Hi Pam,

I sually try to get mine outside once the day temps are above 55 or so.

They seem to start growing indoors in mid-late Feb. I store mine col (60f) in large ziplocks bags full of potting mix, and they send out roots and new shoots by mid Feb.

I drag them outside in late March or early April depending on weather and they seem to grow much stronger than trying to grow them inside which never seems to work, they get spindlyno matter how much sun they get inside.

Good luck

Boca Joe

Boca Joe-
That's what I was wanting hear! A method that actually jump starts the bulbs without a greenhouse. Do you think it is too late for me to put them in the ziplock bags now?? If I could get them to send out shoots & roots by Feb, I would be so happy.....
Pam

gardenlady48,

You are at least a zone and a half cooler than Boca Joe. It might be best to wait until the soil temps are closer to 55-60 degrees to plant out the rhizomes. Early planting will not guarantee early blooms. Very often, the later plantings will surpass the early plantings in size and bloom earlier. At least that has been my experience.

I start mine up in late March, early April under lights. Then in late April and May, it is in and out of the garage to get them acclimatized to the sun. If you start too early, they will be leggy and weak.

A place to __, a place to grow. Ontaree,,,airyair-eye-oh etc. Good comment, jroot. Do you find that if you pot the bulbs in early April that they'll be growing well by Firecracker Day? Now if you plant them in small pots, can they be taken out of the pots and transplanted in the garden without harm? Also I think some calla roots are mixed in my calla ones. Is there any difference in starting callas in pots? I guess I should add, must they be put in fibre or peat pots if they're to be transplanted to the garden? Thanks, Ron Squared

Hello Ron,

I just got back from a holiday in the sunny southern tip of the Baja penninsula, so have been unable to reply.

When I start pot them up in early April, they are indeed growing well by the end of May. When I pot them, I always put some newspaper on the inside of the pot ( like a pot within a pot) and thus when I take them out to plant in the garden, the roots don't get disturbed, and the newsprint becomes compost in the garden. Win Win.

I pot the dahlias and callas the same way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out how I make the pots in this link.