Waking up dahlia tubers

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Fat Controller, Feb 23, 2014.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    I have a load of tubers in the outhouse (cold), but figure it is time to start waking them up?

    Should I split them (and if so, how is it done?) before warming them up, and do I warm them up in the dark or daylight, and finally do I try and pot them up to warm them or do I let them sprout before putting them into compost?
     
  2. Spruce

    Spruce Glad to be back .....

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    Hi FC did you have a nice Birthday as well

    I put all of mine into damp compost on the greenhouse staging then I mist them over with a fine spray of water and cover with fleece to keep warm , wait to see what happens when they sprout , before spiting. I have some doing that at the moment and buds are starting to appear.

    Garden sulphur is useful as well if you do decide to split them as any cuts dust over with the sulphur, but taking cuttings is easy as well .

    Spruce
     
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    • Fat Controller

      Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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      Hi Spruce :)

      I had a reasonably good day - I was working at the rugby yesterday, but the people I work with are fantastic, so it was an easy day. Today is chill out day, and I will be pottering at most.

      I have sulphur (somewhere) so that isn't an issue, and have some compost which should be enough - pots big enough to take the tubers are they are is going to be the fun bit.

      Does each wee 'bulb' bit on a tuber make a plant, or am I looking at it too simplistically? And do they need consistent warmth (such as indoors, central heated warmth) or would the greenhouse be enough?
       
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      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

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        Been away and perhaps? answered this in your earlier thread - which I hadn't seen until now :)

        http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/dahlia-bishops-children.59523/#post-773708


        The ain't frost hardy :( and if you want to take cuttings you'll have to give them some heat (or they will be rather on the late side for then planting out)
         
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        • Fat Controller

          Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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          Thanks Kristen - I just saw your reply on the other thread

          I am not overly worried about having more of them as such, so a couple of cuttings will do fine.

          I'll get a sharp knife out and tidy them up a bit, then I will try and find pots big enough for them. I will keep them indoors until I get the pots and get them planted, which should warm them up and hopefully get them started

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        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          You dont actually need to pot them really.
          Just gets some trays and just cover the tubers, leave the old stem well clear.
          That is where the new shoots will come from.
          Grow them on fairly cool, unless you are looking to take cuttings, if you just want to split a few, the easiest way of propagation, you can do that once the new shoots/buds are evident.

          Carefully dividing down the old stem, leaving each piece with a bud or two.
           
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          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            Thanks pete I have just tidied them up a bit by cutting off the old roots and the excess of the old stem - mother nature has given me a hand too as some of the clumps were already splitting (there was a split up the middle of the stem) so I made good of that and split those ones.

            I have dusted splits/cuts with sulphur and they are sat in trays waiting for some compost which I will try to get tomorrow.

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          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            I wonder about that :)

            I used to do in-tray method, it was how the old-boy down the allotment showed me when I was a youngster, but I figure that is quite a lot of root disturbance when you plant out (particularly if I have to do it later than normal for some reason - like a rubbish Spring like last year :( ) and thus I use 2L (or bigger for large tuber clumps) so I can just pant out the whole pot-full. Takes up much more, precious, staging space though ... and I have no idea if I am kidding myself that the root disturbance thingie is a real issue, or a non-event for a Dahlia?
             
          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            Its the pots that are going to be my problem - I suppose I could use my tomato and cucumber pots, but I worry that the dahlias wouldn't be out before I want to pot the tomatoes and cucumbers on?

            Hopefully these look about right?

            2014-02-23 14.44.03.jpg
             
          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            I agree about the root disturbance Kristen, in an ideal world its a good idea, but most of us are fighting for space in spring.
            I'm not sure root disturbance at planting out, in late April or May is a big problem.
            Most things just want to grow at that time of the year, so make up the difference fairly fast.

            Are you going to sprinkle some compost in between those FC, the tubers are best just covered.
             
          • Fat Controller

            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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            I will do @pete - will probably thin them out to another two trays too. I need to get some compost tomorrow. :)
             
          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            Reassuringly fat :biggrin:
             
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