limping dahlia cuttings

Hi well I put some dahlia cuttings into my prop on Saturday/Sunday and they have all started going limp and brown . The compost is moist and the prop is in a warm room with the sunny days we have had. Do you think that they are two warm? This is the first time I have tried dahlia cuttings and I have loads of them and I thought they were easy to do

 

is the prop heated ? electric ?

Spruce

 

Hi Dorothy , did you use fresh compost or just reused and old one???

try to germinate in sand or perlite , but most important , buy a root hormone and learn to use the clear bag ......

the bag will keep the cutting moisture under control.

 

Hi they are planted in new compost and the prop is electric but you cannot regulate it.Sal, I will try and redo in sand tomorrow and get hold of some rooting compound.I will be so upset if I lose them now.I thought I was doing so well getting the cuttings

 

Don`t blame your self , the weather is to blame ....they need lots of light and warm ...

look at this

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/creative-projects/how-to-take-dahlia-cuttings/104.html

 

I agree with Sal about putting a plastic bag over the pot (I attach mine to the pot with an elastic band, so that the bottom of the pot is still "open" so I can stand it in water for a few minutes if it dries out (which it probably won't do until the cutting is rooted).

I root Dahlias out of direct sub - either under the greenhouse bench or, like now when it is cold, on an East or West facing windowsill, right at the South end, so that the sun doesn't shine on them directly. They aren't going to be doing any growing until they have rooted, and direct sun will make them wilt, transpire more, which will put more strain on them.

Provided the cuttings are bit enough (4" to 6" I would say) you should have no trouble rooting them, as they do root fairly readily. The tuber will throw up some more shoots, so you should get another round of cuttings as yet.