Dig & Divide Dahlia Tuber Workshop
Stop panicking about your tubers every fall. Come learn how to dig, divide, and all the details about storage options… plus go home with a stash of tubers to store and grow.
This time of year, my inbox fills up with the same questions: "When do I dig up Dahlia tubers? Should I divide them now? How do I store them? AM I DOING THIS RIGHT?!?"
I get it. Dahlia tubers are a real investment, and it can feel paralyzing knowing you can lose hundreds (even thousands!) of dollars if you make a mistake with digging, dividing, and storing your tubers.
I’ll be the first to admit that digging, dividing, and storing your tubers can be challenging. I don’t like to sugarcoat things.
But you can learn some best practices to increase your chances of success…and we’re here to help you learn all of our tips, tricks, and hard-earned lessons about overwintering Dahlia tubers.
Join us on the farm for this hands-on workshop. We’ll be right at your side every step of the way, from helping you dig up tubers, to dividing them, to determining your best spot for storing the tubers over the winter.
Dig & Divide Dahlia Tuber Workshop
Sunday, October 24
2:00pm - 4:00pm
At Three Acre Farm in Byron Center, MI
What You’ll Learn & Experience
A small group, hands-on afternoon workshop covering:
How to tell when your dahlias are ready to dig
The pre-digging step many people skip… and why you should do it
How to safely loosen and lift a tuber clump without breaking it
What a healthy tuber looks like vs. one to toss
Hands-on digging in our dedicated workshop row of plants. You'll get to actually dig up and take home tubers from our field!
How to divide a clump into individual, viable tubers
Proper labeling guidelines so you don’t end up with “mystery tubers”
Successful storage conditions (temperature, humidity, medium)
Who This Is For
This workshop is for you if:
You bought (or grew) dahlias this year and have no idea what "digging up Dahlia tubers" means
You've lost tubers over the winter before (so sad!) and want to figure out what went wrong
You'd rather learn hands-on than from a video
You're building your own cutting garden and want to learn how to multiply your stock instead of buying new every spring
What’s Included
A hands-on afternoon at Three Acre Farm with Lori and John Hernandez
Time in our dedicated dahlia row to dig your own tubers
Help dividing and labeling everything you dig
Tubers to take home (at least one of each of the 3 varieties available)
A printed step-by-step guide to keep in your garden binder
Access to my full digital Dahlia book, The Dahlia Quick-start Handbook
Tools and materials provided
What to bring:
Gloves for digging
Warm, weather-appropriate clothing and footwear (we’ll be outside, rain or shine!)
Dig & Divide Dahlia Tuber Workshop
Sunday, October 24
2:00pm - 4:00pm
At Three Acre Farm in Byron Center, MI
Meet Your Teacher
I'm Lori, a former art teacher turned flower farmer.
Three Acre Farm was born over a decade ago when my husband got a crazy idea one day to grow these strange flowers I’d never heard of before… Dahlias.
The rest is history. These days, John and I both work full time on the farm year-round, along with our incredible team (yup, we spend nearly the entire winter dividing and caring for Dahlia tubers!).
We grow thousands of Dahlia each season, and trust me, we’ve made about every single mistake you can make. I've killed tubers by leaving them somewhere too cold. I've killed tubers by storing them somewhere too warm. I’ve had tuber rot. I’ve had tuber shrivel up to nothing. I've cried over dead tubers, and I've also had "dead-looking" ones grow the best blooms I’ve ever seen.
I'm not going to promise you a foolproof, one-size-fits-all method… because honestly, there isn't one. Every storage space is different, and part of successful tuber-keeping is learning what works for your space. But I will walk you through exactly what we do, why we do it, and what to watch for, so you can dig your own tubers with confidence instead of crossing your fingers.
FAQs
Do I need any experience growing dahlias? Nope. This workshop is built for beginners, though experienced growers are welcome to come troubleshoot their own storage struggles too.
What should I wear/bring? Closed-toe shoes or boots you don't mind getting muddy, weather-appropriate layers, and gloves if you prefer to wear them. We'll provide everything else.
What if it rains? Welcome to farm life. The work needs to be done, no matter the weather conditions. We’ll hold the class rain or shine. Bring your rain coat and rain boots if needed!
How many tubers will I actually take home? At minimum, one of each of the 3 varieties available that day. But probably more, because we like to be generous!
Do I need to know how to divide tubers already? That's exactly what we're teaching you. We'll walk you through it step by step and help you divide your own haul.
What's in the digital Dahlia Quick-start handbook? I’ve compiled my decade-plus of experience growing Dahlias into an easy-to-read book that removes the fear and anxiety from growing Dahlias.
Is this workshop good for kids/is it family-friendly? This workshop is for adults.