Sharon, ooooh, wow!!! Now that is one enormous dahlia patch. I would presume that you have a market for sale of these beauties? I do love dahlias too, I remember you speaking about how much the bees really, really liked the open faced ones. I am on the hunt for dahlias as such. My seed catalogues from all over the place are starting to pour in and I love to look at them.
It looks like you have a very sandy loam at your place. That does make for alot of work with soil amendment. We are the opposite, we have heavy clay mixed with loamy soil in most spots. I always amend the soils, and my soils have become very beautiful from so many years of additions of amendments. It is worth it.
Do you have to dig up your dahlias because of any cool weather. May seem like an odd question. But here, the dahlias must be dug, they will perish if they aren't. It is a lot of work. The gladiolus on the other hand, stay in the soil, they always come back, year after year and show up in the strangest of places. Must be the squirrels that move the tubers, little brats. Have a wonderful and great day, enjoying your beautiful, beautiful dahlia flowers. Yea!!! Cindi