[muddywellies]

Back in the late autumn I dug up my dahlia tubers, left them to dry for a couple of weeks and packed them in boxes of peat – as recommended here:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=25370.0

I've just been down to check them and they've got fluffy mould on them  Can anybody say if they'll still be OK to plant up this year or would I be better off quickly ordering some new tubers? Here are some pics to show the level of fluffiness and the boxes I stored them in. I left the lids ajar on the boxes as they were plastic. They've been in my shed.

[Yabba]

If it was me I'd remove the lids completely, we just throw ours in a frost free garage under a bench

Your tubers *should* be ok, but instead of planting them, wait until it's warm enough, slap them in a tray, roughly cover with soil and water them. When they sprout take cuttings and pot them on. When you take cuttings, cut them directly below a leaf joint & remove the lowest leaves.

¥

[muddywellies]

Thanks Yabba! I won't chuck them all yet then! I was planning on potting them up first anyway as that's what I did last year and it seemed to work well. I haven't tried the dark art of taking cuttings yet  I'll give it a go though!

[Yabba]

It's not such a dark art, although you do have to prove to the men in white coats that yer allowed summat sharper than a crayon

If you get panicy and want some more tubers then just pm me

¥

[sclarke624]

Didn't know you were supposed to over winter them I left mine infor the last three years before I found out.  But they are fine.  Maybe being south helps.

[Trillium]

Put a few drops of bleach into a litre of water and dip the tubers in and out several times. This should help kill the mold and not harm the tubers. Definitely do not cover them in plastic or sealed boxes as they need to breathe to avoid mold.
As suggested, you can pot the tubers after the bleach/water dip and see if they'll come back. I'm sure they will as the rootlets look 'juicy' which is a good sign.
When they do sprout, keep them in a sunny but slightly cooler (not cold) area so that growth is slow until you feel its time to get them growing for the garden. Spritzing the soil surface of pots with cooled chamomile tea will take care of any possible surface fungus problems.

[Greengirl]

Sorry to hijack the topic, but I hadn't heard of the chamomile tea trick Trillium - does it control any other than soil surface fungi?

[mumofstig]

Didn't know you were supposed to over winter them I left mine infor the last three years before I found out.  But they are fine.  Maybe being south helps.

I've been doing the same but i think we may have lost them this year

[Trillium]

Greengirl, I'm not sure if the tea does anything else besides eliminate fungi. Humans consume it as a relaxant and anti-inflammatory, which is probably why it's a great 'fungicide'. If you wish to make some, use hot water, not boiling, to a chamomile tea bag in a teapot and let steep until cool. Remove the bag and you can either use it straight or dilute it somewhat, about half I was told when I first heard of it a few years ago. Since it's not a specific science, you'll have to test what strength works best for you as the pot size will vary from mine, water type might also be a variable.

[Greengirl]

Thanks Trillium, I'll give it a go when I water my toilet roll plant pots as I always get fungus growth on them.