We have totally missed our old frost date of "about Halloween". It is 49 degrees this morning and rattling down rain. My husband has well over half the dahlias dug and I have most of those divided. The problem is that I like dividing them but am not so sure about the organizing and putting them away for the winter. I have tried so many ways over the years . I like the system of using wood chips (Pet bedding) and cinnamon, but how to organize the tubers in the bins....organization has never been my strong point. I end up getting frustrated with myself and feel like I was back in kindergarten some times. My husband can be a bit Obsessive -Compulsive about things. I have thought of asking him to pack the tubers for storage, LOL. But then I would not be able to find the ones I want when I want them. I usually end up using at least 3 different methods for sorting them, with dedicated bins for the breeders I buy most from and then other bins by type....then the bins of this year's small seedling clumps, and probably several other categories that would occur to me.
Every year I struggle with the soil being too wet in the first raised bed....I ask 'the man in charge of the drip tape system' to adjust it and every year the tubers end up covered with "too much water" lenticels. The top bed also gets the first shade of the afternoon from the garage behind my garden. I think next year I will switch it out with my raised bed for annual flowers. It runs down the side of the garden and gets full day sun. I have not observed it being over watered.
