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I have one or two rather nice Dahlias which I would like to keep to take cuttings from for next year. I have tried several times to keep the tubers but they always finish up on the compost heap. Any tips please?
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Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet -
I’m not an expert on dahlias but I keep a couple in pots from year to year just in a shed and dry and they seem healthy and come back every year.Last edited by muck lover; 21-09-2018, 10:03 PM. -
Don't know what your winter weather is like are your tubers dying due to drying up or from frost, but I would suggest that you try burying them at least 8inches deep or if you get really hard frost put them even deeper and insulate them with straw, if it due to drying up try keeping them in large pots partially buried and water at least ever two weeksit may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.
Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers
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I just put pots over mineComment
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Ones in pots just get carried into the greenhouse and get parked in the most sheltered corner under the bench. The ones in the border get lifted once the foliage is blackened by frost, dig up and remove as much soil as poss and once dry, store the tubers wrapped in newspaper in baskets in my outhouse.
Have you got a garage you could store them in, as wooden sheds wouldn't (haha) stay warm enough here, don't know how cold your winter is?
I chanced leaving one in the ground last year and it was the only one I lost
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Thanks all for the advice. In the past I have stored them dry, as there are only a few tubers I will dig them up and pot them and then store them in the stone built workshop/cow shed.Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poetComment
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I’m in the south west and usually leave most in the ground....I lost them all except one and that was late to show and hasn’t flowered yet.
Lifted bulbs get stored as per Thelma’s adviceComment
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We can get very cold here -20C has been known in the not too distant past. However the last couple of winters have been relatively mild but still too cold to leave tubers in the ground.Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poetComment
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With temperatures like that you could still get frost damage, unless you have heating, so I would still bury them with plenty of straw to insulate themOriginally posted by roitelet View Postit may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.
Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbersComment
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cheops, there is nothing more confusing than gardening, and weather variances just add to it I have a friend who stays five or six miles away from me who can keep standard fuchsia out side over winter yet I have to insulate mine and keep them in the greenhouse and even then I lose some as in the past winter where I lost the lot and he still had his, he stays near the sea and it is sufficient to give him higher temperatures, I have in occasional years left dahlias in the ground and they have survived but that doesn't happen that often, so if I can't get my tubers in the house without my OH seeing them I have to bury them or in my case cover them over with a mound of soil (we get too much rain to bury them deep) and it does protect themit may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.
Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbersComment
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I agree Rary... I can often loose lots of plants compared to my neighbour over the road - my garden faces south, is very open and can get much more frost than hers. but it can be dry here and she always has the hosepipe on. I’m in Wiltshire and generally leave mine in the ground....last years prolonged frost, then the lack of water killed all except one. That one still hasn’t flowered - it’s been in the ground for years and has flowered profusely on all other occasions. I’m taking one in of each variety this year so I don’t lose them.
That said, I do have VCs “dahlia offer” tubers in the GH, they have been grown in pots - not long bought so I knew it would be unlikely they flowered- but I’m hoping they survive so I can take cuttings and increase my stock next year.Last edited by Scarlet; 23-09-2018, 07:37 AM.Comment
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Have you ever taken tuber cuttings?Originally posted by roitelet View Post
I’ve never done it....just ususllly split my tubers when planting.Comment
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I have many years ago. Choose a good shoot about 6 ins long, cut below a leaf joint and remove most of the leaves. Push into a well draining potting mixture cover, stand back and wait, and most will root. Then you have not lost the tuber and can split that as well.Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poetComment
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Thank you....that's going to be my experiment for next year. I have a patch of ground that I want to fill with dahlias.Comment
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Here in the sunny East...I have a small south facing front garden. I have left dalias in the ground over winter with no real problems for a number of years. The soil is very frieable, well drained and well mulched. Last year I lifted the tubas and placed them dry in a bucket wrapped in hessian sacks wheer they were storred in the garage, I lost about half of them! This year they are staying put.Comment
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