Manhandled my dahlia tubers :(

11 years ago

Hi all,

I'm putting in my first ever garden this year, and my mom bought me some tubers from Swan Island as a gift. I planted them, promptly forgot where I planted them (!!) and about a week later I was digging around in the bed with a trowel and disrupted two of the tubers. Anything I could/should do?

Also, I also... broke one of the tubers. The very end with the roots coming off just snapped off. Is it a goner?

So, to conclude, am I just too klutzy for dahlias?

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Comments (4)

oscarthecat
11 years ago
Nope everyone gets a case of the clumsies now and then. replant the broken tuber, shoud come out ok.
Noni Morrison
11 years ago
To keep from loosing your dahlia locations...it is suggested that you plant a stake at each one when you plant. All but the miniature varieties will need staking up later as they grow, so by putting in a stake even a small one when you plant you will know exactly where to put a taller sturdier one when they get up several feet high, without impaling the hidden tuber as you stake it. After many frustrating years, I now also bury a plastic tag with the plant name along with the tuber, so when I go to dig it up after its dormant I know which one I am diving and possibly giving away tubers to. A label just stuck into the ground by it will be pulled out by chickens, crows, children, dogs, ets. Been there, done that! Last year was teh first year with 4 chickens in my garden. They pulled out all 160 labels and flung them as they were scratching for bugs! They also unburied the tops of the tubers. THis year they are no longer allowed in there when the dahlias are growing!
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Hi Grace My answer may not help you at all but... I live in Sf and have grown dahlias out in the sunset for years (which is one of the worst environments for growing flowers) and in my opinion, you are causing more work than you need to for yourself. I NEVER have started my dahlias indoors, I never have dug them up for overwintering and I rarely even touch them after they bloom in year one. And I (just being honest) have a yard that is the envy of my friends and neighbors. Even in heavier rain years, I never worry about my tubers and in years like this, I find I have to go out and water in the winter in order for them to get ANY moisture. Do I lose dahlias? Sure do. But not often and usually only when I am lazy and allow the snails to have at em when they start sprouting. But if I lose a few (out of 90+ and counting), it gives me an excuse to buy more tubers the next year! You may well grow beautiful dahlias with all the dedication you are showing but for my money, it is much ado about nothing. Dahlias are hardy and once they get used to their environments, they last forever. And you know well in the sunset we get up to 2-3 months of NO SUN and heavy fog. So if I can grow beauties with little maintenance, I am sure you can also. If you prefer the high maintenance route, go for it. But I think you will find it a full time job because there will ALWAYS be something - mold, rot, lack of water, too much water, snails, too much heat (sun), not enough heat, freezing temps, long foggy months, staking, and maybe , just maybe, the tuber was no good from the get go DESPITE what you do! Good luck. And if you live in the sunset and want to see my yard some time, I have dahlias from May to November but the best month is August. Come on by!
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What makes you think you overwatered them? If they're in well-draining soil then you probably don't have to worry. I've just been planting and watering in pre-started dahlias. Mother Nature added another inch+ of water and I'm not going to be worried until there are puddles standing in the holes.
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Just drying out a bit too much. Looks like those tubers might be a bit immature, where you might want to split the small clumps down the middle of the stalk and store them that way. As long as they have eyes attached to each tuber and the necks aren't thinner then a pencil width, they should be fine. Rot tends to be black, eating the insides out... I've also had them turn into white slime, eating outside in. Im sure others have other variations of rot. Lovely stuff, nothing like what you're showing.
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Well, clean 'em off and try it out. If that's just dirt, it's fine. If the black is rotting, it's not fine, but it's hard to tell from the photo (some of it does seem to be dirt--that furthest right one looks dirty but just fine!). And yes, temperatures under freezing at the tuber level will destroy them in our zones. BTDT, and unfortunately had to replace the tubers. Fortunately, you're not reporting temperatures in that regime, but FYI. They definitely can't be wintered at temps under freezing regardless of whether you can keep them dry or not around here ("here" being the Northeast right down to Philadelphia). Before storage, inspect and pinch a bit like you would a questionable potato. :-) Cut off anything that you think is rotted so it doesn't infect the rest of the mass.
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Noni Morrison
11 years ago
To keep from loosing your dahlia locations...it is suggested that you plant a stake at each one when you plant. All but the miniature varieties will need staking up later as they grow, so by putting in a stake even a small one when you plant you will know exactly where to put a taller sturdier one when they get up several feet high, without impaling the hidden tuber as you stake it. After many frustrating years, I now also bury a plastic tag with the plant name along with the tuber, so when I go to dig it up after its dormant I know which one I am diving and possibly giving away tubers to. A label just stuck into the ground by it will be pulled out by chickens, crows, children, dogs, ets. Been there, done that! Last year was teh first year with 4 chickens in my garden. They pulled out all 160 labels and flung them as they were scratching for bugs! They also unburied the tops of the tubers. THis year they are no longer allowed in there when the dahlias are growing!
avamava
Original Author
11 years ago
How clever! Thanks for the tips. The dahlias are all coming up despite my rough handling, so here goes nothing.

Manhandled my dahlia tubers :(

Comments (4)

oscarthecat

Noni Morrison

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Manhandled my dahlia tubers :(

Comments (4)

oscarthecat

Noni Morrison

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Noni Morrison

avamavaOriginal Author

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avamava
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