them at market try one about 3x price of regular lemon but has 3x the juice.

 

[Smart Red]

When do you dig up dahlias ? When do you move tender plants inside?

What Annette said is correct, of course: "Dahlias....AFTER first frost. Tender Plants.....BEFORE first frost."

While you may dig dahlias, begonias, glads, and other tenders (colder than zone 7) before the first frost, it seems to be more labor intensive when preparing them for storage at that time. Once the frost takes out the foliage, I find it much easier to dig and clean for storage.

"After first frost" doesn't need to be the very next day, but the longer you wait the greater chance you will 'lose' some of the tubers in the ground. Once the tops are capable of being raked away I can't remember where each plant was put. Also, the early harvest after a frost makes identifying by the color and variety for storage much easier.

Hopefully, the first freeze will wait a bit for you to get the lifting done. While frost only hurts the foliage, a freeze can damage the roots. It is important to let the newly dug roots 'cure' (much like potatoes) out of the sun for a while. I usually go for two days at least. That sometimes means moving the tubers into the garage or a shed to keep them from night frosts.

Most tenders are not happy with temps below 40 degrees (F) and cannot handle a frost at all. They need to be moved inside well before the first frost, indeed, you should be slowly moving them inside well before the first furnace lighting of the cold season.

Tenders need time to get used to the inside before they are subjected the dry air/heat of a furnace. I suspect, Alex, that might be one reason your lemon looses its leaves when brought inside.

I always try for a gradual move inside. In at night, out during the day for 4 days to a week, then inside all day with windows open as much as possible before shutting the tenders inside. The heat comes anytime after at least a few days of inside life. Of course, for me it is easier. I have the sun room I can open to cooler air without cooling off the house proper.

Yeah, like I said, Annette is correct but I gotta do the teacher thingy once in a while to keep in practice.