Do you think it's too early to plant outside??

19 years ago

I was checking my tubers and separating out the ones that I'm giving to friends and many of them have eyes, some are sprouted close to 1 inch already! It's been so mild here. My problem is that I will be gone from 4/1 until 4/14, so I think waiting til after 4/14 will be way late. Think I could get by with planting them next week??

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Comments (7)

Poochella
19 years ago
It's been so mild, but I clearly remember whining up a storm every single April for the last ten years in WA- Puget Sound area because after a mild March, it got cool and wet in a hurry. I planted early and lost about 30% of new tubers last year. Rot, rot, rot; one after another. It will never happen again.

I will not plant until late April if I have to amputate both my hands to prevent it. And then I'll be in a real pickle!
I would wait if I were you.
maryec
Original Author
19 years ago
The area I'm planting in has very good soil and good drainage. I've left them in the ground for the last 3 years and just dug them up this year because I needed to divide really bad. I never lost any before, so I think the area is drained good enough. Do you really think planting them next week would be bad? If I leave them until mid-April, will the existing sprouts all die??
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pdxjules
19 years ago
Even tho she lost some of hers, Anne (Poochella) still shared Tubers with Gardenwebbers and friends last fall.

And I just received a box full of wonderful varieties from her too! Regarding planting - I'm taking her advice. Will spend at least a few more weeks doing other things and studying up on each variety. Her suppler on a recent purchase says wait till May 1 to plant Dahlia tubers.

Last year the ground was cold in Oregon well into May...and Lord knows there is enough to do, to pot on, and plant out other veggie and flower seedlings! And there is more Winter-Sowing, and indoor sowing and Direct-Sowing that can be done too - so I'll probably let the Tubers rest, except for fantasy-land photos on the Web.

I do see one tuber sprouting however - photo below- so i feel your pain. It looks like this one wants a head start. So I may pot it up in a few days in a light sterile mix - and avoid soaking the soil, and still keep it in a fairly cool place. Then I'll try to tuck the entire contents of the pot carefully into the ground when it warms, to not disturb roots that may form.

Thanx Anne - for getting me started - and for labeling everything and providing information - the photo below shows evidence that you're a GardenWeb Goddess!

btw - The color on the Tuber is just ink from it's label - my little Web-camera takes blurry pix, sorry! Anne even highlighted the Dahlias for me that may get extra tall - to help with my planting plan. My neighbors are gonna love AnnP too, every summer and fall. Hopefully I'll be able to add an AFTER photo. Anne's photo album is inspiration enough to get started - that's for sure.

Here is a link that might be useful:
Poochella
19 years ago
LOL Jules, I'm GLAD your camera is blurry so no one can see my icky handwriting! Hope you can read it.

You should pot that sprout and see how you do taking cuttings (see cuttings posts, or Mid Island Dahlia or Colorado Dahlia Societies' websites for pictorial how to's on cuttings.) I haven't had any luck there and am half heartedly trying to encourage some sprouts in a kitchen window right now.

Just like clockwork, the weatherman said "typical cool and wet fronts for WA" due for the next week or so. I am welcoming the rain, even though there is plenty to do outside.

Enjoy your plants Pdx Jules. What goes around, comes around: I just got a boxfull of new tubers from Willow today and am so eager to see the newcomers in bloom. Thanks Willow!
Poochella/Annie
willow22552
19 years ago
Your're welcome Annie!! I live in NY and it is mighty cold here in April. The best way I have found is to check the soil temperature. When the soil temperature is 70 degrees it is safe to plant dahlias, any colder you will get rot. Depending on your location of beds(sunlight) one area may be ready before another. It's a funny sight seeing me jab a meter into the ground everyday hoping this is the day to plant. Hope this helps.

Willow/ Nadine
pdxjules
18 years ago
I am so glad I waited until well after May 1!

Today I gently dug a couple that hadn't showed above ground today - and found that one had rotted. Drat. I have one more of the Monets, however. It's in a warmer, drier spot, thank goodness, but i've learned to watch for just the right micro-climate...which appears to really mean NO heavy, COLD WET SOIL, for long anyway.

This year it seems that it will not stay at 70 degrees for more than a few minutes. And when it does, sure as heck, I've left a flat of seedlings somewhere with a bit too much sun, and they fry. So I set others in shade to harden off, and the Slugs have a fest! Ack. So it goes in the great NW. Gotta get back out & do more planting, and re-seed what the slugs ate.

Staring at colorful blooms keeps me from getting as much work done as planned. It's like a drug. Can't wait for the Dahlia blooms to take over. Many are showing strong foliage, so I know it's gona be great. Happy Spring!

pdxJules
(who spent an hour yesterday teaching the neighbor girls about bulbs, & deadheading, and how some flowers come back every year, and for some we can help by getting the seed in the ground...and how bees help pollinate flowers, and what seeds look like inside the pods. They are planting their first tomato plants today, yay!)
Poochella
18 years ago
PDX Jules- I lost my only two remaining Monet's to rot, so please please put me on the list for a trade if you get a good tuber harvest of it.
Glad to hear the others are coming along, and of your neighborly lessons to the youngsters.