[sclarke624]

I have some Dahlia tubers which arrived yesterday.  Should I put them where I want them to grow now, or put in pots indoors to get some green growth going first. 

Being down South on the coast the temperatures aren't too bad outside, I have had tomatoes out for two weeks for instance that haven't died.

Thanks

[DavidT]

I`d plant them in  situ, just make sure they are kept watered while this hot, dry spell continues.

[Yabba]

If you just want a single plant per tuber then stick them in the ground where you want them to live. Our plants will be going in in the next 7 days (after I finish prepping beds )

If you want more than one plant then stick them in a tray of compost and take cuttings

just make sure they are kept watered while this hot, dry spell continues.

We're currently watering twice a day (at least) and still losing plants Can't wait to get them out of their pots and into the beds, life becomes *far* easier

¥

[sclarke624]

thanks

[sclarke624]

I was thinking do they usually look dried up and unless you are in the know dead.  Mine, which I did plant are pale wood colour, not soft but slight give and no shoots, is that how they usually look.  If not demised do you think they will actaully grow this summer into lovely little dwarf dahlias.

Thanks.

[Yabba]

They're a tan colour and usually look pretty firm and feel a bit like a spud when you squeeze them. They don't usually have shoots when they're sent out although you might be able to see eyes.

I don't actually have many pictures of the tubers and I'm pretty sure we don't have any left at the field as we're pretty much planted up so this is the best I can do at the moment :


At the end of the year I'll be doing a "life of a show dahlia" post which will follow a tuber all the way through cuttings to plants to flowers to showing ( and winning of course ) and then back to a tuber, but the whole process wont start until september/october which is a smidge to late for you.

¥

[sclarke624]

Thanks for that Yabba sounds like the tubers could be ok then, they do look like some of  the ones in the picture.  And yes they do feel a bit like a potato well a seed potato anyway.

I certainly look forward to your "life of a show dahlia" post Yabba.

[Yabba]

It'll mostly be a boring post "this week they be mainly short and green", but will hopefully have some exciting moments like "this week we cut them down, known as 'stopping' if yer technically minded, ... now they're short and green again"

And that'll be far more interesting than the "they're currently growin' tuber under all this brown stuff ... known as 'soil' if yer technically minded" months that precede that.

Worth it when they flower though, then the posts will be more like "damn these bu**ers grow fast, 28 days from bud to show time if yer technically minded", although that doesn't stop you panicking @link 14 days before a show

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