[andy dewar]

Hi folks i keep seeing pictures of allotments with loads of beautiful dahlias on them , could anyone tell me if these are all grown from tubers or seed or what and also if from tubers do they need taking up every autumn and starting off again the following year thanks for your help 

[Eblana]

Mine are all from tubers and I lift them each year.

[andy dewar]

ok thanks for that do you store them in dry compost or is there another way 

[Eblana]

I store them over winter in the shed in old fish boxes covered in dry compost.  I started watering them back at the beginning of March and they are all now starting to shoot nicely.  I will plant them out in June.

[brianbishop]

If you've got the room try growing some from seed, they will flower in the first year and you can get some interesting flowers.
Bish

[Goosegirl]

Funnily enough, there is a seed variety called "Bishops Children" which have lovely colours of both flowers and leaves and form tubers so they can be used in the following years.

[Pony Girl]

I cheated and bought some dahlia plants last summer. I lifted the tubers in the autumn and stored them under the bench in my GH in pots of dry compost. I started watering them a couple of months ago but nothing has happened. The tubers are still in tact and aren't rotten or damaged.

What have I done wrong? Is it still possible to resurrect them for this year?

[Eblana]

Take them out into the light and keep watering them.  Mine are only starting to show so they should start to show in the next couple of weeks.

[andy dewar]

  thanks everyone this has really helped il definitely be trying the seeds as well 

[jaydig]

I've grown dahlias from tubers and seed.  Wilkinsons have a reasonable selection of inexpensive tubers if you want to choose particular colours, but they grow very easily and quickly from seed too.