Finger-like tubers. Will they grow?

Dinnerplate Dahlias.

Having only grown a couple Dahlias in my life many years ago,
I must admit, I've never been 'into' them and never took the time to
learn until now.

Fast forward to 2009. Sam's Club in Tulsa offered a mixed bag
of 15 Dinnerplate Dahlias for six dollars and some change.
Naturally, I got excited and bought several bags.

Though I was only able to count what I would consider 13 roots, there
were numerous finger-like tubers with small roots. According to a
very old gardening book I have, these tubers will grow, and should be
placed in the soil horizontally.

Could someone answer the following questions for me?

1.) Will these finger-tubers grow?
2.) Will they take a year to bloom?
3.) Book suggests planting next to a stake. Is this for future need?

Many thanks!

Karen Marie

Sounds like you got a good deal!

1) As long as it has an eye, that is a nice-sized tuber you're holding!
2) They should take 70-120 days to bloom from planting (larger flowers often take longer).
3) You should put the stake in while planting it, if you put it in later you could skewer the roots or the tuber.

That's a super deal! Looking forward to your pics when they bloom.

Aha, that is what I thought re: the stake. Hubby and I discussed it
this morning, it was hilarious. I was using a candlestick and a small
squirt bottle of cat medicine to show him what I was trying to say.

That is good news on the tuber, as most of the tubers are the same
way. I bought three bags, so in essence what I ended up with was
a TON of Dahlias. Yay!

Thanks for all of your responses!

Karen Marie

That is a really good deal. I have found with those bagged clumps that a lot of the broken off roots are broken below the neck but occasionally one will have an eye.

Refer to this link, if you want, and you'll see the idea between broken-off tubers and those that will grow. The break needs to be above the neck where the eyes generally form. It can't hurt to baggie the pieces up or plant the root end in a flat of damp soil leaving the narrow end exposed to light. That would encourage growth if there are eyes to be popped.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5735843

Good luck. I really ought to join Sam's CLub, as I keep running into positive references about it.

no kidding I need to join as well. I was just commenting on a neighbors Dinnerplate Dahlias yesterday and decided I wanted those. I had no idea what those HUGE flowers were in her front yard, so I asked her and she told me. She also told me (she is from Germany) that growing up in Germany, everyone had them in their yard, but when she married and moved here, she had a hard tome finding them. she eventually paid $5 per bulb for hers! Imagine telling her she could have gotten them for $6 for 15 bulbs.

The best part was the bag was thirteen something, but when I
got to the register, they ran up six. Mom and I went back the next
day and bought more!