Any dahlia experts around?

[TheLesserWeevil]

I'm growing dahlias for the first time this year, all potted up nicely and starting to sprout... just checked them and a slug has already nibbled the top off one of them! Will the corm send out any further shoots? Or is it a lost cause?

No, not a lost cause at all. Most tubers put up several shoots, and you are advised to nip the tops out of the strongest shoots to encourage branching. (If you wait till the shoots are 10- 15 cm high you can cut them off and use them as cuttings)

But get rid of the slugs

Slugs are dahlias number one enemy. I didn't protect my black dahlia sufficiently last year and it was trashed. I buy the organic pellets and use liberally. Once they get to a certain size or at least a foot tall you don't need to protect so much.

I grew a load from seeds one year and they all came up really well. For some reason the skugs here don't go for them, no idea why.

Jumping on the topic here.

I've got new dahlia tubers in boxes of compost waiting to sprout, but no signs yet.

The room they are in is very dark, not much natural light at all.

Do you think I should put them somewhere lighter or will they be ok?

They need light!

Definitely need light . I have mine starting off in my bathroom just opposite the window.

Thanks all. I found one snail, which I think may have been the cuplrit. Lots of pellets down now - they are in pots in the (unheated) greenhouse. I'm growing several different varieties, some looking very perky, others showing no signs of life whatsoever. Is there anything else I should be doing / not doing?