Slugs & Dahlias

They seem somewhat unrelated but they both interact in the farm system together.  In spring, when nice tender dahlia shoots are coming up through the soil, the slugs just may be their number one enemy.  Coming out at night and chewing off all that new growth the dahlias have been storing energy to make.  Finding an organic way to combat the slugs is difficult and most are only moderately effective while being somewhat expensive.  Not all slugs eat dahlias (and other plants of course) though.  Some slugs eat the slugs that eat the dahlias.  Limax maximus, the great grey or spotted leopard slug is a beautiful large slug that preys on other slugs and their eggs, making it a great beneficial species for your garden or farm. 

This particular individual was the only one I have seen all season, but I hope it will be an indication of a larger population on the farm.

Beautiful spotted leopard like markings on these slugs.

 With winter fast approaching and a few light frosts already hitting the farm, it is the right time to be digging up dahlias.  Dahlias are a perennial that grows from an underground tuber that in our climate, needs to be dug up and stored inside for the winter before being planted out again the following spring.

First the majority of the above ground growth is cut off.

Leave a small portion of the stem attached to the underground tuber.  

The tubers are carefully dug up, making sure not to snap the stem or any tubers off.   Gently remove excess soil from the tubers and if any tubers look rotten, cut them off.

These tuber will be stored in the greenhouse while they dry out and cure.  They are tilted stem side down to allow any moisture to drain out.  As the weather gets cooler, they will be moved into a cool, slightly moist place for the winter.  Storing them in crates is a great to keep air circulation around them and prevent rot but they can't be completely dried out.  If your storage area is very dry you can wrap each plant in newspaper to prevent drying them from out too much.

Dahlia tuber close up.  In the spring, these larger clumps can be split carefully into multiple plants.

Cataloging the dahlias while they are blooming is important for keeping track of your tubers and for making planting plants the following year.  Each variety has a number that corresponds with its name, photo and written description.