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Dahlia tubers / best time to buy / best nursery?

SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
in Plants
I thought I disliked Dahlias but I had no idea there were so many varieties, and I find myself liking them more and more.
Could you advise me as to best time of year to buy tubers (I have space to overwinter them) and which specialist nursery you would recommend?
Thank you very much 🌸
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Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    You can't buy them now as they are sold in the spring.
    I buy bulbs from Peter Nyssen which are good so maybe their dahlia are too
    https://www.peternyssen.com/spring-planting/dahlia-tubers.html

  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    @K67 Thank you very much, they have a great selection! Can’t wait for Spring 😄
  • BiljeBilje Posts: 811
    What you may be able to buy now are flowering plants in pots. I visited a specialist dahlia nursery here in NE England last Sunday lots on show, however I can't see the point of buying now to have to overwinter. The nursery is Halls of Heddon they do have a website.
    I have bought dahlias from Peter Nyssen good tubers, I had a problem with some bulbs, not dahlias and their after sales service was very good. 
    I have also bought cheap and cheerful varieties from Wilkinsons stores, small tubers but very good prices. 
  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    @Bilje Thank you for the recommendation, I will look that nursery up, but I agree that buying dahlias in pots now is probably pointless
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can also grow from seed. Good seed suppliers like Chilterns should have them  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Seeds of Bishops Children are very easy and have dark leaves and very bright, single flowers.
    After a year, they will have formed reasonable sized tubers.
    I have kept several from a packet of seeds, that now have tubers the size of a dinner plate.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    @Fairygirl @punkdoc Thank you for the suggestion! I may very well try, though I hope I will be better at growing from seeds than at cuttings (failed miserably at that 😬)
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    If you are interested in growing dahlia from seed and want to prepare now, you might be able to pick up an electric propagator now for cheap. I got a clearance price Sankey one from Wilko for £6 last week. Then, you could start them off in March or whenever.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I second Peter Nyssen. I bought 13 dahlia tubers from them this year. All turned into healthy, vigorous plants with lots of flowers. With the exception of one, that started off well and then weirdly dwindled and refused to grow. That was was Rip City, destined for an obvious large gap in the border and the one I was most looking forward to. The unlucky thirteenth? I have also had great dahlia tubers from Lidl.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933
    Last year I bought some late september from the garden centre and B&Q.They were in the clearance .cheap enough for a gamble.  Left them until frosts blacked the leaves, later them down in unheated greenhouse . They started growing same time as the others. Have been brilliant.
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