Upon tuber arrival, you should immediately open up the package and inspect the tubers. If you cannot immediately plant you need to place them in a cool place (do not put them in the refrigerator). If you open the top of the bag they came in you can store them in a cool place until the time of planting.
Tubers can be planted into the garden after the last frost. They should be planted about 18 inches apart to give them ample room to grow. Place them length-wise into a six-inch hole with the shoot pointing up. Cover with tuber with soil and gently compress. We do not water them until the sprout has emerged unless it is particularly dry. Dahlia tubers in this early stage are extremely susceptible to rot.
If you choose to start them early, you can place them in pots in the same manner as the ground. Place them under grow lights and only provide a small amount of water until they emerge. Once they are a couple inches tall you can add additional water.
When the plant are 8 to 10 inches tall you can pinch out the tip of the main growing but. This forces the plant to send out laterals and ultimately produces more blooms. This pinched portion can be turned into a cutting if you are so motivated. These plants can then be planted into the garden when you are sure there is absolutely no danger of frost.
- To get a jump start to the flowering season, you can plant the tubers in pots indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting into the garden. Once the shoots appear, please provide ample light with indoor grow lights or south-facing window.
We usually plant to tubers and potted plants in deeper holes (greater than 6 inches) but do not bury them to the soil line. As the plant grows, the hole is filled with soil. This allows for tubers to be formed along the stem above the main clump of tubers. You will be grateful you did this if you plant to divide and store your tubers as the higher up tubers are often so much easier to separate.
Many people amend the soil at this time with bone meal or alfalfa pellets, we do not do this at Driftless. We typically add a balance fertilizer in pellet form to the base of the plants. This fits in with the results of our soil tests. It is recommended that you test your soil prior to adding any fertilizer. Free soil testing is often offered from local Universities that have a soil lab or many county extension offices.
What if you don't get the dahlia you were expecting. At Driftless Dahlia Farm we go to great lengths to make sure you get the dahlia you were expecting. We have plastic labels with thermal label that does not fade with the sun for each tuber. This label gets placed when planted and attached to the plant with a wire. This label then stay with the clump during harvesting and tuber division. It then goes into the bin with the tubers during storage. This is to prevent mislabeling. However, there are times when there is a mixup. If this happens, please email us with a picture of the flower and what is was supposed to be. We will send you the correct tuber in the spring or refund your money.