End of Dahlia Season

For a ​Flower Farmer in Scotland, change can be dramatic & rapid at this time of year...
⁠ On a Thursday, mid-month, I was cutting Dahlias by the Bucketful for 2 weddings.
Then Wham! ⁠ 3 nights of frost finished the ​outside crop for this year.⁠
And a week later, the plants in these beds have been cut down, covered in readiness for lifting & storing over winter. ⁠
Some growers prefer to leave their plants in the ground or dig them up in December. I think it depends on where you live & the specific climate/soil you're working with. ⁠
November & December is incredibly busy here as we prepare for next seasons planting & of course Christmas wreathmaking too. If the Dahlias aren't dug up by early November, it becomes increasingly difficult to find time, especially if the weather turns wet or unexpectedly cold.
And this increases the risk the plants will die & they're expensive to replace in the quantities I grow. ⁠ So I cover the beds with plastic sheeting to keep soil dry until I get a chance to lift the tubers - much easier if soil is dry.⁠
This method suits us - as with so many gardening tasks, the best time is when you get time...⁠
​Fingers crossed, the tubers will get through the Winter safely & be ready to do it all over again next year.