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A Homes & Gardens gardening report says gardeners in cold areas should lift dahlias and cannas after a light frost, once their foliage has died back, rather than before. They still need to be dug up before a hard frost or frozen ground, then stored cool, dry and frost-free.
A Homes & Gardens gardening report advises gardeners in colder areas to wait until after the first light frost to lift dahlias and cannas, but to dig them up before a hard frost or frozen ground. The timing allows foliage to die back and the plants to enter dormancy, while protecting their underground tubers and rhizomes from freezing.
Dahlias and cannas are tender perennials whose tubers and rhizomes can be damaged by freezing. According to the report, a light frost and the resulting dieback signal the end of active growth and give the plants time to transfer their remaining energy underground. Gardeners should wait for foliage to change color or die back, rather than lifting the plants while they are still growing.
The advice does not mean leaving them out through severe cold. The report says to monitor the forecast and lift the plants before a hard frost or the ground freezes, which can damage the underground structures and increase the risk of decay during storage. Once foliage has died back, stems can be cut to about six inches above soil level. Digging around the plant, roughly 12 to 16 inches from the stems, can help avoid damaging the tubers or rhizomes.
After lifting, gardeners can brush away soil, remove any soft or rotten sections with a clean, sanitized knife, and let the healthy material dry for about a week out of direct sunlight. The report recommends storage in a cool, dry, dark, frost-free place, around 45°F to 55°F. Boxes with dry soil, sawdust or vermiculite, or individual wrapping in newspaper or hessian, are options; airtight containers and sealed plastic bags should be avoided.
Timing Protects Next Year’s Plants
The advice addresses a timing trade-off: lifting too early can interrupt the plant’s natural move into dormancy, while waiting too long risks freeze damage to the tubers and rhizomes. Those underground parts are what gardeners hope will produce growth the following season, so damage can undermine the effort of overwintering them.
Local conditions matter. The report says plants in USDA hardiness zones 7 or 8 and warmer may be left in the ground with mulch if the soil is not excessively wet. In colder locations, lifting and storing them is generally the recommended approach. Gardeners should use their own forecast and ground conditions rather than treating the first frost date as a fixed calendar deadline.
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A Different Schedule for Tender Plants
The report distinguishes dahlias and cannas from other tender plants, including salvias, pelargoniums and citrus, which may need to be brought indoors or into a greenhouse before temperatures fall. Dahlias and cannas are described as originating in warmer parts of the Americas and as vulnerable to cold when their underground structures freeze.
It also notes that plants grown in pots do not always need to be dug up. After foliage dies back, containers can be moved to a cool, frost-free location, such as an unheated greenhouse or garage. If that space may fall below freezing, the pots can be insulated with blankets or bubble wrap.
““Cannas and dahlias should stay outside until the first light frost has passed.””
— Homes & Gardens report
Frost Dates Vary by Garden
The report does not give a single date that applies to all regions. The point at which foliage dies back and the risk of a hard frost arrives depends on local weather, so the first light frost is a seasonal signal, not a universal deadline. It also does not specify a storage method that is best for every cultivar or home environment.
The supplied report text ends during its discussion of mold checks, so its full advice on responding to mold is not available here. It does say that stored plants should be inspected every few weeks and that soft tubers should be treated as a warning sign; gardeners should not assume that a visibly damaged specimen is healthy or viable.
Watch Forecasts Before Digging
Gardeners should check local forecasts as foliage fades, then plan to lift plants after a light frost but before hard frost or frozen soil. After drying and storing them, inspect the tubers and rhizomes every few weeks for softness or mold, and keep the storage area within a cool, dry, frost-free range.
In spring, the stored plants can be assessed for condition before planting resumes, with timing guided by local frost risk. The report does not provide a planting date or a region-by-region schedule, so gardeners will need to match that step to local conditions.
Key Questions
Should I lift dahlias and cannas before the first frost?
The report advises waiting until after a light frost and until foliage has changed color or died back. Do not wait for a hard frost or frozen ground.
Why wait for the foliage to die back?
The report says dieback signals that the growing season has ended and the plant has transferred its remaining energy to its tuber or rhizome for the dormant period.
How should lifted dahlias and cannas be stored?
Let them dry out of direct sunlight, then store them in a cool, dark, dry, frost-free place. The report gives about 45°F to 55°F as a suitable range and advises against sealed plastic bags and airtight containers.
Can potted dahlias and cannas stay in their pots?
According to the report, they do not necessarily need to be dug up. After foliage dies back, pots can be moved to a cool, frost-free place, such as an unheated greenhouse or garage; insulate them if that space could freeze.
Source: rss
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