Dahlias not in flower yet

[quince2figs]

I have never grown dahlias before, so hoping for some experienced advice. I bought nine varieties of lovely Sarah Raven tubers, which were all purchased quite late in the sale. All quite tall, large-flowered varieties.
I potted them into 1 litre pots, and they all grew really well. During the very hot weather, they looked extremely healthy, but didn’t get any bigger. I had planned to put them all in the ground, but due to time constraints, ended up with not enough cultivated ground to space them all in. All now 40-50cm high, and looking really healthy, but no sign of buds or flowers.
Cuttings from the tops and tubers have almost all taken, so I now have another 12 which are a little behind (approx 30cm and just as healthy).

Is it too late to put them into large pots now, which I presume will be needed to get some flowers? I know they can flower well into Autumn.
The other option may be to continue to feed and water them, accept no flowers for this year, but lots of healthy tubers stored over winter for next spring, ready to plant out into permanent beds.

Mine a doing better in the ground plus - loads of watering!

We have one on the ground and one in a pot. The ground one (missed lifting last year) has lots of flowers and the pot one has none yet. Can't remember when DH did it though.

Have got about 7 Sarah Raven tubers in the ground about 3 are in flower and still waiting for others to bloom. In previous years they have bloomed late into the season (think October) so think there is still time yet.

Mind had lovely blooms last year but only a couple of smaller ones this year.. I think it might be the hot weather but I have been keeping them watered

Oh fabulous, thanks all. I will put them in larger pots with plenty of food and watering, and hope for some late flowers.

Mine is in a large pot and only just started flowering in the last week. I was watering it every night during the hot weather but it’s not doing as well as last year, I had cut flowers from it in the house for weeks.

Nitrogen in fertiliser gives you loads of green leafy growth, which you don't need any more, so try using tomato fertiliser instead, which should induce flowering.

Ok thanks yamadori, will do

My dahlia struggling too I would have thought the heaven wave would have been a massive boost to the them?

Me, too.
They are mostly now in larger pots with tomato feed, so we shall see

First time for me this year, I have three flowering in the garden. Do I just leave them in the ground till next year? Sorry for the ignorance but someone mentioned ‘lifting’ and I hadn’t considered it!

I got away with this for several year but not last year. Store them in a shed or greenhouse.

Mine are struggling too. I have 8 Sarah Raven tubers in the ground, different tall varieties. Only one has a flower so far, along with a few buds. Maybe 3 other plants have buds, the rest are small and bud-less! Two have grown very minimally and their growth has completely stalled. Very disappointed, but will keep watering and try some tomato feed!

Ah ha! Less than a week of large pot and tomato fertiliser, and there are buds forming. Away for 4 days from tomorrow, so hoping for flowers soon.

Boo - on my return from hols, they still look like they are thinking about budding, but haven’t. Otherwise happy in their large pots.

If they don’t flowers I best to leave in pots over winter (protected with layer of compost/in unseated greenhouse), or “lift” the tubers as is traditional?

Sorry yours still aren’t upto much! I took the advice of using some tomato feed, and quite a few more buds have appeared, plus a couple of flowers on three of the plants. But the stems are really short, so won’t be any good for cutting. Two of the remaining plants are just starting to get some buds, but the final three are completely bud-less!

I’m afraid I have no advice on what to do over the winter, I’m a novice, and still haven’t decided what to do with my own!

I too have Sarah Raven sale dahlias potted up end of May.
No buds. No flowers. Was planning on keeping them in their pots to become stronger plants for next year, keeping them in greenhouse over winter.

SR says she doesn't lift hers but covers with thick layers of compost etc (look at her website). Though she lives in Kent so this might not be reliable for certain temperatures in colder climates.

I planted first ever dahlia tubers months ago. Nothing happened at all. I'd given up on them.

Just noticed this weekend they are actually growing and I have one flower!!!

I'll water with tomato fertiliser tomorrow - thanks.