You could offer to trade them for something else that you want on any of the exchange boards, :)In my zone I have found that some of them will winter over also, although most experts say they won't. Try the plant exchange board if you are willing to offer them instead of composting them.
Alberta

You think somebody would pay to have these heavy things - they're like some part of an elephant, not sure which - mailed to them?

Maybe they'd overwinter here too? I've never tried it. I'm pretty sure we had some 4 o'clock tubers overwinter.

If you want to get rid of the excess (what a wonderful problem to have!) why don't you just dig up the quantity you want for replanting and leave the rest in the ground? They don't overwinter very successfully even over here so I'd be surprised if they survived in your zone. One degree of frost and they turn to mush.

If you're really looking to get rid of excess dahlias I would gladly take them off your hands. Seriously--maybe we could trade or I could send you a postage-paid box? It is a shame to use perfectly good dahlias as compost when they could grow such nice flowers and probably have the same compost value as a rotten potato. I'll even trade you some rotten potatoes!

zachengland(at)ftml(dot)net

Thanks

Have to agree, I'd be more than happy to have some of those dalia tubers. They overwinter here and the ones I had died when we moved.

If you have any tubers left, after sharing with the above members, do what I do, put a FREE ad in the local paper and you will find homes for all your excess. Or if you have a local craigslist, try posting them free on craigslist.
I've given away so many plants that way! I've even gotten rid of rocks by posting them for free on craigslist.
Most people who respond are gardeners and are so grateful. It seems better than chucking them into the compost bin.
Cheers, Andrea

Here is a link that might be useful: craigslist

If you have any tubers left, after sharing with the above members, do what I do, put a FREE ad in the local paper and you will find homes for all your excess. Or if you have a local craigslist, try posting them free on craigslist.
I've given away so many plants that way! I've even gotten rid of rocks by posting them for free on craigslist.
Most people who respond are gardeners and are so grateful. It seems better than chucking them into the compost bin.
Cheers, Andrea

Here is a link that might be useful: craigslist

Paul
See what I meant? People really want those tubers. Ironically you said you never over wintered them but have over wintered 4 O'clock tubers, I can't get 4 O'clock tubers to over winter in my yard, yet the dahlia's do. Go figure! Best of luck in getting rid of the dahlia tubers.
Alberta

I appreciate all these suggestions.
Leaving them in the ground to rot and fertilize what's planted there next year sounds brilliant. The lazy way is so often the best!

The dahlias are a nice red, but not that special.
I don't want to seem like a dog in a manger (a manger full of dahlia tubers) but cleaning and packing them up sounds like work, which is what I'm trying to avoid.

Sending them overland parcel post to Maine, for example, would cost $20 Can. for a 5kg (11 lb), 12"x12" box and take 10-11 days to arrive. There'd be some dirt attached, hidden worms, the odd wireworm with terrorist intentions (for all we know) - not something your Dept. of Agriculture would appreciate.
There is no local paper.
There are millions of rocks (lol)...
I need to dig up a 4 o'clock, see if it's a tuber from last year; they came up so fast and early this spring I thought this was the case. But they may have been self-seeded.

You might also check to see if there's a freecycle.org in your area. The norm for freecycle is that people come to your place to pick the stuff up, so there wouldn't be any postage involved. You might even get them to dig them up themselves.

Paulns: I leave a lot in the ground to rot over winter. Smaller annuals which I can easily pull or things that I don't want to reseed or return, I pull out. Larger annuals which might require a shovel or trowel to remove I generally just leave where it is. It rots over winter and pops right out in spring. (Lazy gardening)

Karen

I am planning to dig mine up tomorrow, but I have been putting it off. Mine are white with just a touch of pink so yours sound much nicer than mine! I got boxes of them free from my father-in-law this spring, and gave most of them away at a plant swap and to my friends, and mailed some to somebody for the cost of postage.

My father-in-law also gave me canna lilies two years ago. I told them they have to stop giving me plants that I need to plant and dig up each year! I am a lazy gardener, too. I would second the freecycle idea. Go to www.freecycle.org then click on Canada and then Nova Scotia. If any of those groups are vaguely near you I am sure somebody would come over and dig up some of your dahlias and be very grateful for them. Very little work for you, and seems better than just composting them. I am letting some of my glads freeze this winter, though, tired of the plant dig plant cycle.

Marcia

That reminds me, we left some glads in to overwinter last year and were surprised to see them come up this summer. So maybe there's hope, in a mild winter?

Thanks to your (pl) encouragement I've become a member of Cape breton (NS) freecycle. It has 127 members, in the Sydney area, which is two hours from here. I doubt there'll be much exchange going on between us and them but maybe we can get more people around here involved. It's a great idea.

I tell lots of local visitors - the few gardeners hereabouts - when we have perennials that could be divided, and there is a lot of interest, but to actually connect, and dig and divide, at the right time of year - it doesn't happen that often. Let alone sharing something like dahlias which will require digging twice a year. Every year I plan to offer transplants and tubers at the spring flea market - maybe it will happen in 2007.

I love dahlias and can not get them to grow the second year. But I do understand your problem. I fight with too many cannas.