How can I tell if my Dahlia tubers are good? They're so dry and crusty..

[Advancedpie]

Last year I planted dahlias (bought from the garden centre, not stored at home). And they never came up. My new ones look so dessicated I'm not sure they'll grow. I wonder about the garden centres being too warm and the tubers drying out in the plastic bags. What d'you think? Do you have dahlia experience?

Mine looked dead when I planted them, the were a bit poor the first year but every year since have had a good show, waiting to see what happens this year after the awful winter though

If they're dry and crusty chances are they're ok. Wet and soggy and soft to the touch, not so much!
In a couple of weeks, soak them in lukewarm water then plant them in an indoor pot, medium light, not too hot or cold. Look to plant them out in May and nip off any shoots if they start too soon.

I’ve just planted mine out. Seems we are over the super cold weather now 🙏

Usually they are only bad when they get soft and go moudly. Dry is perfectly fine. In terms of growing them, if you had trouble last year, you might try sprouting them in pots first before planting out. I found that the slugs got to some of my early shoots in beds around the house and killed them. I have a separate bed for veg and dahlias that is more protected from slugs and those did fine. Also, they need lots of water early on, so make sure you water them if it gets dry (unlikely in this weather!).