3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Just pot them up and place near a well-lit window - the white shoots will green up in no time, so don't remove them. My over-wintered dahlias in the basement are showing exactly such sprouts, and I will be potting them up soon - this also gives them a head start, and therefore earlier blooms!
I have never divided tubers, but have to do it this weekend. I came across this on the site, it was originally posted on April 3, 05.
I hope it helps. ( I typed dividing tubers into the search box to find it)
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/dahlia/msg041343391520.html
Rinse off that tuber if a cat peed on it! I wish I were kidding. I lost numerous tubers last year due to my cat using the holes as a litter box before I figured out what was making them rot. I think the urine is really high in something bad for tubers...can't remember what though.
This morning the rabbit was out on the lawn again. He had been in the trap as one of the carrots had been pulled out. The trap had also sprung. I am afraid he will not go back in after all the noise. I will try the Liquid Fence Pooch. Wouldn't it be awful to have gone the whole winter waiting for our dahlias and than a rabbit eats them?
If a sprout gets broken off will a new one form? I have some with longish sprouts and it new ones will form and I still have 2 weeks at least before I put them in the ground I was thinking about breaking them off to get new sprouts and a sturdier plant. I have a few plants that are potted up but can't do all of them. The nonpotted up tubers are going crazy.
I cut a sprout off to start a new plant by potting up the sprout. This resulted in four eyes where there had been one.
You can pinch them back, resulting in a shorter plant for now. The plant will concentrate on developing laterals in the next few weeks as opposed to just growing taller. Plus, this will ensure a bushier plant for the season.
If your yard has the maritime breezes off Puget Sound, then you should be able to plant almost anytime. If unsure, plant in paper-lined pots for sunny days out and cool nights in protection, like Jroot's thread, and transfer/plant outside in May. If you're in a cool microclimate, best to pot up now, and wait until mid May to put outdoors. You don't want them in cold, wet soil.
Here is a link that might be useful: Jroot's threads
Typically, tubers can be planted any time in late April or early May depending on how wet your soil is. If it is too wet to till, you are wasting your time trying to plant the dahlia tubers. Soil needs to be dry enough to till. Dahlia plants need to go in a couple of weeks later as they do not like cool rainy weather and the slugs love dahlia plants.
Bummer! Yes, I would pinch them off. Depending on where the damage is, pinch them either at the base of the shoot (1/16 of an inch above the tuber) or just above a healthy leave node. They should recover nicely. I would also keep them a bit shaded for a while to protect the tender new growth.
Good idea Viking !...I've been reading more of the older posts here...so no planting in ground til 60 ground temp? I have some smaller plastic pots saved cos I usualy start my caladiums to get a jump. Should I start my tubers now and when ground warms up transplant? After viewing pic gallery and reading what you guys post, I'm getting really excited about dahlias. In fact I think I'm going to the Jackson & Perkins outlet here this weekend and see what else they have dahlia wize..they sell alot of bulbs there $1 pack, ususaly one per pack, but I think thats a good price cos they seem to have alot of "legs" on them. I got a bunch of different Lilliums there last year same price and they grew beautifully.
I'm a newbie to dahlias too...I've been reading about all the basics of dahlia care. I've got an Omega, Tahita Sunrise, and Sights of Summer that I am going to plant sort of in a triangle at the end of a flower bed that gets the most sun. I hear about people starting them early but if they are anything like caladiums, is it really worth it. I've started caladiums indoors but had the ones that I started outside catch up in no time to the ones I started indoors weeks earlier.
What would be some good companian plants with them? I'm thinking about some melanpodium and zinnia but will be careful to make sure everything is not to close to restrict airflow.
BTW- I forgot to add- the signs of the times are that people are staying home more & growing their own-- Whatcom club took in almost $16,000 in our one day sale this year, Fraser Valley made around $9,500 & Vancouver made just over $15,000- their sale was 2 days-- A lot of dahlia gardens are going to be very beautiful this year!
Good advice on the gloves, monet. PD, I would be less concerned with individual tubers at this point than with hacking the clump into some plantable form of sub-clumps. It sounds like you're overwhelmed trying to find individual tubers, which is why I like to divide in fall.
If you can identify a single tuber with a growing eye, then go for it. If not, split them like Jroot showed, halves or quarters, and hope for the best. They really are pretty tough if you don't mangle them too much. They want to live regardless of what we do to them.
What kind of loppers are you using? I do best with a thin- bladed shears. Google 'fruit secateur' as an example. Thinner than a pruning shears, safer than a knife.
I am using a utility knife and it isn't giving me enough blade. Don't laugh but the loppers I was using are the big ones used for tree limbs! I will go for anything.
Thanks so much both of you. I will do the Google. If I plant the eyes as well as the tubers in pots, I can't understand why some people can do it in 4 inch pots??? Not these tubers.
Yes, like homemommy says, it's certainly not too late. I usually don't pre-start my dahlias because I don't have the room, and I still get plenty of blooms - just not as early as I probably would if I did. In fact, the ones I have ordered for this year have not yet been delivered (I'm borderline zone 5). The only risk you have in ordering this late is suppliers being out of the ones you wanted. As far as growing goes, it's not too late at all.
I was given some rather depressing tubers last fall, very shriveled and rubbery!! Still, I managed to prep them for storage and some of them have produced some very healthy cuttings for me... I had about 15 tubers, I had 4 survive, now have 20 rooted cuttings / plants!!
So I know first hand that shriveled does not mean hopeless!
Considering the time of year, I would perhaps treat them with an anti fungal / perhaps put them in a 10% bleach bath for 20 minutes, then pot them up and allow them to start growing!! Even if they are kept indoors on a (south facing preferably) window ledge, they should be fine. Don't plant them out too early though! Even one night of freezing temps will kill them. I learned that this year too the hard way with my store bought tubers!!