Jackie....October...gosh I hope not...because that would mean we're in for a devil of a winter. For dahlia, you are given a clue when to dig and store. Allow a killing frost to visit which will turn the foliage black. That is your cue to remove them and carefully dig up your clump ...and use a garden fork...its safer. As the clump comes up, cut the stem but leave about 6" of stalk to grab hold of. Much easier to lift out. Then, use either of two methods to store. If you have a cold cellar or a place in your basement that is cool---35 to 50 degrees fahrenheit...possibly a crawl space that has a floor that is not just bare ground....that will do nicely. Knock off any loose soil from around the roots. DONT wash them...that just delays their drying. Then, into a cardboard box to which you have placed some drying material such as peat moss, vermiculite or sand. Keep the clumps separate from one another. Bury them in the drying material. Then just take them to the cool where you leave them alone until you are ready to put them back into the ground next spring. OR...and I had to be convinced of this method but it is a tried and true way of doing it. As the clumps come up, separate each and every tuber from the clump. Don't be concerned about whether the tuber has "eyes" or not....just take each tuber away from the juncture of the root. Each tuber then is allowed to dry for a day or so in the garage or shed. Then each tuber is wrapped in plastic Saran Wrap. Cocoon each tuber in this way. Hopefully, we avoid wrapping a tuber that is still damp which could lead to mildew or root rot. Then store in your basement. It may sound silly...but that's the new way of over-wintering dahlia.

just reading the discussion regarding saran wrap.I have used Press and Seal on about 1/2 of my stock for the last two years and have been very happy with the results. I somtimes leave two or three tubers connected to the crown the Press and Seal allows my to do this and still keep a barrier between the tubers in case one spoils. When I get tired of wrapping, I store the balance of my stock in wood chips. The wood chips do not work as well for small tubers, but seem to be okay for some of the larger or more "hearty" varietes of tubers (Tempest, O'Condah, Blue Bayou, Black Satin, Nijinsky)

Eric - the expert on Sinningias growing outside is Alan LaVerne. There is a contact on his site. I am thinking that you should have them left in an open and dried more before putting in the baggies. You probably can remove new growth and dry the tubers some more - but if they keep coming - you can eventually waste the tubers... I am thinking that they do not fall asleep in the nature because of winter - they fall asleep because of the dry season - so if there is enough moisture in the tubers - they will sprout. Irina Here is a link that might be useful: Alan LaVerne site

I've tried storing dahlias in peat moss inside loosely closed plastic bags in unheated garages with varying success. Last winter I tried a method new to me, which was to cover my dahlia bed (after a freeze in the fall) with about two feet of dried leaves, leaving the dahlia tubers in place where they grew. Then I covered the leaves with a large tarp. I weighted the edges of the tarp with stones large enough to keep our vigorous Colorado winds from pulling it off. The dahlia bed is about seven feet wide by twenty-five feet long and holds about 30 to 35 dahlias during growing season. I got 100% survival, and they were all in perfect condition when I dug them this spring in early April. We didn't have a terribly severe winter, but we had a number of days where the minimum dipped below zero and stayed there for a couple of days. We also had pretty good snow cover when most of the cold weather occurred, so that may have helped, too. I did the same thing with my garden crop of carrots and beets, and they survived very well. One of the dahlia clumps not only survived the winter, but also survived being overlooked at digging time and run over with my rototiller! I wouldn't advise doing this in an area where you are troubled with voles. They would probably devour a dahlia crop in short order. We have the usual grey house mouse around in liberal numbers, but they didn't bother the dahlias or the root crops. In a colder climate than northern Colorado, one might need to put on a slightly deeper cover of leaves. I'm convinced that this is the way for me to store my dahlias.