Saved dahlia tubers are sprouting - wot to next, please?

[Hyacinth]

Well,success! First time I grew them, last year, & now the saved tubers are coming to life. SO....next step..how deep do I plant them, etc.etc.

Thanks, flower growers - doing the pretties is new to me

[sunloving]

Hi Hyacinth
Brilliant youve made it through the hardest part.

Because there is still frost for another month or so, i would normally plunge mine into a shallow tray of compost. Dont completely bury them just leave the bit that joins the stem to the tuber on the surface.

Its a great time to take cuttings as as you remove  shoot another will form.

Try to keep them in as much light as you can otherwise you'll get straggly shoots but apart from being frost free you should have excellent plants to stick in when the frosts are over.

We normally plant rooted cuttings in the first week in may , becuase they are late flowerers thats plenty of time for them to establish.

Good luck and heres to lovely warm late summer days full of colour!
 x sunloving

[Hyacinth]

Right! Thanks. They're now in the greenhouse. A question - there are sevral tubers atached to the main stem - do I separate them or leave them as they are?

[valmarg]

A question - there are sevral tubers atached to the main stem - do I separate them or leave them as they are?

Leave them as they are.  You will see that the new growth is coming from the old main stem.  Dahlias are not like potatoes.  If you break the tubers off they will not provide new plants.  The tubers are food stores.

valmarg

[Hyacinth]

OK! Thanks Valmarg, you and sunloving have given me all the info I need. I'm really pleased about this - I was given a few plants last year & was amazed at the tubers they'd made at the end of the season.....isn't this flower growing stuff exciting!

[valmarg]

.....isn't this flower growing stuff exciting!

Yes, and the fruit and veg.

The weather is starting to get a BIT better, and its difficult not to get too excited at the prospects of this year's crops.

valmarg

[Tulipa]

Hi,

I went to a talk at Hillyers and the chap was saying to pinch out the tip of the shoots to make bushier dahlias once they are started, I hadn't heard that one before but will try it this year.  Sounds like you are having fun Lish! xx

[Tee Gee]

This info might help; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Dahlias/Dahlias.htm

[star]

Excellent Lish, Im sure you'll have lovely blooms this summer with all this great advice

[valmarg]

Hi,

I went to a talk at Hillyers and the chap was saying to pinch out the tip of the shoots to make bushier dahlias once they are started, I hadn't heard that one before but will try it this year.  Sounds like you are having fun Lish! xx

If you let the shoots grow a bit more, you can use the pinched out tips for cuttings (waste not want not )

I unserstand you can only take cuttings until the stems become hollow, then they won't root.

valmarg