is it too early to plant Dahlia tubers

hi
received my order by post and all look in good condition but the paperwork that came with them says to plant out strait away. i have read on the internet that its about a month away when I should be planting these out. i live in west Yorkshire

 

Can you pot them up and keep them frost free.
If not I'd be inclined to hang on another couple of weeks before planting out they will be ok if kept cool.

 

thanks for the reply.
Looks like ill be waiting a couple of weeks. until then I will put in the bedroom on a tray with no heating.

 

If you were to give them a light spraying with water each day you might find they start to form small buds around the neck of the tubers.

 

yep ill give it a go. Thanks for the advice

 

Though unusually very warm by day there has been some ground frosts for the last few weeks in Yorkshire and the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks does indicate some night temps down to 0c, not what delicate Dahlia shoots want.

When you do plant them out, be prepared to cover them over if a frost is forecast, snow at Easter is not unheard of if you are more towards the hills.

 

I will pot my overwintered tubers up in pots this weekend. They'll be in the living room, and will (hopefully) sprout in a week or two, and will grow on until they are ready to start acclimatising in May with daily walkies out.

They will go in ground around the end of May, by then they are hopefully strong, bushy plants.

Up here it's pointless to plant or keep out anything apart from strongly growing plants as slugs will destroy anything feeble.

My living room stage works well with cheapy grow light preventing the youngster from getting too leggy.

 

I potted mine up and put them in a cold frame. Should that be alright?

 

Should be OK, if the temperatures go into minus over night just put some covering over the frames glass like an old blanket.

 

Living in Scotland where I have to wait a while before planting Dahlia corms out I always start mine off in the greenhouse ( unheated). Personally I usually soak the corms for about 24 hours prior to getting them started. Most of my corms are enormous so don’t even bother to properly pot them up. Just half bury them in the soil borders in the greenhouse. If it is forecast to be very cold I cover them with cardboard boxes overnight. Works for me as the corms have been going strong now for maybe 35 years!

 

So obviously they must have been passed down to you in somebody's will perhaps.

 

Oh ha ha @pete, the originals were actually given to me by the janitor of my Daughter’s primary school. He won prizes for his Dahlias. I am slightly out with the corms ages as Daughter is 35 so the corm can only be quite young things….30!

 

can i ask when potted how often do you water the tubers, and how much water I've got mine in a small greenhouse