3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I had lots of very dry shrivelled looking tubers. Just as an experiment, I stuck them into some damp vermiculite (crown end up), and amazingly, almost all of them showed eyes within a couple of weeks and are producing a rather healthy looking root system.
Anna
It would appear that what you are doing is correct.
You read to cut the tuber off with a piece of the stem attached and put it in soil and just cover the bottom half. This is what I do. You also mentioned that the end with the piece of stem just stick out above the soil. This is correct. Lastly you mentioned that some tubers are just feeder tubers and they won't sprout. This is definitely correct. Just yesterday, I threw out a tuber that was firm and plump, looked like it "should" have had eyes on its stem, but alas just sat there growing huge roots. It is hard to tell sometimes, which ones will sprout. Others, that I thought would have one sprout, have many.
Emory Paul is indeed a beautiful dahlia. My sister has it, and has had good success in keeping it.
I suppose that depends on how many you have, and how diligent you are, but most importantly if the soil has good drainage.
I don't think the temperature should be a real issue. I've had mine outdoors ( in pots ) for the past month, and our weather conditions are similar at this point. The only reason I have not planted them is because I know that we can get frost up to the end of May.
While the weather is not ideal, it is not the death knoll, unless the soil gets too wet, and then rot can occur.
Hi,
Well I planted my dinner plates a week ago when it was warm, but now we have had a low pressure system hovering over us for 4-5 days of low to high 40's and rain all the time! Should I dig them up or wait it out?
Good day...
intercessor
This is my first dahlias or gardening year for that matter...
I wouldn't call 6" tall and 6-8 pairs of leaves leggy. More like bushy already. Best to nip at 2 or 3 sets of true leaves, and this happens at 4"-6" for my non-leggy rooted cuttings. If you wait too much later, the stems get hollow and can gather/hold water and rot the plant. I pinch some of mine a second time if started early enough. Serves the double purpose of making them bushier and keeping the early growth in check. Good Luck.
Clay
Ususlly the "stopping" (pinching out of the growing tip) is done at about 1' tall. When you plant your potted dahlias out you can take off a pair or 2 of the leaves & plant them deeper like you would a tomato plant if you think they're too tall & floppy.
But isn't a new snowfall clean and pretty. We had 4 inches and got 2 more.
Besides, I was ready for a gardening break.
First inspection of tubers found 4 or 5 with sprouts. I didn't break them off___just hustled them back in the cooler and told them it was too early. Just nestle down in your saran wrap and sleep for another month or so.
We call all our seedling babies she, too-- except for EEEKK!!-- & HE'S definately a HE! >:)
The year the ADS show was held in Seattle, they brought a tour bus full of dahlia growers from all over the world to our place. One of the guys from back east came up to me & said, "You're a girl!!" (I'm a little past the "girl" stage but who's counting??)
"Yup", says I "At least the last time I looked I was!" I guess dahlias, in the past, have usually been hybridized by the menfolk & they just don't think "Girls" are capable of the chore!-- fooled them!
Yup, I'm a he, at least the last time I looked. LOL
Cookie_ks, mine have been in pots for several weeks, and are now outdoors in the pots. They love the sun and are "growing gangbusters". I agree with linnea56 that you definitely gain a few weeks with potting early. Mind you I am not potting up 8000 like plantlady.
Chiggerbait, love your name by the way...
Your weather sounds like ours in about January- not ideal for dahlia tubers newly planted in the ground. If they continue to look wilty, I would indeed dig them up gently and see what's going on. My past experience with 'wilty' leaves has almost always been rotting tubers. Worse still: leaves that never appear at all. So sorry. BUT all is not lost yet; you can trim them and try to save them as above. Make sure you cut away ALL rot, let the cuts heal over and it wouldn't hurt to treat with a fungicide either. I've had dahlias go on to grow long after I gave up on them as totally rotten. When the tubers were dug up that Fall, the original tuber was nothing but a stub- half an inch of neck. Yet they went on to produce a full grown productive plant/flowers. Who can't like that?
Putting them in pots to let them regroup until your soil dries out a tad might be worthwhile too. Or leave them in pots- then you can protect them from hideous rainfall but will have to water more often in dry spells.
When to quit worrying about tuber rot? Right around October. There is always something wanting to foil your best dahlia plans.
The husband cuts the clumps up as he digs in the fall- all 8,000 or so clumps-- glad it's him doing it & not me!
Then he lets them cure a day or so.
He lines milk crates with newspaper & puts some vermiculite in the bottom, then a layer of tubers, then more vermiculite- he does this layering about 1/2 of the way up the crate- not all the way - doesn't want them to be too heavy on the bottom ones. The crates are stored in our cold room at about 40-45* for the winter.
Well, Can't say that I have heard of anything that will stop a dahlia from growing to its height potential. Perhaps if you wanted cactus dahlias that were 24 inches tall.......then maybe researching and finding dahlias that only grow that tall would be the answer. Research before buying and planting can prevent a lot of woes. Its also best to put the stakes in the ground when you plant the tubers so you don't damage the tuber later. Most taller varieties will have to be staked or will end up laying on the ground.
Happy Gardening,
Sierra
