If you're worried about the small clump, my feeling would be to just store it whole. You'll need to divide it eventually to maintain vigor, but you can always just take a knife and split the clump in two when it comes time to do so. On the larger clump, it sounds like you have some healthy tubers for division. Here's what you can do: 1) Clean the tuber clump thoroughly, cutting off the "tails" of the tubers and any hair-like roots. After washing, let the clump surface-dry, but don't leave it too long (more than a day or so) because if you do, the tubers will start to shrivel. You should wash the smaller clump, too, to get any hitchhiking mold spores or insects off. Remove any tubers that are damaged or have started to rot (look for: broken skin or dark, mushy spots), then proceed to step 4. 2) Once the tubers are surface-dry, select the tubers that you want to divide out. You won't be able to salvage every tuber. Only the current year's tuber growth will produce plants the next year. You should be able to tell the difference-- tubers from previous years have coarser "skin" and a generally older appearance than new growth. I cut out the old tubers and compost them. You can also discard tubers with thin necks (barely thicker than the "tails")-- in my experience, they never survive the storage process. 3) Good candidates will have solid necks and at least one sprouting eye-- the eyes are at the top of the tuber, where the tuber connects to the stem. Sometimes the eyes easy to spot, other times not so much (see: "http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/dahlia/msg1003111025242.html":). Cut the tubers away from the clump as cleanly as possible. Leave as much tuber flesh surrounding the eyes as you can. Discard the rest of the clump. 4) It's recommended that you use bulb dust to discourage mold and fungal growth while the tubers are in storage. To apply bulb dust, you would put the dust in a bag, put the tubers in the bag to get them covered with dust, then remove the tubers, brushing off excess dust. Bulb dust is pretty toxic stuff. You don't want to breathe it, and it's bad for fish. Living near streams, I don't like to use it, but it does give your tubers a better chance of survival. 5) Pack the tubers in vermiculite (alternatives: peat moss, wood shavings). I use Ziploc-type bags and pack the tubers individually to avoid mold or fungus spreading from tuber-to-tuber. Make sure that the tuber is surrounded by the packing medium. If you're storing a large clump, you could use a shopping bag). Store the packed tubers somewhere cool, protected from light-- the storage location needs to stay above freezing temps at all times, and would preferably stay below room temperature. 6) Check your tubers mid-winter for rot, shriveling or mold. If you find any rot, you can try cutting out the bad parts, then dusting with bulb dust, and repacking. Mold can be washed off, but if you find any, check for rot. If you find shriveling (but the tuber and eye area still feel fleshy), you can try adding a little moisture to the packing medium, but keep a close eye on the package after doing so. While writing this, I wished I had photos, so here's a link to a good guide to dividing: "http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/TuberStor/TuberStor1.htm": Hope it helps! 2009-10-18T12:20:23-05:00 false 13128 2773 2009-10-18T12:20:23-05:00 25 Wow!! That was thorough!! In depth!! :) Thanks for that!!! I did not know that I needed to wash them. I was pointed to a site that had good instructions a couple of days ago, but it didn't say anything about washing, just cleaning it off!! 2009-10-19T07:36:20-05:00 false 13142 2773 2009-10-19T07:36:20-05:00 5779 Well, washing is more important when you're dividing than when you're storing a clump because dividing exposes the "flesh" of the tuber. Sorry for being so verbose-- it helped me to write it all down since I'm going to be tackling about thirty plants this week! A local breeder I met once stores about 4000 plants a year-- can you imagine? 2009-10-19T13:50:44-05:00 false 13153 2773 2009-10-19T13:50:44-05:00 25 I don't know. I think if I had the space, I might too!! :) I am totally plant crazy!! The only person that I have met that seems to be more plant insane than me is Plantaholic!! She has some totally amazing stocks of seed for many different varieties of plants!! It's wild!! I have a lot of fun looking through her things!! :) As for being verbose, have no fear!! I have many moments like that. Besides it is better to be thorough, yes? :) 2009-10-19T14:27:13-05:00 false 13154 2773 2009-10-19T14:27:13-05:00 5779