Saran Wrap for storing small clumps?

I have dug, cleaned and divided my large dahlia clumps into smaller ones with about 3-4 tubers per stem. As I learned on this forum, I let them sit for about 5-10min in a bleach solution and lay them out on newspaper in our unheated basement. Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish my project, so they lay there for a few weeks. Some of them are now quite shriveled but others are still plump and healthy. I cut out the really shriveled ones and am hoping to salvage some of the others.

Yesterday I dusted sulpher on them and would like to try the saran wrap method for storing. Can I use saran wrap for small clumps like these or must they be individual tubers?
Is there a better solution for storing them when they're not single tubers?

Thanks.

Hi Peckhaus,
Sorry about the shrivellers. I don't see why you can't use the plastic wrap method on your small clusters of tubers. It's worked for me on small gnarlies that are impossible to divide. It is advised to get as much of the stem off (if any is left) before storing to prevent a source of rot.

Good luck!

Thank you for the advice. So far, I've left about an inch of stem, but perhaps I should cut it completely off? I'll continue with the saran wrap for each small clump, and next year I'll plan better!

I've been learning a lot from the stickies on this forum about dahlias. Thank you. It's only my 2nd year growing them - my neighbor gave me her extras in the spring, and I've become a fan!

My, oh my, you think that you are just a fan? Welcome to the world of Dahlia addiction and we are the enablers !!

I've taken small clumps, rinsed and bleached them , put them is small zip bags of peat moss, then stored them with the rest. If an indiviual tuber is severely shriveled, I cut it off. It usually works, nothing is 100 %, life is an experiment.

thanks for postign that infomation granny. I trie dto put my little tiny clumps in saran wrap and they not only shriveled they molded. : ( I still got a couple more small ones left to clean and pack. Will try your method and see if it helps.

I was looking for an excuse to get more and new ones, but didn't know I was gonna lose the ones I had.

Dahlias sure are beautiful, but boy it takes alot of practice I think before learnign how to do everythign for them right.

Now to figure out which new ones I gonan buy. : )

If you catch the moldy ones before they get snarky/smushy, you can re-process them. Whatcha got to lose ?
I figure on losing 10- 20 % each year.

The sandwich wrap works real well with individual tubers, even rolling up several in a bundle as long as they don't touch each other. One tuber may rot, but the others don't if separated in the bundle. If you want to do pot roots or the whole clump, I would suggest soil, sand, gardeners vermiculite or peat moss. It seems that each grower has their own way of storing, and there are many ways to successfully store tubers. I have some varieties that are 70 to 80 years old! I think they are really good tuber stock as opposed to my ability to properly handle them. I'm of the opinion they survive in spite of me. Good luck!

Dahliadigger, how totally awesome!!!!!! Lucky you!!!!!!!!! I love historics!!!!!!! I love collecting them too. Love those plants that have been saved down throughthe generations and love to hear the stories that go with them. They are just about more precious than the new ones. Ya just gotta appreciate thos eplants that have survied not only time and nature, but mans influence over them.

My moldy one, had shriveled and the mold was all groing right around think the word is the collar, correct me if I wrong, and the stem and was covering over the area where if I had eyes that would be where they were. They hadn't hit the musgy/ smushy (LOL) part yet.

If this these last ones start doig the moldy thign again, how do you re-process them. Just use the bleach and sulfer again?

Yup, and cut out the nasty parts.

I stored clumps one year for a workshop. I just put them in a plastic bag with vermiculite and they were fine. I tried to grow mold too once for a demo. I agree with grannymarsh: if you clean them up and re-treat them and store in fresh medium before snarky/smushyness they should be ok.