You have a couple of choices, but the one that probably is the easiest is to simply cut the sprout off just above the side of the tuber like you were taking it as a cutting and put the tuber to bed. Use whatever winter storage method you use for your others, just get this one out of the light so the sprout doesnÂt start again. That will give you those individual tubers to plant next year.

If you want to try and get a clump of tubers out of these for use next year, IÂd recommend putting it on a container and putting it under some decent lighting for 8 hours a day. This should convince it to put more energy into tuber production, but appreciate that itÂs going to take 3-4 months to get much in that regard. That said, by March next year it may well be ready to separate the clump and give yourself multiple plants. Keep it disbudded and largely disbranched, and be careful with watering so as not to rot the tuber.

FYI, decent lighting for what you want to do will be "cold" lights, or lights in the blue spectrum. You donÂt want full spectrum or "hot" or red spectrum lights as both will promote foliage/bud production. YouÂll know youÂve got the wrong lighting if they start to get long and spindly.

Keep us advised as to how they do, youÂll be conducting yet another winter experimentÂ;-]

Cheers,
Russ

Yes go ahead and do what Russ and I are doing. Grow dahlias under lights. Let us know how you make out. We would like dahlias to be grown year around in cold climates.

Thanks for the help!

I wish I could grow dahlias year round but here at home our space is so limited and I have two cats that would be chewing on all the sprouts. LOL.

I guess I will just put these to bed and hope they make it next year.

Thanks again for the help!

PS: Russ aka Sturgeon guy --- do you live in WI? Just wondering from your user name. Sturgeon fishing here in WI is done and I've seen some huge sturgeon that have been caught.

Monica,

Nope, I live in Lindsay, Ontario on Sturgeon Lake. No sturgeons in my lake though...only muskellunge aka muskie.

Cheers,
Russ

muskies aren't the world's pretties sport fish are they?
How are they for eating?

Muskies are the ones I have the most fun catching, and IMO, they're the best tasting too. Luckily, in our lake they are thriving so well that keeping one or two a year to eat is still reasonable.

Cheers,
Russ

I've never been muskie fishing. But I've been trying to talk my (SO) boyfriend, we should go to Canada and fish for Northern Pike and Muskies. When we watch the fishing shows the size of those fish are just HUMUNGOUS!

We do a lot of fishing for Northern Pike but we just catch and release. Sorry, but I don't care for the taste of fish and since I'm the cook, I don't fillet or cook them.

...and speaking of fishing- here's Walt a couple of years ago with a nice King Salmon he caught up at the Vedder River in BC, Canada & a Wyn's King Salomn. The caption reads-- "I'd rather be catching these than digging those"!
{{gwi:662448}}

and now that we've had an early frost where is he today? Up at the Vedder River fishing, of course! The digging will wait while the fishing's good.

Northern Pike and muskies are too boney to eat enjoyably, but fun to catch. Walleye is the freshwater treasure to us. But Walt: well, that is a fine farmer with a fine fish, a fine fork and an even finer flower at his side.

Sorry to hear you've frosted already, Cory, I've been braced for it, but am still cutting 100's of flowers. I know I'll be cursed if I say I'm sick of them, but I'm sick of them. Not looking forward to the big dig, but it has to be done.

Poochella- We had a really big frost again last night that got all the rest of the ones in the "Sheep Pen" garden. Walt started cutting down the '08 seedlings today & will begin digging them on Friday-- provided he's not fishing. The only good thing about not having dahlias so early is that this year the weather has been nice since the frost so he won't have to dig in the freezing rain-- yet!

It's just past midsummer here.
I've had a fine showing of dahlias, replanted late last year, some of them growing well over six feet tall with plenty of blossoms. However, I've noticed just recently that some have patches of leaves that have turned yellow and dry, almost like paper in texture. We have had some very hot days, but they are watered regularly. Is there something I can do to correct the problem?