[Yabba]

As long as you get more than one cutting your winning

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[victoria_plum]

My Dad has amazing dahlias, and he leaves them in the ground all year.

Why do some people lift and then replant?  Is he taking risks by leaving them?  He gave me some he'd grown from seed last year and they have formed beautiful tubers, which I have left in the ground on his advice.

Just wondered? 

[Yabba]

You usually lift the tubers to avoid frost damage, they're pretty shallow.

That said, we've been leaving ours in the ground, for the last couple of years. and only digging them up when we're ready to spark them off for cuttings.

Doesn't always work, most growers we know lost all their tubers this year.

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[Yabba]

Once they get a bit bigger I'll be back here looking at how to take cuttings!!!! Don' think I'll manage 2000 though

Dare I ask how many cuttings you have now?

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[catllar]

There are about 15 or so - I've been ignoring them for a few days as it's been too cold to go outside (I'm a fair weather gardener!) They are varying in height from 5cm down, so I guess they need to be a bit bigger before I can take the cuttings off?? because you said they need several pairs of leaves.  Hee hee this is good - potential free plants

[Yabba]

We take cuttings when they have at least 2 sets of opened leaves ++ the growing tip.  So, it sounds like you're pretty close, cut them off just below lowest leaf joint, trim the lower leaves off and root them up. ... best get the vases out ready

You should find they throw more cuttings after that. Either way you've multiplied up to a potential 1,500% increase in plants for your money

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[catllar]

Wish my investments gave the same return! Weather has warmed up today and I've had a good look - the shoots are very congested from the growing point, but they look good! Am getting quite excited - whole new experience on the way!  Am planning a planting day tomorrow - have some pots of sweet peas ready to go, manymanymany canna lilies and some sad looking tomato plants given me by a "friend" - I'm not sure if the plants are worth the  bother of planting - they look so weedy , but I'll give it a go. May even be able to sever my first dahlia cutting.

[Yabba]

Wish my investments gave the same return!

You and me both

Cuttings is easy, just use a very sharp knife (we use a scalpel) and cut below the "nub" of a leaf joint. Even I manage it, and I'm blonde

Just remember to mist as often as you can during the day because they're "drinking" through the leaves until they build up a root system

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[catllar]

Just watch the blonde remarks, Yabba, I'm blonde too!. Sadly not got quite enough leaves today  for my first cutting, but I've planted out my toms, courgettes, sweet  peas and some young canna plants! Now if I could just get the better of the beetles on my roses, life would be sweet!

[Yabba]

Lets hope I'm blonder than you

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[catllar]

I am obviously blonder, cos I turned my back on my baby dahlias for a mere day and they are now previous dahlias - they got roasted by the sun (it was over 33 here last week) despite being in a (I though) sheltered position, and blasted by the wind. I have the original tubers and some shoots on those, however, so I guess I'll just have to plant what's left and hope the automatic watering does the trick. I am so cross with  myself - I was doing SO well

[Yabba]

Nobody's as blonde as me .... mind you, I have a veg patch ... you could be a close second :roll:

Guessing the wind didn't help (our current temps vary from 10c -> 45c ), although we do tend to shelter our early cuttings from the sun we leave the later cuttings with no shade.

You *really* do have time to play with taking more cuttings though, most of our plants will be cut down at least once between now and august and we'll still be showing at southport

If in doubt : plant the tubers and try again next year

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[catllar]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll just plant the tubers, cos I have a really busy schedule  the next few weeks culminating in major spine surgery,  which means I'll be off the garden for several months afterwards. If I can at least get the tubers in, I'll have something to show for my efforts! Watch this space.

[Yabba]

I'll just plant the tubers, cos I have a really busy schedule  the next few weeks culminating in major spine surgery,  which means I'll be off the garden for several months afterwards. If I can at least get the tubers in, I'll have something to show for my efforts! Watch this space.

Good luck with the surgery.

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[catllar]

Hi there Yabba, Just a little update from sunny France - My one tuber and its many long-scorched cuttings,  has become two plants  since I cut the tuber in half! - result! Now can I get the vases ready??