I was at 2 stores today (Lowes and Walmart) and I was shocked by the bulbs they were selling. Horrible! Dry and most likely dead.

If you buy bulbs, look for ones that appear heavy for their size. If they are light, they are probably dead. The plumper they are, the better. Watch for signs of mold, either green or black. If you can find ones with small growing green points, that is a good sign. Also, the more "eyes" the bulb has on it, the better. The breeders says this is a sign of flower production. I dunno about that- I've gotten beaucoup flowers from a single growing point.

You eBay buyers, beware of sellers selling cheap bulbs like pink, yellow, sunset. You can tell the ones that have grown the bulbs yourself if you read the descriptions. Some sellers just buy up the icky bulbs at box stores and then sell them to unsuspecting folk.

My last warning is to beware of color. Check with google images or elsewhere online to find actual colors. There is a new Dahlia being sold this year, on one retail site it is white with dark purple edges, on another site the edges are fuchsia pink!

We all want the cheapest price and the best products, I'm one of the worst about that- spend hours pouring over catalogs and comparing prices, by the time I order the item is usually sold out... But remember, sometimes the old adage is true- you get what you pay for!

Susan