"jellyfish" wrote in message
...

hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have
sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the
winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions
of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them

jellyfish

If you're in a climate where the ground freezes, it's likely your dahlia
tubers will turn to pudding under the ground if you don't lift them. If
they're planted near a foundation or other structure where you notice snow
melting due to the retained heat of that structure, you MIGHT get lucky and
the plants will survive.

It's easy to think "Oh well, they were cheap. No big deal if they die. I'll
buy more." But, it IS a big deal. If they're the dahlias that grow 4-5 feet
high and make really big flowers, those tubers improve over the years and
produce even better. And, you can divide them and have an endless supply of
new tubers to foist upon unsuspecting gardener friends, or total strangers.
It's worth taking good care of them.