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linht_gw

can tubers be too large to be usefel?

linht
16 years ago

This is my first year digging & storing. Some of my plants tubered up really well while others not so much. The tubers I ended up saving vary in sizes. Some plants produced tubers that are almost a foot long and about 1.25 inches in diameter. They are much larger than any tuber I've been sent from the suppliers. My question is, is there an ideal size for a tuber? Will these larger ones still produce a decent plant? Thanks for any advice...

Comments (17)

  • crdahlia
    16 years ago

    It makes no difference what size the tuber is as to what type of plant they produce. Tiny ones, if they are well filled out and solid can produce great plants. If I have a foot long one, I would cut off part of the end, and dip the cut part in sulphur before I store. If you aren't comfortable with that, I would cut off part of it and dip in sulphur before I plant. I've been told by many dahlia experts that the larger ones take longer to form good roots because they have so much food they can use in the tuber. They also make planting difficult.

    Teresa

  • linht
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks Teresa!

    I can definitely cut it down, no prob. All the large ones I have, contain at least one visible eye so I'm hoping they'll do their thing. However, when you say "they also make planting difficult" do you mean they are less likely or will take longer to sprout and grow?

  • crdahlia
    16 years ago

    I'm talking about the hole size. It has to be much wider in diameter to accommodate the longer width. They seem to sprout in about the same length of time, but the sprout doesn't grow as fast because they don't form roots as fast.

  • Poochella
    16 years ago

    I'll chime in with Teresa to say that cut off large tubers do very well. Let the cut dry to the touch before storing.

    I wish I had a photo of Ferncliff Copper from last year, it was like a zucchini that escaped notice in the garden: over a foot long and 2 inches wide. I've got a couple this year that aren't so long, but just hugely fat. Not sure what I'm going to do with those.

    On the opposite end of the scale, I've grown beautiful full-size plants from tubers the size of peanuts: very healthy plants. It just doesn't seem to matter, though skinny necks tend to break, dry out, or rot in storage so I try to avoid those. Soil quality, temperature, sun, and fertilizer seem to be the key factors here.

  • linht
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for all the helpful hints. I've already packaged all my tubers but looks like I should redo some of them. I read somewhere that upto 1/3 of the tuber can be cut off. Does that sound right? Or can I remove upto 1/2 of the tuber?

  • Poochella
    16 years ago

    I've cut off half of some of the largest ones and they do fine. I let the cuts dry and treat with something before planting or storing.

    In the next couple days I'll get a photo of the absolutely fattest tuber I've ever seen. Dug it up today.

  • linht
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks Poochella,
    Being able to cut my foot long tubers down to 6 inches will definitely help save space. By the way, your thread on tuber division with all the pictures (Jroot's also) was VERY useful. Thanks for taking the time to post.

  • jroot
    16 years ago

    My red cactus style dahlia always produces HUGE tubers. Every year, some of them get broken, and yet they still produce great plants the next spring. Just be sure that there are eyes. Glad to have helped.

  • Poochella
    16 years ago

    You're welcome linht.

    To my surprise, the 'large' tuber I meant to post was eclipsed by an even chubbier tuber yesterday!
    Can't tell you the ID, it was mislabelled to begin with.
    {{gwi:664911}}

    The "Coral Gypsy" tuber grew no others (front,) just one gigantic mother, but the no ID tuber outgrew even this fat one.
    {{gwi:664914}}

    Compared to other more average sized tubers.
    {{gwi:664917}}

    My biggest ones ever came from Fercliff Copper last year- foot long and fat! This year, Ferncliff Copper produced a more manageable lot of roots.

  • linht
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Those are monstrous tubers Poochella. In your first picture, there is a tuber on the left with the long skinny neck between your cutting device and the humongous middle one. Is that one you would save if it had an eye?? I have a white FD that made a mass of tubers all looking like that, just wasn't sure if I'd have luck with them...

  • Poochella
    16 years ago

    Probably not, linht. I try to avoid the skinny necks as they break, rot, or dry out easily. If I was desperate to save a variety I might try to save it, but not with much optimism.

    The better tuber on that little group would be the one to the far right. Thicker neck, plumper; more durable and more likely to survive storage and planting. The fat one made a delightful plop when I hurled it into the woods and brush.

  • linht
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Your massive tuber probably made a delicious meal for some lucky rodent out there. One last question for anyone who knows...

    I decided I'm going to cut my big tubers down to size in the spring instead of now. So at that time, when I slice off the bottom half, do I have to let it dry overnight and then apply fungicide, then plant? Or is it okay to just slice, coat the cut end with sulfur powder and plant right away?

  • dahliagardener
    16 years ago

    Better to let it dry first.

  • Poochella
    16 years ago

    I agree, let it dry first and heal up the open pathways into a freshcut tuber for pathogens to enter and do their evil thing.

    Where do you do your gardening dahliagardener?

  • triple_b
    16 years ago

    the top one looks like a roast chicken.

  • pdshop
    16 years ago

    With all the huge tubers I have thrown into the woods, wouldn't it be great if they all bloomes and I had a sea of flowers?

  • grannymarsh
    16 years ago

    Holy guacamole !!! How'd I miss this post the first time around. Those monster tubers would feed a family of four.

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