[muddywellies]

Hi everyone - I have a dahlia question. I posted this on a different thread but never really got an answer:

Just found this thread via 'search'. I put some tubers in big (3 litre) pots about 15 days ago and they've been on a bench under the window in our workshop since.

It's a south-west facing window. They've still not done anything despite the weather warming up now. Am I being too impatient? I've not grown them before but bought lots of tubers via mail order (18 all together). They arrived at the end of February but I didn't pot them up straight away - should I have done? Are they not growing because of this?

The tubers looked sort of 'desiccated' - but it sounds like there's more trouble because of over watering rather than drying out according to the previous posts.

I'm beginning to get a bit concerned now because I've just looked on the Gardener's World website and one of the 'things to do now' is "Take cuttings from new growth on dahlias, pelargoniums and fuchsias". Aaarrghhh - what new growth?!   I hope you dahlia experts out there can help!

Anyway I've had a bit of a hunt around the old interweb and, having looked at some pictures of dahlia tubers, have realised that mine were definitely shrivelled when I planted them. Initially I hadn't worried too much about that as I'd checked against a packet of dahlia tubers in a garden centre and they'd looked the same. Am now thinking they were probably rubbish too  :roll:

Can they possibly recover from being dried up old pruney things or should I just dump them and try again next year? What about if I gave them a really good soaking? Would they plump up again and start growing? I've been keeping the compost just damp so far.

[Trillium]

Mine look like shrivelled potatoes when I first pull them out of the cold cellar, but they recover. They do need to rehydrate, which is a slow process that needs to start early.
So, yes, you should have potted them up soon as you got them in Feb. But it's not too late. Keep the soil as you have it, lightly moist or they'll simply rot on you. And be patient. It's not a fast process. Warmth helps as well, and soon as the weather is regularly better, plant them outside and watch them for moisture. This year you might not get flowers but you'll get green growth and healthier tubers for next year.

[fletch]

I potted up 11 dahlia tubers on Sunday 9th March. Most took at least 4 weeks to show. They are all through now, but 2 of them only showed last week so I certainly wouldn't give up on them.
Mine were a combination of last years and shop bought and a couple looked totally kn*ckered, I think different varieties must grow at different rates as mine have all been treated the same.

[muddywellies]

Thanks Trillium and fletch! I shall not give up yet then. I've also spoken to a fellow-gardener colleague since posting and she said her dahlias have taken a long time to show themselves this year too. Am a bit cross that the tubers didn't come with instructions actually. I emailed the company that sold them to me about 3 days ago and they haven't bothered to reply. Won't be using them again!  :x

[jimroden]

I made the mistake of thinking they need to be very wet I ended up rotting a few of them the key is feb march time just keep the soil moist and not wet. Mine have started to come up now thick and fast I had 10 but have lost four due to over watering I thought that they needed to be rehydrated of which they do but slowly

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

Its got to be worth hanging on to them as long space isn't limited, mine are really late getting going this year so I would persevere (spelling) a while longer yet

I dug mine up a few days ago because they hadn't started to show any life, they were the biggest most mutant things I have ever seen - they weighed about 10-15lb. Luckily they were lookinbg healthy so now that I have moved them I hoping they will start to sprout.

[muddywellies]

Hey! When I looked at them last night... one had started sprouting!!!!        I was so happy I did a handstand in the garden - not done one of those for a few years!   The one that's sprouted is called 'Pretty Lady'. Hopefully she'll end up like this!
Thanks again for all your advice and reassurances  

[wellybabe]

Hi Muddywellies

Bought my tubers in February;  took them out of packaging and planted them all in container full of compost (which I used on plot for them after).  Even though they had very little moisture they did`nt appear to have grown anything other than a few fibrous roots when I took them out to plant them up.  Put them in bed about 3 weeks ago - not had any frosts or cold weather and fleece and big plastic bottles are there in case they suddenly put in an appearance and weather changes from hot to cold again!  From past experience I know they take a while to appear but when they do it will be worth the wait.  

 By the way I hope the one you show lives up to its name it is very pretty.  

Of course by sticking mine all in the container together they are all muddled up but have saved all the cards and pictures to help identify them.

What with the dahlias, sweetpeas, lilies, sunflowers, marigolds etc; as well as the spring flowering bulbs that are just finishing it will look more like the Chelsea flower show than a traditional allotment.  The old boy over from me who only grows veg tut tutted when he saw me putting in sweet peas near to my runner beans.

Hope you every success with yours.

[wellybabe]

P.S If I could do handstands I would; but at my age more like do myself a mischief

[jimroden]

 The old boy over from me who only grows veg tut tutted when he saw me putting in sweet peas near to my runner beans.
.

You think the old boy is bad my darling wife tells every one I grow flowers and fruit she has great delight in it. But she does not realise that I have done my hanging basket's ( 10 ) 3 for my neighbour and 2 for another one. Fair enough though I still have loads left in the green house I need about 24 petunia's and 24 begonias I will have a count up tonight then look out on the swap shop    

[jimroden]

P.S If I could do handstands I would; but at my age more like do myself a mischief

P.S if i was to try an handstand I would snap my elbow's and wrists i'm 20 stone  :roll:  :roll:

[muddywellies]

Well, we now have 6 of them shooting!    No more handstands though - I did a five mile running race yesterday morning in this heat! Utter madness  :oops:

I have a whole 3m x 2m bed dedicated to flowery things in our plot. My other half keeps threatening to plant a load of spuds in there  :shock: In one half of the bed I've sowed hardy annuals (cornflowers, poppies, larkspur, nigella and calendula), the dahlias are going to live in the other half when they're big enough.

Thanks wellybabe - you're right, they're very pretty. The others I got were from the same site - Twilight Time, Chat Noir, Bishop of Llandaff and Karma Naomi. No pompom types for me - I'm not a fan  :?

I'll try and post some pics later in the year if they end up looking like the ones on the website!