Dahlia tuber storageusing Wilt Pruf anti-dessicant?

Hi--inexperienced dahlia person here. I'm going to make an attempt to overwinter my pretty dahlia tubers in my cold garage. I read about the need to mist or otherwise keep the tubers moist so they don't shrivel. My question is: could I dip my tubers in a solution of WiltPruf anti-dessicant and not worry about this until time to plant in the spring? The quotation is from the WiltPruf website.

"For bulb storage protection, dip or spray to run-off at a dilution rate of 1 part concentrate to 10 parts of water and allow to dry in daylight."

Has anyone tried this?

No, I store them in perlite in a ziploc bag, after sulfur shake n bake and saran wrapping. Sounds like its intended for what you want to do though.

I haven't it tried it either. Maybe try it on some of the tubers? I find slightly moistened vermiculite and sealed freezed bag keeps my tubers plump and happy without misting but I do check them to be sure.

Hi, and thanks for the responses, dahlia-people! I spoke with a man at WiltPruf (phone # given on website) and he has used a 1 part WP concentrate to 5 parts water dilution on bulbs for many years. He said dipping or spraying, then careful drying followed by proper storage is the key. He had not had direct experience with dahlia tubers, but he said the principle is the same. Anyway, I plan to try Wp-ing some this winter, with others stored in more traditional ways (perlite or vermiculite) and we shall see! I'll report back next spring!

Hi Capecod, please do report back in spring. You never know, you might hit on the next great thing in tuber storage!

Question: on the ones you'll treat with WiltPruf, how will you store them vs the ones in perlite or vermiculite?

I'm all for adequate drying and am trying extra days of such this year in our humid environment as the next big rainstorm rolls in.

Hi Poochella:
I'll give the complete directions that WiltPruf customer service gave me:

1. After dipping or spraying the bulbs/tubers, place them outside in the daylight to dry. Do not place on newspaper because WiltPruf is sticky and the papers will stick to the tubers. Placing them on the driveway or grass is fine, or any surface that won't stick. (I might use a tarp.) Turn them over once if possible to dry the other side. He said this can take a few hours. (--maybe longer in your NW climate.)

2. When dry, store in a dark, cool place in peat moss or however you usually store them. Perlite /vermiculite are fine. ( I might experiment with a few just placed in paper bags to see if the WiltPruf treatment means they stay plump without any additional material around them.

3. In spring, just remove them from storage and proceed as you usually do to start the tubers. It is not necessary to rinse the tubers off.

Well, we'll just give it a try!!