3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

That's what I do...buy some early to make sure I get strong and good tubers/plants, then buy some additional ones when they go on sale or clearance.

It will also be worth it to learn how to propagate by cuttings so one could have even more dahlias (and later by separating the bulbs, depending on how much time one will want to wait before doing that)

Update, the tubers came and they were very nice, firm, large with multiple tiny sprouts already. I got them in the ground this wkd so we'll see!

I definitely would love to propagate via cuttings, have to research that one.

I sometimes border the front edges of the Dahlia beds, but even planting 18-24" apart, once the Dahlias get going, I don't think there is enough sun for even impatiens within the bed. I have been growing bedding Dahlias from seed to use at the front edge, and have lots of petunias this year that may get placed in a few spots. Most Dahlias are such "show offs" that it isn't easy for me to mix them with my other plants.

I think it may not be exactly "under the plant" but maybe in front or next to it. The reason is that my dahlias get pretty bushy and can probably block out good light to any plants directly under it (or as the case may be, when it first starts out, it looks like it needed filler but as the season goes on, the dahlia takes up at least 1-1.5 feet width.

So yes, just plant around the dahlia to add color or complement to the dahlia area.

This bedding dahlia is most likely mass propagated by cuttings, and is intended to be treated as an annual. It's also possible that it is from seed, but I doubt it. Seeds normally result in plants with mostly open-centered flowers. Dahlias do not produce seed true to the parent.

You CAN dig it up and overwinter, and you CAN divide the tuber clump....
however, my experience with this type of plant has taught me to not bother. But then again, I mostly grow the 3 foot and up varieties, so I'm biased.

If this little guy was grown from a cutting and not another tuber, it makes for tough dividing, and what tubers you might get are often scrawny little things that I've had a hard time overwintering. It's better kept as a clump, and before planting out the following spring, you might be able to cut it in half if you can keep a sprout on each half.

It most definitely is not Barbershop, which grew to four feet with 5 inch blooms for me last year. Your bedding dahlia IS definitely cute, though!

It looks a little bit like dahlia "Mystery Day", though I'm sure there are some others with a similar pattern that someone might be able to distinguish better.

Although it is generally recommended to split every few years, but some do split the tubers every year, because they want more plants in a shorter amount of time. Just consider that case that you could get 2-3 or more plants every time you split, so doing it every year will give you that much more, even if the tubers are smallish, but as long as you have a plant that blooms that can later be split again in that same year, that is the goal.

It will be fine to top up the soil. Dahlias dont mind deep buried stems.

In fact, if you bury extra stem when you first plant out, it might give you extra tubers that fall from each leaf junction under the soil.

Doubtful that they will do that once the stems start hardening, but it can happen. I've known several growers that stuck a large lateral branch that snapped off into the ground, and it grew roots. Only younger stems have rooted outside for me, though.

I disrupted some of the pot-tubers when I transplanted, didn't seem to really set them back as long as they got enough water and I didn't do it during a hot spell. There's only been 1-2 that seem to be kind of struggling/stopped for now out of the 12 I have in the ground so far. Have to finish the rest this wkd!

I disrupted some of the pot-tubers when I transplanted, didn't seem to really set them back as long as they got enough water and I didn't do it during a hot spell. There's only been 1-2 that seem to be kind of struggling/stopped for now out of the 12 I have in the ground so far. Have to finish the rest this wkd!

I've solved the mystery, although it wasn't really a mystery.
As 'linaria' suggested "misslabeling accidentally", not really - it was a case of no labelling at all!

I only had two varieties; one lot were stored in the basement, the others in the garden shed. I thought I was certain which was which.
A proper case of "egg on my face" :)

"i had always thought the bigger the tuber mass the better-swan said to always plant single tubers-counter intuitive but they are right"

In addition, most experienced growers will always pick the smaller to medium sized tuber to grow over a really large one of the same variety. The plants from the bigger tubers often don't produce as many tubers as the smaller tuber plants.

However, the flowers and plant of the same variety are the comparable regardless of the initial tuber size.

That makes sense, thanks!! I also read another dahlia grower mention not to use cow manure so I didn't quite understand what the downside was. Her tubers are HUGE at the end of the season so she must be doing something right.

Huge tubers would be great if you are growing them to eat. Experienced dahlia growers shun overly large tubers as they do not grow very well. Medium sized tubers are best, about the size of a hen's egg or perhaps slightly bigger. Manures are excellent products if used during the first half of the growing season. Phil Damp was an exhibition grower who over fertilized his flowers on purpose. He won many prizes with them. He knew that by using so much manure that the dahlias would produce excellent show flowers but that any hopes of storing the tubers would be futile. He grew another garden where he put tubers or rooted cuttings into 6 inch pots and gave them almost no fertilizer. These small tuber clumps were used to make rooted cuttings for his show garden the next year.

Thanks so much for your response! :) That helps a lot. So I guess I'm gonna be cutting off quite a bit off the top. I have 2 more but they aren't nearly as tall, but they probably need to be topped also.

And they do have quite a bit more shade than I intended for them to have. The flowerbed they're in is a new one and I thought there was at least 7 hours of sun but it's more like 4-5 hours.

4-5 hours of sun is pretty minimal for Dahlias. They will probably still bloom, but you won't get a lot of blooms and the plants will definitely be taller than usual. It is early enough that it might be worth moving them to a sunnier spot if you have one. I grow mine in 6-7 hours of sun, and wish I had 8-10 hours.

Mine are planted in similar conditions - only about 6 hours of sun - you will end up with taller than normal plants, and less flowers, than optimum, but they will still be nice - just be prepared to stake them well.

Mine often look a bit wilty during the heat of the day, but bounce back - don't screen them more - 6 hours of sun is minimal.

I started mine indoors as well but for the last month they have been outside on our screened porch getting morning sun for about 2-3 hours; then I moved them out and put them onto a chaise lounge where they got 4-5 hours and I just am transplanting them now--did 5 last week and they are doing great so far. I agree it sounds like maybe yours needed some hardening off outside first before planting in direct sun, 6 hours is pretty warm if they were only getting filtered sun through windows etc.

This is my first year too so I expect a few mistakes, good luck! Thankfully Dahlias seem pretty hardy actually--less fussy than some plants!