[Flowertot]

I am growing dahlias for the first time for cut flowers.  I bought tubers and potted them into 3 litre pots and now they are all (except the one that died of cold  ) bushy and more than ready to be planted out. The problem is that I have not yet properly cleared the area of my allotment where they will go of all the nasty bindweed and mares tail.  I don't want to put them in a weed infested bed so am wondering if they will do ok this year if I pot them on into big 50cm tubs?  That way I'll be able to make sure the bed is properly cleared and manured etc in the autumn ready for them to go in it permanently next year.  Is that a good idea or not?

[Yorkie]

I'd have thought they'd be fine.

[Trillium]

Mine are still in their large pots and doing fine.

[Flowertot]

Great, thanks very much for such swift replies 

[tosca100]

I used to have some in pots so that I could move them to bare spots when they were needed. As long as you keep them watered and fed they should be fine.

[Eblana]

My mother doesn't have a garden, just a sunny courtyard and she grows a great display of dahlias every year in pots. 

She feeds them every week or so with Tomato feed.

[RichardA]

I have 3 dahlias in just that set up and all doing well -- so in my opinion you should go for it. Feed occasionally and take advantage that when in pots can lift in when frosts return.
R

[Flowertot]

Thanks to you all  I will give them a go in pots then (and buy more tomato food).  This will give me the time I need to prepare their permanent bed really properly which is definitely necessary as I dug it over carefully 10 days ago removing all the bindweed (or so I thought) and today there is loads coming up again!