A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Dahlias?

Hello!
I bought a couple of small dahlias at Walmart last weekend. The little card says that they are a partial sun plant. It also says that they will not grow any bigger than 8". I planted them in a flower pot outside. They get morning sun from this location. They are loving the spot, but do I have to dig them out in the fall? How do I do this? I read somewhere that they need to be kept in a space ideally at 40 degrees. I live in an apartment do not have such a space. What is a tublar too? Any suggestions?

Dahlias grow from tubers, usually a clump of several attached together...they are shaped sort of like long potatoes. When it's time to dig them up, just remove the soil from the tuber clump and cut back the foliage, leaving about an inch or two. Store them in a cool (not cold) dry place (wrap them in newspaper). Every few weeks check to make sure they aren't shrivelling from being too dry. You can spritz them with a little water if so.