Separating dahlia tubers

Is there an easy way to separate these tubers? I had a large clump from last year and have just today divided it into 4 parts, each with a stock. It has taken me ages.

 

I divided mine in the autumn after lifting them. I used a wood saw to cut through the crown (which is of course wood), it took no time at all. I am sure you appreciate, from your comment about stock, that each seperated part must have some of the crown. New growth only arises from the crown. A Dahlia tuber is an enlarged root and can not produce new shoots on its own. This is quite different from a potatoe which is an enlarged stem and, like any stem, shoots can grow from it.

The alternative to a saw is to use an old bread knife to split perennials - which, as you have found, can get very hard and woody.

 

Sorry that I got the spelling wrong with stock......I meant stalk!!! oops. Thank you PeterS for your comment.
I was being very careful not to break off any of the tubers but I did break some of the little ones. I hope I haven't done any damage. There were 4 stalks so according to my RHS book, I needed to break a piece off that has a stalk and that is what I did so now I will have 4 new dahlias. Time will tell. I didn't think you could be so brutal to use a saw!

 

I started off very gentle, but now I use a big very coarse saw a lot for splitting perennilals. They always say use two forks, but some can be so dense or woody that only a saw will do. It cuts very easily through roots earth etc. I would use a finer saw for Dahlias - the crown is just a piece of wood after all.

I am amused to see people like Monty Don also talking about using an axe sometimes. I think that nature is pretty robust.

Don't worry about breaking off some of the tubers. I was worried at first - but I just chuck them away now (they won't grow). Some of my Dahlias put on massive growth last year, increasing the tubers three of even four times in size (I think it was a good year for them) so I recon I can afford to lose a few and still be ahead.

 

I also divide mine in the autumn, but it can be done in the spring, before planting.

I examine the tuber and try so see where I want it to divide. I then take a bread knife and give it a shallow cut, just to get it started, then use my hands and brute force. Cutting again if required. I find that the tubers will find their own weak point, and you get less 'bits' to chuck away.

For very large tubers (12 inches across or more), I just put a spade through them.


Don't forget to cover any break/cut/wound surfaces with yellow sulphur to help them heal an keep diseases out.