Dahlia care for zone 5a

I am a new Dahlia tuber owner in zone 5a. I would like to soak my tubers in water for a few hours then place them in a pot in front of a window. It will be the middle of May - the 1st of June before I can safely get them in the ground around here. I usually do this with my tubers just to get a jump start. Do you think this would be okay for my new Dahlia tubers?

Hi. Since you aren't supposed to water dahlia tubers until you have a sprout, I am thinking this wouldn't be a good idea with them. I've never dealt with any other tubers, dahlias are all I know. It's definitely safe to put them in some soil and let them get some decent growth on them ahead of time. They sprout from warmth of soil, so they would love your window and some cozy dirt. Some other pros will probably chime in for better reasoning soon, but my vote is no. Welcome to the wild world of dahlias-I bet you have many more by next year. You can never have just one. I remember a few years ago, I started with one....so young and innocent then...lol-Good luck!

Carrie

The picture that you have posted is one of the dahlias that I purchased. Is that the Duet or Mystery? I also have the Sunburst, McKnight, a red one and one yellow inners and pick edges. Thanks for the advice. I will put my dahlias in a pot with some soil to get them warmed up. I didn't realize you were not supposed to wet the tubers or moisten the soil.

This message was edited Mar 24, 2010 7:56 PM

Your welcome. Isn't that what's so great about them? They're all so different in color, size, shape! That was Mystery Day from last year. But, I'm definitely not a pro-still a newbie, so others will chime in with helpful advice. You definitely want the soil a touch moist, just not wet, until you see a sprout above the soil, then water sparingly. I'll have to look up McKnight-never heard of that one.

I'm on the line between zone 4 and 5 and have always planted my dahlias about 2 weeks after potatoes. It takes them about 3 weeks to emerge and by then no frost will probably get them. If any chance, a milk bottle over the plant is all that is needed.

In fact I have in the past messed around and potted up a lot of tubers and they only bloomed a few days before the ones directly planted (with a lot less work). Mine will go in the ground about May 1 when hubby plants his corn.

Okay, did I misunderstand??? I was told not to water the plants. Should I moisten the soli, then. I put them inside in a pot but didn't water at all. LoL

diamond, barely damp soil is okay, dry soil would be okay too until the shoot takes off a few inches and roots form to absorb any water in the ground or pot. What lends them to rot is sitting in cold, wet soil with no roots formed yet. The temptation to give a little plant a drink is overwhelming and if you give in with a little spritz here and there, you won't hurt anything.

Okay I may spritz to be on the safe side. I'm afraid that if I give them a drink it may be too much. Thanks a lot!