Not too late in my book. I just found a bag of tubers in the basement too: shoots a few roots just inside a gallon ziplock. Exposed them gradually to sunlight and put them in the ground. Mine are doing fine.

I also had dahlias in the cellar, forgot they were down there. We planted them one week ago. They had sprouted and are now breaking through the soil. I say plant them up! NancyLouise

I just wonder if they will produce any blooms before frost. Normally my "started indoors" dahlias, the tall ones, will start blooming in September with the asters and go though October and normally be killed by frost the second week in November. When I first tried dahlias I put them right in the ground and got first bloom right before frost, like late October. That was why I started getting a jump on the season by starting them indoors. I know most people probably just put them in the ground; but that would have been a month earlier than I am doing now!

I wonder if there is some schedule/ frame of reference for planting out and days to bloom? Kind of like tomato plants, when you buy them they give you a day until the first fruit is ripe.

Sometimes you can find 'days to bloom' guides online or on a package label. Varies with weather though.

I still think it'd be better to plant them and hope for an extended season, rather than let them shrivel or go to waste.

Ugh, I totally understand your plight!!!!!

I was really late to get my entire collection in this year because I was going to build a new bed for them (I gave their old home to new lilies this year). Mine went in around a week ago. I'm anxious to see if I get any blooms this year, especially considering how late I got any blooms last year and an early killing frost. Ironically, I had been proud of myself for getting them in as early as I did last year! However, we had a terribly long, cool and wet spring/early summer last year. On that note, we've had the opposite weather patterns this year, July weather all through May (mid-80's for 3 solid weeks, then just a handful of low to mid 70's otherwise). I'm hoping I can push them a bit with a fertilizing scheme I have in my head (High nitrogen for a little while, then lowering the N and upping the phosphorous a bit. They're now in wine barrels so I think I have an okay shot at controlling nutrients.). Anyone else think this could help?

Regardless, I have come to terms with the possibility of no blooms...

Are you the type to go through the process of pulling up and storing them? If so, there is no reason not to plant them up and allow them to grow foliage to feed the tubers and then give it a fresh go next season.

No, I have had no luck at storing them. After going to all the effort for a few years and having them all rot, I don't bother trying to store them now. My basement is just too warm.

I have a hard time storing them too, no basement. But most survive in a spare room and spritzing from time to time.

Linnea, you have nothing to lose! Even if you don't get blooms you'll give them a chance to store up more energy. Sometimes I try to give late plants a boost with tons of watering and extra attention to fertilizing.

Well, based on all the data I gathered last year:

It took an average of 42 days to go from a newly planted tuber to being able to take the first decent cutting (e.g. the sprout had > 3 sets of leaves.) The minimum was 28 days, the longest was 87 days.

It took an average of 124 days to go from cutting to first bloom (flower actually open fully.) The minimum was 73 days, the longest was 181 days.

I didn't use any fertilizer, just water from the lake for watering (which is pretty high in nutrients.)

My suggestion, just based on what I've read, would be to disbranch and disbud liberally. This might put all of the plant's energies into fewer flowers, which might help it bloom sooner.

You might also want to consider planting them in containers you can bring in in the fall. If they haven't bloomed and frost is nearing, you could bring them inside and put them in front of those windows you use in the spring. It wouldn't surprise me if you could get them to bloom once inside.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
Russ

linnea56, you have nothing to lose by planting them. They will very likely come, and you will very probably have flowers before frost. Sturgeonguy has a good suggestions however, and it is something that I often do, in that planting in a large planter produces a nice result. If it does freeze, they are much easier to cover up, or bring in. While most of mine are in the ground, some of mine are in planters. I get to move them where I think there is a need for more colour.