"Jenny" wrote in message
...
For the past fives weeks I've been raising 6 flats worth of dahlias, half
from seed, half from last year's roots which I've saved and the rest new
ones I bought this year. I've been taking them out onto my deck in the
morning and bringing them in every night. Sad to report, a major family
crisis flared up yesterday right before dinnertime and the dahlias got
forgotten outside. Naturally, we had our first frost in weeks.

Now three quarters of the dahlias of both types have limp leaves.

My question is this: is there any hope for the frosted plants or do they
go into the compost? And what about the ones that don't seem to show
obvious damage. Are they goners too?

I'm way more bummed out than I like to be. I've put SO much energy into
these plants and they were huge and gorgeous until this morning.

Your foliage just got frosted but the roots and tubers didn't freeze..
Around here, a lot of perennials got hit too like the hosta but they will
come back. Just be sure not to root rot them now. Betcha they come back just
fine. If you had had a hard freeze maybe not.

alice
Zone 6 western NC