Dahlia..no top growth still

15 years ago

So I started my dahlias in late March indoors, some were from tubers from the year before and others where new, recently purchased tubers. The new store-brought tubers are already a foot or two tall and should be flowering soon. I planted them last week. The dahlia tubers that I had from last year still hasn't produced any top growth, yet the roots are growing well and tubers are fat. What do you think, is it worth my time to grow them considering they may not grow until August? By then, it seems not really worth it.

I may have to change my overwintering strategy since the cannas from last year never came up either. I stored them in some dirt in a cardboard box in the attic...I think it may have been a little too cold. Next year, the basement, against an internal wall; wrapped in newspaper.

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Comments (3)

nhdahlialover
15 years ago
Did you tubers from last year have any visible eyes when you planted them? If they don't have eyes they won't produce a plant but will still produce nice roots. I would dig a couple up gently to see if they have eyes. If not I would use the garden space for something else this year. My guess is that if they have been in dirt for close to three months with nothing happening - nothing is going to happen.
jroot
15 years ago
If they froze, they would be mushy in the spring. I am assuming that is not the case, otherwise you would not have potted them.

I am assuming that they were firm. If all of them had no eyes, I am assuming that the stems were cut off the tubers and then the tubers stored. A number of novice gardeners do this. I had a nice lady who presented me with a bag of tubers that she had "cleaned up" for me. She had indeed cut off the stems, and unfortunately had cut off area where the potential eyes would develop. All of them were useless, and none of them grew in spite of my best efforts. I always leave about 2 inches of the stem on the tuber when preparing for winter. That way, I know which end to look for eyes, and also I know that end is where the eyes will develop.

I do not store in dirt. If the dirt is damp, the tubers will rot. If the dirt is dry, the soil can deplete the moisture from the tuber, depending upon the consistency of the soil. There are a number of ways of storing tubers, and quite a few postings as to how to do it here on this forum. In the fall, I am sure there will be many more. Keep your eyes open for them ( Pun intended LOL)

Enjoy the dahlias you have now. Aren't they wonderful? Any pictures?

Mine have started to bloom. Alas, I left my camera at my son's place in Toronto, and it is a good hour away. When I get it back, I'll post some photos.
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bradarmi
Original Author
15 years ago
I will double check when I get home from work today, but I think you are right, my plants may not have any eyes on them. I remember cutting them stem real close to the union of the eyes and the tuber, in fact, there is a hallow depression there, thanks for the reminder. I raise orchids, so I should have known better .

I am glad on I learned on a cheap and easily (re)obtainable tuber. I never grew them before so this was a learning exercise. Thanks for the info. Now to focus my energy on the dahlias I planted already that are viable.