Is anyone ready to be excited about dahlias yet?

[DesparatePragmatist]

I know the 2024 sparrow has barely farted... but my snowdrops are up, the rhubarb is showing pink buds and it's going to be spriiiiiiiinnng...

So I've put in a (possibly slightly too adrenaline-fueled) order for 8 new dahlias from Sarah R's - mixture of waterlily, pompom and anemone types in the cool white/pink/burgundy range rather than the oranges. And a last minute splurge on a cafe au lait for the fun of it. I know it's weeks till they'll arrive and weeks more till they'll do anything, but.... who's with me?

It is. I’ve bought new tubers two years in a row now and love this one. It looks spectacular but I do have to stake quite early.

I now have 21 pots of dahlias so if I can store them without rotting I really shouldn’t buy more next year!

Don't worry @Coastalcreeksider a lot of gardening advice on those videos is quite purist. You won't have caused any damage or impairment to your tubers, they'll be fine.

I think the advice to keep the watering to the minimum is because people do tend to overwater, especially when they don't see any sprouting action and it can risk the tubers sitting in overly moist compost and rotting. But your additional drop of water isn't going to be an issue.

Thank you daisychain01, I did go down to the garage yesterday and lo and behold, one dahlia shoot just peeping through. I was thrilled. I haven't been down there yet today so I hope I might, just might, see another one.

I feel quite excited now ... 😁

Thank you for starting this thread. Because of it DH, me and even our adult son got all excited and each chose a new dahlia to plant in the garden.

That is so lovely. I have chosen a similar one but a bit bronzer around the tips.

I orderd Brown Sugar this year. Hope it copes with our very clay soil. LOVE your dark fuschia one in the middle jam jar. Would you share what variety it is?

Excited to start off dahlias in pots! I dug up mine last year and each variety had increased in number of tubers.

How do I divide them up for planting - is it just one bit of tuber per pot or do I plant a few bits per pot, similar to what you’d get when purchasing dahlias?

@Maggiethecat heres a link to my go-to guide for dividing your tubers and for checking their viability, so you snip away any shrivelled or rotting bits of tuber, as this will give you the best results for this year.

It also shows lots of different tuber shapes, some long and thin, and other chunky and fat according to the dahlia type.

The most important thing is having a sharp pair of snippers, so you make a clean cut.

https://summerdreamsfarm.com/dahlia-tuber-and-splitting-guide

Glad your's have started sprouting 👍 @Coastalcreeksider grest news!

Thanks @daisychain01 - will have a read of that.

Some of mine are a bit shrivelled. I had washed, dried them and stored in a paper bag in my shed. Probably should have covered them with something to minimise drying out.

cut one of my shrivelled ones and there is white flesh so hopeful a number of them will be viable as the author says.

still not sure I'm confident in splitting although the instructions are very clear.

Will have a go once this blasted storm is on her way!

The middle one is Thomas Edison - it’s beautifully rich but possibly looks a bit darker in the photo due to the lack of light in the kitchen

How's everyone getting on with their dahlias? Despite constant checking I only have signs of life in 3 out of 12 pots. Really hoping some others spring into life soon 🤞

I only have signs of life in 2 out of 7 pots and one out of about 10 that I left in the ground.

Mine are beginning to grow. I have some that get really tall and leggy, can I prune them to make them bushier, and to get more flowers lower down? If so how and when do I do this please?

Hi can I join in please?
So I’ve looked online about dividing the tubers but mine are already sprouting - does anyone know if I can still uproot them and split them at this sprouting stage ? (Dividing still scares me lol)

@Snooks1971 yes you can do them now.

Dahlias are easily propagated from basal cuttings. In the spring, once the tuber has started sprouting, select strong, healthy shoots about 7.5cm (3in) long. Remove them with a clean, sharp knife along with a small portion of the parent tuber. Remove all but the top pair of leaves and pinch out the tip.8 Jan 2021
https://www.sarahraven.com/articles/how-to-plant-and-grow-dahlias#:~:text=Dahlias%20are%20easily%20propagated%20from,and%20pinch%20out%20the%20tip.

I played 10 tubers in pots. Nothing from any of them yet and it's been 4 weeks 😭

I’m in the north. I have 23 and about 6 have little green shoots.

It looks like I'm not the only one having minimal success so far. Perhaps it's because it's just so cold? Maybe they'll all spring into life when the weather improves...

It’s been very cold. Two of mine have just started to shoot this week

Mine aren't doing a thing.

I son't water them much, ,mostly rely on the rain because I don't want them to rot. Not sure if that's the right thing to do though.

I potted mine up 6 weeks ago today. 13 out of 15 have sprouted but 6 of those were just this week and are still tiny bits of green just at the soil's surface. I wouldn't give up hope @piscofrisco

Dividing mine up and not sure that this one is healthy?!

Unfortunately that doesn't look like a viable tuber @Maggiethecat

Good health = firm to touch, nice thick tight bunch of tubers on a stem (last year's growth), no softness, no oozing, not too much wrinkling which can be a sign of dessication/drying out due to lack of stored moisture)

If a tuber falls apart to touch then discard.

If any of the above properties are visible in one tuber on a larger bunch of tubers just snip off the bad bits and keep the viable ones still on the stem. A bit like cutting away dead wood, it removes the dead matter and gives it new life.