Dahlias are a popular flower to grow in home gardens, but in New England, the season is usually short. To start dahlias in a greenhouse, use a large container filled with potting soil and set individual tubers about two inches deep in late February. The gradual increase in daylight hours triggers the blooming process, which can last from mid- to late-June until frost. If you want dahlias year-round in areas where the ground freezes, you must dig them.
Starting dahlias in pots is a great way to get them into growth earlier in the season. Plant dahlia tubers in large pots filled with peat-free multi-purpose potting compost in March or early April, and then keep them on a windowsill or in a frost-free greenhouse until late May when it’s safe to plant them outside. Pots for growing dahlias must be at least two inches larger all round than the tuber. A greenhouse is an ideal place for starting dahlias about a month or two before putting them outdoors. Dahlias can also be cultivated year-round in a greenhouse.
Serious dahlia growers start their tubers in mid-March, but a climate-controlled greenhouse is necessary for the best results. In Massachusetts, I start all my tubers in February under grow lights indoors, as it’s too cold for them outside right now. Starting the process around the end of April gives my dahlias about four weeks to wake up and start sprouting before planting them into the garden.
If you are growing dahlias from seed, now is the month to begin germination in a greenhouse. Dahlia tubers can be started into growth in March or April in pots undercover, and then planted out in the garden in late May and June. Start by investing in a heated mat to give them a bit of extra support.
📹 Potting Dahlias for Early Blooms! 🤞💜🌿// Garden Answer
Potting Dahlias for Early Blooms! BRANDS WE PARTNER WITHProven Winners – https://www.provenwinners.com/ …
Should I soak dahlia tubers before planting?
Dahlia tubers don’t need to be soaked before planting, but if they appear dried out, soak them in tepid water for an hour. Planting dahlia bulbs is simple and rewarding, with easy-to-grow flowers that bloom year after year, filling your landscape with stunning color and texture. These beautiful flowers grow in a rainbow of hues and shapes, transforming your garden from mid-summer through autumn. Learn more about planting dahlia bulbs to ensure a successful and rewarding planting experience.
What temperature is too cold for dahlias?
Dahlia tubers can tolerate light frost, but they cannot survive a hard killing freeze. A killing frost occurs when temperatures are below 28 degrees for hours or days, while a light frost is only a couple of hours below 32 degrees. Dahlias may suffer damage to their leaves or flowers in a light frost, but essential parts remain unaffected. When the fall season arrives and the first light frost occurs, it is time to dig up your dahlias.
To dig, cut back the stems to about 4″ above the ground and use a sharp spade or shovel to carefully dig up the tubers, starting at least 12″ from the stem. Remove any soil that remains on the tubers by shaking them off, as this will not add unnecessary moisture to the tubers. Once most of the soil is removed, let the tubers dry before storing them for winter. Hanging the tubers in a warm and dry location is best, but any well-ventilated area and surface away from moisture and extreme temperatures can work for drying.
When should dahlias start sprouting?
Sprouting tubers takes 4 to 6 weeks in the ground or pot, depending on the planting time and weather conditions. Early planting and cool weather take longer, while late planting and warm soil speed up sprouting. Longfield Gardens offers a variety of planted bulbs, including perennials, indoor bulbs, and gift cards. To learn more about their services, visit their website, contact them, and explore their FAQ, shipping, blog, and hardiness zone map.
When can I plant dahlias in the greenhouse?
Dahlia tubers can be planted in pots in March or early April, and kept on a windowsill or in a frost-free greenhouse until late May when they can be planted outside. This method encourages faster development and earlier flowering. Before planting, soak the tubers in tepid water for an hour to fully rehydrate. Many dahlia varieties can be grown in pots all year round, providing a vibrant color on patios and balconies.
Small to medium-sized dahlias, slow-growing water lily, ball, and pompom dahlias, and slow-growing water lily, ball, and pompom dahlias thrive in containers. Avoid growing cactus dahlias, which can grow up to over 2m in height, and only grow dahlias that don’t usually require staking.
When should I start waking up dahlia tubers?
After a long winter in storage, it’s time to prepare dahlias for planting in the garden. Start the process around the end of April to give them about four weeks to sprout before planting them in the first week of June. Dahlias prefer cold, wet ground, and they may rot in the ground. Wait until the soil is warmed up and frost risk is minimal, usually in the first week of June in Zone 3a.
To get a head start indoors, remove clumps or single tubers from their storage totes filled with spruce shavings, being careful not to snap off any shoots that have started growing while in storage. If a shoot is accidentally snapped off, save it and set it in a glass of water in a sunny window to root.
Place the clumps of tubers in trays, such as 1020 seeding trays or aluminum roasting trays, and partially cover them with spruce shavings from their storage tote. You can also use vermiculite or potting mix, or a combination. This will help ensure a healthy start for your dahlias.
Should I wet dahlia tubers before planting?
Dahlia tubers don’t need to be soaked before planting, but if they appear dried out, soak them in tepid water for an hour. Planting dahlia bulbs is simple and rewarding, with easy-to-grow flowers that bloom year after year, filling your landscape with stunning color and texture. These beautiful flowers grow in a rainbow of hues and shapes, transforming your garden from mid-summer through autumn. Learn more about planting dahlia bulbs to ensure a successful and rewarding planting experience.
When can I start dahlias outside?
Dahlias require fertile, moist, well-drained soil and a sunny, sheltered spot. Taller varieties need staking. Overwinter tubers in a frost-free place in autumn, bring them back into growth in early April, and plant them in the garden from May onwards. Dahlias can be grown from tubers, and care for them includes overwintering, propagating, and problem-solving. Dahlias can be found at various locations and types can be categorized by color.
When to start dahlias in pots?
Dahlia tubers can be started in March or April in undercover pots and planted in the garden in late May and June. Start by filling a pot with peat-free multi-purpose compost, placing the tuber with the central stem upwards, and covering with more compost. Label and lightly water the pot, then place it in a warm, frost-free location, such as a greenhouse. Water only lightly until shoots start to appear.
After 2-3 weeks, pinch out the tips of the main shoot, down to the top pair of leaves. Remove all but five sprouting shoots as the plant grows further, allowing each stem to develop and grow strong and vigorously, resulting in numerous flowers.
When should I start my dahlia tubers indoors?
Starting dahlias indoors in early April is recommended, six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area. Fill a pot with a potting mix and place the dahlia tuber vertically in the mix. Cover the rest with potting soil, waiting for eye development before watering. Keep the soil temperature at least 65F consistently and use a heat mat to maintain the temperature. Once the dahlias start growing, place them in a sunny window or under artificial lighting for at least six hours of sunlight daily. Keep the lights on for 14-16 hours a day and turn them off at night if using artificial lighting.
What month do you start dahlias?
In Australia, the best time to plant dahlias is between October and November, with blooms around Christmas and the new year. Choose a position with full sun to light shade, protected from strong winds, and well-drained soil with well-rotted organic matter. Dahlia varieties vary in height, with Dahlia Dwarf reaching around 30cm and Tree Dahlia towering over others. Understanding the growth heights of the specific variety is crucial for proper arrangement and aesthetic balance in your garden. Choose a well-drained, well-rotted soil and choose a location with full sun to light shade.
📹 Starting Dahlias Early Indoors | Let’s Grow Stuff
Dahlia tubers need warm soil to really get going. By starting them early indoors, we can get them flowering earlier for the season.
Laura, I know you said not to watch your old YT articles, but I just watched a few and I have to appreciate how much you more comfortable and engaging you’ve become since then! Question: do you think your personality has changed because of the website? Can you imagine another version of you that didn’t start this website almost a decade ago? How would she be? 😂
So exciting I saw Jenny is preparing for some of your dahlias to arrive …just a thought what about a GIVEAWAY if you have any extras on this website … I know anyone of us should CHERISH a little bit of Laura’s garden in ours!!!! It would be such fun to see how they would do across the county…spreading the love❤️ as always thanks for inspiration.
I am looking forward to seeing how your dahlias grow in NC for Jenny & Jerry (Gardening with Creekside) compared to in OR with y’all. For those of us in the south and all our humidity, the differences in how to handle will really be a help to see your timing and care–compare and contrast at it’s best! (I’m in Georgia–Zone 8a) Thanks!
Laura I wanted to share something I learned from Jess over at Roots and Refuge. You can use a bag of potting soil, cut holes for drainage in bottom, cut back the upper side of bag, seed greens and put a clear Tupperware container over it. It works great for those that don’t have a greenhouse. Thanks as always for sharing.
That Russell is so gosh darn cute! So excited to see the dahlia’s poke their pretty little heads up! Last year was such a Parade of Beauty, it’s hard to imagine improving on that perfection! Question, Since you have such a surplus of tubers, could you pot/sprout some and take them to Andrews for your Mom to have a head start for her Spring sales – or is that not allowed?
Woooooow, you have a nice style to make me love your gardening articles, I only discovered your website year 2021, my dear friend GARDEN ANSWER, but it is by far one of the best gardening websites out there! You have definitely rekindled the flames many people for a return to the ground, please don’t stop gardening, keep up the content, bravooo, GO GO GOOOO
Hi Laura! Thanks for sharing! You should send some of your extra tubers that you will be dividing to up and coming flower farmers! Then they can grow them on and pass them the next year to another farmer! It will be Garden Answer dahlias all over the country! That would be such a sweet follow up article of your tubers in other people gardens! 🌸
wow, what a production line… so efficient.. just think how far you’ve come in what, 5 years? a studio, now a heated greenhouse, a cold storage area – wowow! so much fun and it seems the possibilities are almost endless… and then, of course, there’s Russell.. just livin’ his best life!! 🙂 ❤ thanks for the article!! 🙂 ❤
I’m a gardener who loves starting everything from seed. I’m planning to grow dahlias from seed this year. perusal your articles makes me excited to grow things. Keep your pretty kitty in your articles. Last year I made the mistake of starting my veggies too early and I had to pot up multiple times and my growing space in the house got crowded really fast. Love your new greenhouse!
Thank you for this article Laura!! I just bought a couple varieties of Dahlias from my local Costco and I am so excited to start them. I live in Zone 10a and I don’t really have a lot of ground where they’ll get enough sun so I am planning to pot them in containers so I can move them. Can you please do a article or a quick explanation about planting dahlias in pots and how to care for them? Thank you for inspiring me – we moved into our house less than a year ago and I already have so many things planned and going on for the seasons to come! ❤
Dahlias is what I just got for someone for their birthday for their garden. They will love them. I will share this article with them to be a help on potting them up. I like them because they are beautiful and can plant for inside or out. So this article was at the right time. Thank you Ms Laura. Have a blessed day
Good morning from Chula Vista in San Diego County California! You are my Favorite Garden Gal and I have always enjoyed myself learning about your lifestyle! You are a blessing to me because you love what you do. You always take the time to get straight to the point. And I pray 🙏 you never stop your website.
You have made me fall in love with Dahlias. Last year I found 2 at our garden center. It was the first time I had ever seen them. I swear they must watch your show. I was so excited to store my tubers and grow multiple plants this spring. Unfortunately, when I dug them up there were no tubers. So sad!☹️ I ordered tubers for the spring and hope I can also find some plants. Live in New Orleans and they grew beautifully in pots for me all summer.
Thank you for this article! I just ordered dahlia tubers this year and I’m going to give it a go. Do you think Russell is always nearby because he thinks you’re talking to him all the time? Lol There aren’t any other humans, after all. Just the camera 😂 Can’t wait for spring and to watch your cut flower garden come to life! 🌱
I did the same thing last year. It was my first time growing Dahila’s . I followed Jim Putnams article and let the old growth stick out ( so a little less soil) and no fertilizer . It worked out beautiful. I had them in a sunroom in my house. Can’t wait to see yours…and mine when I do this next month.
Those Kagame Fubuki are the most gorgeous. I didn’t think mine were going to bloom though. They didn’t bloom until 5 weeks after all my others started dwindling down in the fall, so it is probably good that you are starting them so early. I only got two huge fantastic blooms before the frost got them. They are much more beautiful than the picture on the front of the packaging!
Cheddar is so darn cute. I just love how he wants to be everywhere you are, kinda like my tiny Yorkie girl, Heidi. My shadow. I loved that you showed how to do the Dahlias. I won’t be doing that, not enough warmth or light, but I am going to try to plant some out in the spring when it warms up. Their so pretty.
I do this same process with cannas- dig, divide and store. This article reminds me to give them a little check up. Can’t wait to pot them but this year I need to be patient and wait until at least April 1 (note to self in zone 3b- so hard to be patient!!). So fun and inspiring to watch you do all this now and I ordered some Dahlias to try this year too plus some seeds for cut flowers! So excited
You are so inspiring! I used to help my grandma work her Dahlia’s. Now this grandma is inspired to try Dahlia’s in her own garden. I burst out laughing when you said, “I’ll have to get a few more pots”. Also, I love Russel! 2021 was a tough year, we lost both of our Kitty boys, one 22 & one who wandered in 11 years ago, and became my shadow. I’m inspired to find another couple of rescue cats, they are incredibly helpful in keeping down the unwanted rodents who do lots of damage, I’m finding. Wish I could clone Russell. Love you, Aaron and your lovely family! Thank you, & God bless you all.
I’m zone 9b (Nor Cal) and had never done Dahlias before, but last year I popped some in the ground because I saw some gorgeous tubers at a big box store. Low and behold they started growing and I’ve had blooms ALL WINTER!!!! It’s been such a bright spot in my garden that I got like 15 more more a month ago and planted them (our last frost is March 1)….here’s hoping these work out as well as the others!
Laura, you work so hard and so efficiently! That job would have taken me about three days. Here, in SE UK I will be starting my dahlias in about four weeks. This year I shall try to propogate some cuttings of my favourites…the Bishop Series and the rich burgundy coloured Sarah Raven and Chat Noir( and others!)
Am I the only one that giggles when Laura says, “Woah, DANG!!!” 😂 I love anything you share about dahlias, so thank you for sharing. I’ve never grown dahlias before but think they’re beautiful. I’m blaming all of my dahlia purchases this year on you. Thanks Laura for all you do for the gardening/landscaping community.
As a gardener for 50 years I have to hand it to you👏👏👏. I was very impressed with the 3 areas you have for all stages of seeding, growing on and storage. It truly is the ideal environment to increase productivity and longevity of your labor. Jenny and Jerry helping with the heated greenhouse really did make the difference. It is a gardener’s dream to have everything that the plants need. Today’s article just shows home gardeners what a difference a heated greenhouse makes. You guys are very blessed. 🌸🌺🍅🥒🍓 wonder if you could get Benjamin’s strawberries started early?? 😘
I love your articles! You are so sweet and energetic. Proof of how sweet you are is how your kitty wants to be with you all of the time! You have taught me so much about so many beautiful flowers and who doesn’t want to be surrounded by beautiful blooms! Thank you for what you do every day. I also love to see you with your mom, so much fun… ❤️
Y’all, thank you so much for your consistant, educational and helpful articles. I have learned so much from y’all and others over the past 8 years. I just love it. This is perfect timing. I just ordered my first ever dahlia tubers last week, but they don’t ship until March. Can’t wait to put this knowledge to use. Bless you.
Our guest bedroom was full of gallery dahlia tubers last year and they took FOREVER to bud. This year, I’ve ordered a lot of larger varieties, and they can just wait to go out after our last hard freeze (end of April)! Our growing season lasts to about the end of October, so I’ll have months to enjoy them out of my brand spanking new cut flower garden!
I’ve had spotty germination with some of my lettuce this year too. But I have one old faithful variety that always grows great and I will plant every time: lollo rossa. It’s a red leaf lettuce. It’s got good cold tolerance and great flavor and I always get at least 90% germination. I would imagine it’s pretty similar to rouge d’hiver but curlier. But I will grow it every year because it just works.
So exciting! Can’t wait til it’s time for me to start my dahlias! I started my ranunculus & anenomes planning g to have my hoophouse finished, but some of the materials I purchased to secure the plastic didn’t work out, & its not holding enough heat to keep it warm enough for them to be planted out. I invested about $500 into the ranunculus & anenomes this year also, because this is my 2nd year for my micro flower farm… oh well! Live & learn!
I planted a pack of Dahlia seeds and they already have their first set of true leaves! I have a greenhouse so it makes all this early, soul feeding possible. If you need more room under your grow lights, you can move your succulents out to the greenhouse. They will absolutely fine at 50*. Thank you for all do to inspire people and love your website.
You do such a wonderful job explaining everything we need to know to divide, overwinter, and plant our Dahlias. You make it look so easy! This will be my 1st year to do this, so I am thankful for your helpful articles. Wish me luck! I now have about 30 tubers and have no idea where I’m going to put them all!! So excited, though!
I just realized that it’s just a couple of weeks at most before I can start my dahlias! And I live in Sweden!! But I live on an island and our climate zone here is the best you can have, my last frost date is 1-15 of April. And a week ago I found the first gorgeous hepatica nobilis, I can’t wait until they form blue carpets in woods and gardens. 🙌🏼
Also.. I am officially itching to plant now! All it takes is one article about your incredible dahlia tubers and I’m instantly excited to get planting! It’s March in North Texas and we are going to have another deep freeze this coming Friday with a “winter mix” 😭 so I’m reluctant to plant anything yet when normally I would have already started! So nerve racking! Lol Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you right now and for another amazing article!
I was just reminded, now that anemones are something to think about; what happened when you dug them up? I remember seeing the process for the ranunculus, and maybe I missed something showing the anemones, but I was mainly wondering about how the anemones looked once you had dug them up. Did the corms grow? Did you have to cut off some of the roots so you could store them?
Laura, have you considered selling some of your excess tubers and donating the proceeds to the children’s place (the exact name escapes me)? What a cool way that we could have a small piece of your garden in ours and help kids at the same time. By the way, I’m loving your green house experiments. We recently purchased a 70 x 30 high tunnel and are learning so much. Thank you.
I can not wait to see everything growing again. This will be the second year I will be trying to grow dahlias. Last year was my first year and they were unfortunately put in the ground late and I only was able to get 1 to bloom. When I dug them all up for storage I found a few with the dreaded Gall disease. I had purchased those from a big box store and one from a popular online garden store. I threw those away along with the ones surrounding them to be safe. I do not have to many dahlias and I am storing them for the first time. Hopefully in the spring the rest of my dahlias will have survived the process and I do not find anymore issues. Right now I am trying to find the fabric grow pots large enough to grow a dahlia in so I can grow them out of the ground until I know for sure they do not have any disease. I have limited places left to plant them and I do not want the Gall disease all over my property. Do you know where I can purchase large grow bags in bulk cheap? Having a hard time finding them.
Swan Island Dahlias say to not start with any fertilizer at all and to use a no nitrogen mulch with no organic matter like manure or compost. That would be like a grow mix with thin bark, peat, and pumice. You wait to fertilize after they sprout with a fertilizer that has low or no nitrogen number. Swan Island says that starting with a fertilizer can burn the roots and inhibit fine hair roots needed for healthy plants. I’ll be interested to see if using starting fertilizer will be fine with these. I assume you did this with all your dahlias in the garden in past years. I’m interested to see the results. Looking forward to starting mine 4-6 weeks before our first frost here in Oregon’s wine country! Cheers!
Hey Laura, I love your website! I have an extreme anxiety disorder and a mild form of Asperger syndrome. Sometimes when i can’t handle the world i rewatch your episodes and they calm me down and help me cope. Thank you so much for all that you do and being such a light to all of us who battle shadows. Question, you may have already addressed it but have you ever grown dahlias from seed? A friend of mine understands that my garden is a place i can go to calm myself and help ease my anxiety, and they bought me a bunch of Dahlia seeds, (I always wanted some dahlia’s) However i have always known they were tubers and didn’t know they were seeds as well. Are they the same plants? Any tips? Thank you again. GARDENS, Laughter, AND LAURA are the best medicine.
Ooohhh it’s a good thing you let Russell come on camera. For a minute I thought you were not going to and I was going to have to fuss at you. Thank goodness you came to your senses and put that camera on him. We haven’t seen him so much in the most recent articles and you know he has become a very important part of the show. Oh my gosh won’t we all be glad when summer arrives. Looking forward to seeing Benjamin and Samantha Grace running across that grassy lawn.
Looking forward to your dahlia experiment progress! Last year I failed at my dahlia storage. Ran out of energy and so they still sit on the garage floor where I placed them to dry 😵💫. Good thing I have several already ordered to arrive spring time. Your awesome as always and I am privileged to be able to follow your website! Oh yes, I forgot to mention the other day how I love the sinking of the old pot into the new pot to form the perfect repotting hole. I’ve been perusal the English Gardens with Carol Klein and she did that too. Great method. And, as long as I am rambling, she uses grit on the top of her plantings. I haven’t heard of that before. May I learn your opinion on that method? 🥰🤗
Would you ever consider doing a giveaway to some of your viewers and sending a lucky few some tubers? I have been perusal since your townhome days and you took my love of floral design and designing wedding arrangements to a love of all things flowers and gardening. I told my husband this year I am going to make my seed starting happen (I always fail at starting seeds) and have been STUDYING your articles. But dahlias are my first love with flowers, and I’ve been so excited to invest in my first tubers this year. Thank you for your inspiration!
Can so relate to wanting to see some green pop up, forcing some tulips in my front window and ordered a white hosta which is now in a milk jug greenhouse outside. From the large boxes in your studio I will assume we have an unboxing article in the near future. Was getting loves from my two puppies while perusal your article. The must be saying thanks for being a great cat/dog mom and not letting us suffer outside. Always a joy perusal your articles and thanks for sharing your adventures.
Laura, I just can’t start my day with out your “Good Morning, How’s it going” and huge smile! You have inspired me for yrs! I have a question about dahlias! If one would be in 7b or 8a zone; could they leave the tubers in the ground to grow again or do they have to be taken up and stored! ❤️ you and your family! Hoping to get this answer! ❤️❤️😇
I CANNOT believe we’re perusal a dahlia planting article!! We have a light dusting of snow on the ground here in central Kentucky..so this article is feeding my gardening soul! I think ill try a salad mix greens in a raised bed as well this year on the deck for easy access-great idea! Oh & your hair looks so Beautiful, a very rich color 😍
Question for Laura or anyone else: Do you have any insight in leaving dahlia tubers in the ground? I know you are in a zone that you can’t, but possibly you have experimented. I am in a zone that I can. However, they have already started to have new growth from the soil level. My worry is it’s early February and we are still getting to the mid 30s overnight and mid 70s during the day. Should I cut them back to ground level? Should I just let them grow and hope that the cold nights don’t wreak havoc or ruin any leave tissue/growth? Or should I dig them up now store them until maybe late April and plant them then?
Will you be transplanting the potted dahlias into a row out in the new area? Will start mine soon and later am thinking of cutting off the bottom of the pots and sinking them into a section of our large compacted sand riding area. Do you think this will work? Love your website and work ethic— inspiring!
Russell is such a character! Laura you changed so much since the beginning, you grew immensely! You basically are a totally different person now than when you started the YouTube website. I remember you in the beginning, honestly I was not too attracted to watch, you were more mechanical kid of and very uncomfortable. You could not wait to get the article over with😂😂 and I guess instinctively I realized that somehow because I kept on perusal and oh wow…..what a huge difference! You blossom like the most beautiful flower….like caterpillar and now you are a butterfly, I realized now that you become the Laura that you were off camera but now you are one and the same…on and off camera! So cool to watch the metamorphosis take place and we witnessed more than yours, Aaron, your mom and now Monica a bit….so exciting! So greatfull for that, to witness such amazing transformations but yours is the greatest because you’ve been in front of the camera from the beginning! I am thrilled, thanks for letting us be a part of it! Love it! Hugs to you all, what a beautiful family, so blessed to be part of it!🤗❤🤗
Your tubers look GOOD! I wanted to pre sprout mine; complete desiccation…they look like sticks 😆. (First time trying to overwinter tubers=fail) I’m going to have to check the box stores for some since the companies refuse send me any until April for my zone 😉 Thank you for all your inspiration and expertise, can’t wait to see them all sprouted!! 🌸
I just potted my 33 dahlias up yesterday, and seeing this article today confirms that I did it correctly! Your articles are always amazing – but you must live on a planet with 48 hour days! Or perhaps you are bionic?! In order words, I wish I was as efficient and had even half the energy that you do, Laura! BTW, my biggest challenge with dahlias here in Utah is the onslaught of slugs and snails when I first plant them outdoors. Any suggestions? Thank you for your insights!
I am learning so much! Now I know why my tubers failed, did not understand anatomy. I pulled them apart willy=nilly when planting. Will do better this year. Please, Can you zoom in CLOSE when showing anatomy???? I need to pot them now, I have strawberries in a couple of pot on my patio, have picked a few in the last couple of weeks (So Cal, zone 9 b, I guess). Have wonderful naval oranges, mandarins, grapefruit & lemons here
Hi Laura, I bought a dahlia plant from my nursery and enjoyed it all season, it really shines here in 9a in August when everything is just hot!! So anyway my husband and I were working in the bed that I planted that dahlia, we were adding amendments to the soil and what do I hear in the background while we are working ” Oh look potatoes” from my husband. It took me a minute I thought “potatoes”, I haven’t planted any potatoes and low behold guess what he dug up my tubers. So I hurried and put them back, not thinking I should watch a garden answer article. My question is would it be ok to dig them back up and make sure I set them in the ground right and replant them or should I leave them alone?
I am so curious about the structure of your root cellar. Is it underground or on top of the ground? Is it a concrete structure inside of your barn or free standing? I try to store my onions and potatoes in my basement but there is some moisture and by this time of the year they start to sprout pretty bad. Do you have a article on the construction of the root cellar or other helpful advice? I love perusal your articles and feel like I have learned so much from you.
I am planning to start dahlias early in the hope of getting them blooming early for my daughters wedding. I ordered a bunch from Eden Brothers. They ship mid to late March and I want to pot them up as soon as I get them. My question is, typically how long from when you pot them up until you get blooms? I’ve watched all your old articles on dahlias, and have guestimated by when you planted and when you had an update on them blooming, but any input you have on the subject would be great. I live in Eastern Oregon too, just about 3 hours NW of you, and love visiting Andrew’s Seed!
Hi Laura and Aaron love your articles and look forward to them every day, I am hoping to pot some vegetables on my patio this summer, the patio isn’t very big, I am concerned about putting them in plastic pots as I’ve heard the plastic can leech toxins in to the veg, any suggestion on a safe pot to use for this?
As I was reading all the comments re the dahlias I was reminded that you are in the same state where Swan Island is located. Maybe you could do a tour when their dahlias are in full bloom sometime. There is also that huge hosts nursery south of Portland, the tulip gardens up in WA near Whitney Island. Also that large peony grower in WA just north of Portland.
A tip for growing the anemones early: If you don’t have a cold frame to grow yours in over the winter, I’ve had good luck with growing them in our insulated, unheated attic. I use a 44″ 5000 lumen shop light from menards and can fit 2 dozen anemones in quart cups underneath it. I live on the edge of zone 5 & 6 and pre-sprout them in mid January.
I can’t believe you bought more dahlias with all of the tubers in the crates! Then I remembered I too just bought more dahlias! I found some at Costco that I thought I bought last year and didn’t and had been wanting. Tsukuba Yori No Shisha, which came with another variety, Alauna Clair Obscur. They’re a great deal there. 12.99 and I think there’s like 9 tubers. I keep mine in the ground here in 7b and they did great last year. But this year I’m moving some. I think I’ll wait until I see some growth. Is that the best time to do it?
Your cat is soooo adorable!!!! You are a wealth of knowledge and I can’t get enough! I am so excited for this growing season. I am in Montana and much too cold to do much as I don’t have a green house. But thank you so much for all your info, keep it coming, I love it and I am taking lots of notes! Question about Dahlia’s and insects. I have a horrible ear wig problem with my Dahlias during the growing season. Any suggestions?
In the raised bed you showed with the lettuce and spinach, what’s the plastic black and white thing sticking up? It looks like a rain gauge but I know it’s not raining in your green house. (Sorry, I can only see this on my phone and I’m just not getting it.) Thanks for sharing your knowledge and joy.
I’ve been growing dahlias for years and never think to look for the growth point where the skinny neck is joining the mother ?? I usually find growth point nodules around last year’s stem at the top of the body (of the mother…) I guess it depends on the variety u grow as well ? because I have several with broken necks that I still get plenty of flowers from…any opinion about this? i’ve now learned that I don’t divide tubers until after they’ve wintered, and I see where the new eyes will be…thnx for sharing your way of potting up! From Toronto
This was so exciting for me. I’m currently growing dahlia’s for the very first time in sub-tropical Queensland Australia 🇦🇺 My tubers have started to break ground and then I was at our ‘big box store’ Bunnings and found 3 huge Cafe o Lait reduced to $2 each 😳. I was so excited and have staked them up and I watch them like a hawk but can’t wait to see what happens. I loved that for once you were talking about something at the same time I was doing it as of course it’s the middle of summer here. Thank you for doing these articles even though I know you have done similar ones before… I appreciate it very much. It’s so much fun doing things (kinda) along side of you, I just love staying up late to watch you as often as I can. Thank you to everyone at GA
Hi, Sheila McDade here in Chattanooga, TN; zone 7 . . . I have tried to keep my ornamental sweet potato tubers like you have done with these dahlias. The first time I kept them they sprouted slips and I had great success but for the past 3 years my tubers rot and mold before I can get to the stage where I put them partially in water to encourage slips. I store the tubers in my garage which is attached to my house and stays pretty warm . . . I’d say the coldest would be 50 degrees. Ornamental sweet potatoes are pretty expensive to buy in the garden center and they get gone quickly because they are so popular. Do you have any tips regarding how to propagate them? THANKS.
Thanks for the clip! I have a mass of dahlia seeds to plant that i was given. We are just moving into autumn ( new zealand), wondering when i should sow them and how???? Maybe like your winter water container planting idea would work? ( we dont get snow where i am, just cold rain all winter). Was wondering if i should start them now
I’m in New Orleans and zone nine a. We’ve had a super warm winter here! We had one freeze in December and a few cold days but it’s basically been in the 70’s all week!! I don’t have much experience growing things from seed, but I purchased a bunch of seeds the other day. Is it a good time to start my dahlias? I have no greenhouse or anything like that, just a little she shed, lol! but can I go ahead and start those dahlias and just leave them outside??
Absolutely love perusal all of yall (your mom is such a hoot!!), and all the great info! I’ve grown dahlia’s once in Florida but never thought to dig them up for storage. Maybe next year Ill give them another go! Have you thought about your extra’s doing like a prize give away for some of your followers to grow your varieties along with you? <3 🙂
Thanks for the mention of spider mites and importance of air flow….any advice on prevention and treatment is so appreciated. Last year was my first time growing dahlias and they were struggling, it is super hot and dry up here in Alberta and even though I kept mine outside with air flow most of the time they fell victim. I do have a question. Do Spider mite eggs live in store bought potting soil? I started some moonflower seeds inside earlier than the dahlias. I used those little Walmart soil plugs and with the first leaves inside my house I saw that something was not right. Their first leaves were deformed and I struggled not knowing what was up with them all year. I’m thinking that’s where they came from.
Question: why do you divide your Dahlia tubers since you’re not expanding the size of your patch i.e needing more plants? Since planting Dahlia clumps instead of tubers gives you larger and more fluoriferous plants, I tend to only divide my clumps every few years and even then just into smaller clumps.
Hi I just found your website and love it, I live on the oregon coast Lincoln City, I moved here from Portland so the weather is a little different now anyway I started gardening and planted some Dahlias last year, I did not dig them up! will they be ok or can I dig them up now and divide them? I also have alot of trouble with deer here they eat everything I try to plant! I love your website it’s very helpful to a newbe like me!
💚💜Hi Russell baby kitty 😺. I’m jealous lol were do you find them at? Iv never seen these in my stores. You must have a green house that has them? So your gonna put them in pots and put them in your green house till planting time? Thats got to be fun, I didn’t think you could pot them? Thank you!!🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🐿 Ps havnt heard that instrumental in a min!!! One of my favs
👋🌞Good morning, Laura! It was hilarious to see Russell’s paws reach up on your chest for attention! 🤭😂🤣 I noticed, in the studio background, that your Amaryllis isn’t blooming too. My 2 haven’t even gotten flower stalks yet.😯☹ What could be going on with them. One has the long leaves, one has no growth. Both bulbs are healthy. I put them in the dark, for the timeframe you recommended; brought them out and watered, per your instructions. 🤔🧐🥺 Also, I have a question about my ric rac plant; why are the ends of my ric rac fronds growing what appears to be faux cactus-looking stalks? Is that normal? I don’t see them on yours in the studio. Hugs to you, Russell and Cheddar. Stay warm! ~Metro-Phoenix, AZ 🌞🌵
This will be really interesting to see which ones pop thur first, and how long it takes for others, how fun is this. Curious about how cold the water is you used, if it really makes any difference to them.? Anyone out there leave theirs in the ground over winter, I’m in zone 7b, wondering about when they show signs of life, last yr was my first growing them and I have no idea. I said it before I’ll say it again….Russell, he could be anywhere and yet he always wants to be with Laura ^..^
Suggestion: It sounds like you might have too many dahlias for your garden this year. If that’s true maybe you could take them to the Garden Center and have a Dahlia class. You could have your students help you separate all those tubers and maybe they could take some home for their garden too! Win/win I’d be willing to pay for a class like that.
I think everything is worth a shot, especially since everyone’s climate is so different and you never know. The problem for me is they grow vey fast once they’re potted. At that point, you really want to get them into the ground as soon as possible, since they don’t do very well in containers. For me, planting very early was a disaster, as once I got them into the ground they had to deal with very heavy and cold spring rains, zone 7A. I felt this did not benefit them at all, they tremendously slowed down and I lost one to virus.
So I did this but outside zone 10b and nothing sprouted. Followed the rules and didn’t water. Problem with that is we don’t even get a drop of rain where we live so I thought about the pnw in the spring theres rain. So I treat them differently. I water them every other day but lightly. Our temps are ranging from 55-88 during the day. All over the place.
I watched Jenny at Creekside’s article yesterday. In the article Jerry is creating a new flower bed for “Laura’s dahlias”. Gave me an idea for a giveaway! You should do a dahlia giveaway! You have to ship Jenny’s so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal to ship another box! Have some sort of a contest! Who else would want Laura’s flowers?
If you are not using all your tubers because you have too many. Maybe it would be fun to do a giveaway on your website? Most of us small graders would be super excited to win just one tuber 😂. I realize that shipping might be an issue that prevents you from doing that but it would be fun. Imagine getting a mystery dahlia tuber in the mail and planting it to be surprised. Later by whatever variety it turned out to be !! I realize this is impractical. But I guess if you can’t use them all you will have some very lucky friends and neighbors!