Annoying Dahlias

Over the last few weeks I've been finding space in the garden for various annual plants I've been growing, only to find, on plunging my trowel into the ground, that there are fat dahlia tubers from previous years under there, having remained virtually dormant until mid-July. Some have been labelled, but others have lost their label and I've been surprised to see how many there are now that shoots are finally appearing.

The annoying thing is that I always end up damaging good tubers. Also, they have now got about 8 weeks left to get some serious growing and flowering done. I'm not sure if they'll make it.

I have noticed before that some overwintered dahlias are very slow - but not all. I'm not sure if shoots have been there before but get eaten off by slugs before I see them. If I know a dahlia is there I put pellets down in April and May, but if I don't know the tuber is there, I don't.

I'm now left with the conclusion I should dig them all up for overwintering as I then have much more control - but much more work as well.

Anyone else experienced anything like this?

 

Yes,ive dug into some that hav'nt regrown,i also dont understand why,bulbs look good and big
I also put some of them in compost in the GH but they still did'nt show
Maybe with the mild winter they have no energy left

 

When I have left them in the ground they have generally produced shoots by May, then the slugs removed these. So now I only grow in pots and overwinter tubers in the greenhouse.
@joolz68 It could be that the dahlias did not produce buds at the base of the stem last autumn or the slugs could have treated the shoots as a cut and come again salad leaf. I've had both.

 

@Madahhlia

This is the annoying thing about growing lots of bulbs and tubers. The number of times I have removed a bud just about to push through while hoeing or but the trowel through an unsuspecting and unexpected cyclamen. These accidents now give me an excuse/reason for a minimal cultivation approach in some flower beds.