Am I mad to think of transplanting a potted dahlia of 3 feet tall into ground now?

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I really didn't expect mine grow so well. Already in a 14 inches pot. Its height reached over 3 feet with lots of flower stems all over the top. Most of the flower stems are thin(ish). The whole plant is really bushy right now.

My problem is the planned holiday in August. We are supposed to be away for two weeks. No way this plant would survive without being watered daily. It takes so much water everyday to sustain all those leaves and flowers.

I was cleaning the garden ground from neglection. It's mostly ready now to have plants in ground. So I'm considering to transplant it into the ground now to allow it stand a chance to survive with rain water (if there is at all) during my two-weeks absence.

Is this feasible at all? How to do it?

I would think it would be fine (speaking as a novice dahlia gardener though). Might take a little while to get going again, but better than it dying whilst you area away. I'd try to retain as much as the existing root growth and soil as you can when you transplant though.

I'm on the gardeners world forum, which might have more relevant readership to gardening issues than on here.

Hopefully it’s pot-bound by now, so you should be able to get it out of the pot without it even noticing.

Remember, the default option is a dead Dahlia, so any improvement on that is a win.

I'm on the gardeners world forum, which might have more relevant readership to gardening issues than on here. thank you for that vote of confidence

You can put container grown plants into the ground at any time of the year (unless the grounds rock solid/frozen) so it shouldn't be a problem at all. Just treat it as if you'd just bought a dahlia in a pot from a garden centre-plant it somewhere with good soil no weeds or competing plants, I put a handful of slow release plant food under my dahlias, water it well and before you go on holiday give it an extra good water and I would mulch round it too to help the soil retain the water. It should be fine but like pp said, it will definitely die in the container so you may as well plant it out and see how it goes.

Watering plants in containers while I'm away is an issue I have too, I usually do my DSis's garden for her while she is away and she returns the favour for me. Is there anyone who could pop in and water containers or newly planted items for you?

If there isn't, I'd plant it up in an area that's not too sunny - not what I'd normally say for Dahlias - and hope for typical UK weather. You're right in thinking that it will be better off in the ground. Water it as much as possible in the planting process, ie water the plant in its pot before removing it from the pot, water the hole you've dug for it to go into, water it again after you've put it in and backfilled with soil around its rootball, water it daily until you leave.

I'm on the gardeners world forum, which might have more relevant readership to gardening issues than on here. Are you assuming that all the posters on here are novices too, dear?

@MereDintofPandiculation @TheNoodlesIncident- I didn't mean to cause offence! It was wrong wording at midnight. I meant that the other forum might have more viewers to be able to help the OP.
I only recently found the gardeners world forum myself and thought the OP might benefit from knowing that there is an additional source for gardening info.

That will be fine 👍

Thanks to all. I will give it a try with the help of DH this week (too big for one person to handle without breaking the plant). As you all said, whatever the result would be better than leaving it in pot while we are away. Fingers crossed. Will update when it's done and the plant settles.

Thank you @Eleoura. Good tips. I do have quite some very particular questions. No harm posting on both forums. Thank you. :)

I would pinch out any flower buds at the end of each stem just before you go on holiday It will encourage latent buds to emerge and with any luck they will be ready to flower when you return. Ah, just noticed you are going in August, so you will have had a first flush of flowers. Make sure you deadhead them right down to a leaf joint . Also stake your dahlia, they get top heavy once the flowers come.