@aklmcmillan96 ... don’t beat yourself up about your purchase. Look upon it as a challenge with a fair dollop of optimism!
Re your dahlias. Through slightly different circumstances, I rescued and planted 30 tubers in the second week of September 2018 so you have a head start on me. Once planted, I lightly watered them to get them going; remember if tubers get water-logged they will rot. Your main aim this year is to keep the tubers in good nick so that you can get them through the winter. When they started growing, I fed weekly with a weak tomato feed. Otherwise I left them to it until the frosts took them/started to look black.
Overwintering dahlias, I normally lift mine but then I don’t have 100 to deal with. To do this, dig them out of the ground and remove any remaining foliage. Cut the stem off but leave a short stump. Just below the stem and above the tuber is where your new plants will form in the spring so it is vital that this doesn’t get damaged. I turn my tubers upside down for a few days to make sure any dampness drains out. I then place in trays/apple boxes from the supermarket and cover with very dry compost. Store the trays in a frost free place overwinter. If you decide to leave them in the ground, mulch well.
As for my 30 tubers? Yes, I lost a couple but this year’s display from them is amazing.
Sorry, I can’t help you with your lilies/gladioli as that is not my forte. Good luck and ask away with any more queries.
Try anyway. Even if you just get foliage that will be enough to provide energy to the bulbs, corms and tubers to prduce something next year.
Sound advice. If you don't plant them you have just lost your money but if you do plant them and something survives, it's a bonus.
Never be afraid to plant things at the wrong time of year. You will be pleasantly surprised at how many things thrive when the rules tell you they shouldn't.
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Re your dahlias. Through slightly different circumstances, I rescued and planted 30 tubers in the second week of September 2018 so you have a head start on me. Once planted, I lightly watered them to get them going; remember if tubers get water-logged they will rot. Your main aim this year is to keep the tubers in good nick so that you can get them through the winter. When they started growing, I fed weekly with a weak tomato feed. Otherwise I left them to it until the frosts took them/started to look black.
Overwintering dahlias, I normally lift mine but then I don’t have 100 to deal with. To do this, dig them out of the ground and remove any remaining foliage. Cut the stem off but leave a short stump. Just below the stem and above the tuber is where your new plants will form in the spring so it is vital that this doesn’t get damaged. I turn my tubers upside down for a few days to make sure any dampness drains out. I then place in trays/apple boxes from the supermarket and cover with very dry compost. Store the trays in a frost free place overwinter. If you decide to leave them in the ground, mulch well.
As for my 30 tubers? Yes, I lost a couple but this year’s display from them is amazing.
Sorry, I can’t help you with your lilies/gladioli as that is not my forte. Good luck and ask away with any more queries.