Grow Your Own Magazine

I have dahlias growing in an old tumble-drier drum on my patio. They look lovely and I have been cutting the odd bunch for the house. I was about to throw the last lot away as most of them were dead but I noticed what looks like the start of roots on two stems.

Is this a good way to propogate dahlias or should I just chuck them?

__________________
Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I've never tried it shirl, the trouble is this is a bit late for taking cuttingsas you won't have enought light to keep them growing let alone warmth.

So I'd chuck them if I were you and start agian in the spring with proper cuttings.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I'm confused here, I thought you could save dahlia's over-winter?

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

You can, you dig up the tubers and store them wrapped in newspaper or you can pot them up in dry compost. They just don't grow in winter but throw new shoots again in spring. Hope this helps a little bit.

__________________

And when you're back stops aching,
And you're hands begin to harden.
You will find yourself a partner,
In the glory of the garden.

Rudyard Kipling.

Oh I've got it now Bramble - I read the OP too quickly, the 'roots' are forming on the cut dahlia's - thanks though.

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Sorry Manda did I confuse you? Yes I meant the "new" cuttings not the old tubers

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I'm so easily confused NTG!

What do you think, should we lift our smallish dahlia tubers and if so when? (We're on sandy/loamy well-drained soil, but the tubers would be in winter shade as they're in front of a shadow-casting fence.

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

I tend to lose more by lifting them so tend to cut them right down when blackened by frost and cover with a good layer of allotment compost.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Yes I figure we'd lose some (or all!) lifting them, will try your idea pw.

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

If your on a sandy soil you may get away with it. Straw is another alternative. but it's more the damp than the cold and your at the mery of the slugs.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I guess mine should be okay in the drier drum - good drainage and easy to slug-proof.

Might just see what happens with the stem that is rooting as it is from the only plant which doesn't have yellow flowers. I have plenty space in the house for it so nothing ventured...

Thanks for the advice folks.

__________________
Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I've had better results with leaving dahlia tubers where they are (usually in the border). Tried lifting and storing and they either rot or refuse to grow in the spring. If you have a particular favourite then it's worth trying to overwinter (specially if it's not a named variety), otherwise I now buy new tubers in Spring.

Most of the troubles from Lifting tubers come from not dryimg them out properley. Some folks advocate sticking a screwdriver in the cut stem and trhu the bottom of the tuber to ensure the excess moisture comes out. I just stick min e upside down on the greenhouse staging for a couple of weeks - like ripening onions for storage - so long as they are reasonably big I've never had probs with them if you do this

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

This may be of some interest.

http://www.jrg-dahlias.co.uk/how_to_grow_dahlias.htm

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thanks Piglet - that is very informative.

__________________
Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Jack should know how to grow them he grows about 2000 every year !

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Somewhere around the family there should be loads of books on growing dahlias as we had a friend who was a champion grower and he left all his things to my brother. I found one of his RHS medals just a few days ago but can't find the books.

__________________
Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

When I moved into my current abode I 'inherited' lots of lovely dahlias. Not knowing any better, I've always just left them be over winter, just cut them down to the ground when thye die off in late autumn, and they come up fine every spring when they get a does of blood fish and bonemeal along with the rest of the border - but I guess we are fairly well south and so maybe they have an easier time of it here?

__________________
Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance