3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
You really needed to dig them up & divide them- they get lazy when they have that great big ball of tubers to feed them. When they only have one tuber with a shoot they work harder to put out blooms & the plants are generally healthier.
Can you see where the tuber is attached to the old stem? There is a swollen area, kinda resembling a turtleneck. That is where the eyes will develop. If your inactive tubers don't have at least a piece of this tissue, they won't grow eyes. If that's the case, compost them. Sometimes they might even put out roots, but that is just to give you false hope.
Some kinds of dahlias just take longer to eye up. This year I'm trying a method for getting them to eye up using a plastic baggie, and it is working quite well. I'm starting some early so that I can make cuttings and have lots of new plants.
Those "long starts" are sprouts. If it is too early to plant outside in your area, carefully pinch the sprout off just above the eye area (don't damage the eye) and it will regrow a sprout.
It may be a bit too early to plant your tubers outside in a zone 5. When you do plant them, dig a hole about 6" deep, place your tuber in the bottom, eye/sprout side up, set your stake next to it in the hole and cover it with a couple inches of soil. As the plant grows taller, put more soil on it until it's level with the rest of your garden bed. Most dahlias require staking as their flowers are heavy. Rain and wind will topple them. Better to stake them at planting time so as not to damage the tuber at a later time.
Space between the tubers should be at least 2 feet or more. This is to give your plant some growing space and any closer than that, it is just too difficult to harvest in the fall without damaging the adjacent tubers.
BTW-the darker leathery tuber is the mother, sometimes it will grow and produce again and sometimes not.
Hope this helps.
Here is a link that might be useful: 
Yes, maam. We purchase new Karma dahlia plugs/cuttings every year. The Karma are grown in a 20 x 96 hightunnel (1,104 plants). They produce for us up until the time the dahlias in the field start producing. You may wonder why we don't just use our own dahlias in the hightunnel. Yes? Karma dahlias don't get as bushy. The plants get very tall in the hightunnel. We can consistently depend on at least 12 stems per plant. They produce, produce, produce. Then they're done. The dahlias are removed from the hightunnel; and, we replant a fall crop. Our Karma dahlia production is nowhere near that of large commercial growers who grow 10,000+ plants. Our main dahlia production is field grown on 5 acres.
I'm thinking it must be a very smart virus to only affect the tuber and not the whole plant. Or perhaps a benign virus about which the average grower wouldn't care much. Research into these dahlias is ongoing. I have to say that the cuttings this year look better than last year. Healthy, healthy plants.
The article written by Melanie DeVault was written in 2004. I read the article when it was written two years ago. Did you Google that for me?
Just your "average" grower..........................
Flower Farmer
No, I googled it to see what might be out there about viruses affecting Karma dahlias. It's too bad there isn't more research going on for dahlias diseases in general. I was just curious as to what the virus might do to other dahlias, or if it's Karma specific. Right now I don't have time to delve into it further.
WOuld love to see those Karmas in bloom in your hoop house!
Dry is better than total pulpy mush so congratulations on that! Try putting them in a baggie with a handful or two of damp/barely moist soil, with the tuber just on top or slightly covered. Keep the top of the ziploc type bag open, place in bright light/warm area and if you have eyes, that should help them show up. Working well out here.
Once you know they're good to go, then you can decide what to do with them before planting outside in your zone. I would guess you have a few weeks to go yet before planting out would be safe.
For the past 4 years I have been storing my tubers the same way with minimal losses: I simply put them in a box and cover them with a hardwood sawdust(use to line my horse stalls). I store the tuber in my garage which stays around 50 degrees all winter and then plant them directly in the ground in may...the tubers multiply like weeds each year.
You are so right Jroot, but I hesitate to call them gardeners.
I had a email from a friend who wanted some tubers, you see she wanted something she could plant that would be no work but give her beautiful flowers, just like your gardens she said.In jest, I suggest that she should try plastic or silk flowers if she didn't want to do any work. Believe it or not she's thinking about it!
Pescadora- fisherwoman! Here's a link to the Florida guy's website for you.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlias in Florida
This late in the season they may be sold out, but worth an email to the following vendors. I love the color on Kari Blue- not blue, you realize, but bluish. Funny scrawny long tubers on that one.
Here is a copy paste from "The Big List" dahlia locator.
KARI BLUE Accent Dahlias
KARI BLUE Clack's Dahlia Patch
KARI BLUE Connells Dahlias
KARI BLUE Cowlitz River Dahlias
KARI BLUE Log Cabin Dahlias
KARI BLUE Red Hawk Dahlias
KARI BLUE B&D Dahlias
Here is a link that might be useful: Big List of Trouble
Jim,
I just saw your message. No, I can't say I've heard of "mudding my cuttings". To what are you referring?
I agree with you on your surmise of the properties of plastic. You do want to have them dry before bagging them up though. I also dust mine well with a bulb dust aka fungicide.
Reddscarlette, in the fall, I dig up the plant and cut off the foliage about an inch above the tubers, watching out for eyes. Then I let these dry for about a day or a half day. Then I dust them with a bulb dust ( fungicide), and wrap them in recycled plastic grocery bags. These are labelled, and wrapped fairly tightly around the tubers. The bags are then put into a cardboard box about the size that Cats39 uses, and then stored in the cold cellar where it does not freeze, but remains cool all winter long. As I mentioned, I have taken them out this month, laid them on moist growing medium, and started to pot them once they have sprouted. It is surprising how many will sprout within a day, let alone a few hours. Surprising and exciting.
Sorry I missed this post until just now, Jim.
Yes, I think the plastic helps retain moisture. Whatever storeage method works for you is a good way to go.
I haven't heard of "mudding your cuttings" either.