Dahlia Tubers

I know you're supposed to put them out in February (I think?), but with the cold weather, should I still put them out in February or wait?

Cheers

 

They're still in their packets, should I have them in soil? :o :D

 

I always put them in their own pots to make them look nicer.

I don't have a greenhouse (have a plastic 4-tier one) so nowhere to put them..

 

I don't think that you need to do anything yet. They don't need any soil until after they have sprouted - which will be some time yet. As the tuber is a storage mechanism it can store food and moisture enough to support the first sprouts.

I am going to do nothing with mine for a couple of months - other than keep them in a cool frost free place. The suggested practice then is to place them on top of (or just half buried in) some soil in a tray and let them bake in the sun. Make sure that the crown (the woody bit at the top) is not touching the soil, so that it can't rot. It won't rot once growth has started. Its the initial heat that will start them into growth. Once the growth is three or four inches long you can plant them out. But at no stage can you let them get frosted.

Alternatively, you can wait till after the last frost and then just plant them out. But that way there is a small danger of the crown rotting before growth starts.

 

If anyone cares, here's some of the ones I have bought;


'Duet'


'Arabian Night'


'Purple Gem'

and 8 mixed.

 

I'm not the bigest fan of Dahlia, but the colour of that Arabian Knight is awesome! Where did you find it?

 

Bought it last year in Sainsbury's, think it was only about £3.99

 

Kyle, if they are in plastic bags, take them out before they start sweating.

 

not a big fun of Dhalias , but years ago my girlfriend both some for me , I`ve never looked after them proper , I never lift the tuber out for winter store , except the arabian night and the small Dhalias they all survived the last 3 cold years with no problem and come back every May , what I`ve notice they perform much better in partial shadow and like many other plants of course will produce more flower if planted in the soil.
Anyway I agre with Petes ,wouldn`t plant them outdoor no early then April , is still too cold , if you pot them try to use a mix of sand and compost .

 

I've got Arabian Night, it's a lovely dahlia. Mine are overwintering in the ground and I don't expect to see any growth on them for ages yet. I also have other dahlia tubers stored in the shed which will be potted up probably around April or May.

 

You can often find 'Arabian Knight ' in the packeted Dahlias in Wilcos.
Much to early to plant outdoors yet . I have a few tubers that I use for exhibition plants , I have them indoors starting to shot as I will take early cuttings to grow on to flower this season.

Dave

 

If I post a picture of one of my tubers (one I had in my garden last year) could someone tell me if it's possible to divide it? As I have never done it before, I'm worried I'll kill it..

 

Kyle - There are two ways of propagating Dahlias (other than by seed - which won't come true).

You can wait till the new shoots are 4 or 5 inches tall then cut them off and use them as cutting material. I have never done it that way - but I am sure that others have and will know the details.

The second way is by division. The tubers can get congested, and sometimes they just fall by themselves into two bits, that you must disentangle. But you can't rely on that. The tubers are just storage organs that are attached to the crown - the woody bit at the top. All growth comes from the crown. If you pot up just a tuber, it won't grow. The method is to cut the crown into two or more pieces, using a saw, making sure that each piece has some tubers attached. I always find its better to be generous when dividing anything - ie cut it into large pieces, rather than try and get too many bits.