It's colder than normal this year, which is slowing them down. Hang on in there, and resist the temptation to tip them out and poke around because that could damage any roots and shoots that are forming below the surface. If you have no-shows by the end of May, I think that's soon enough for the post-mortem.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
It's colder than normal this year, which is slowing them down. Hang on in there, and resist the temptation to tip them out and poke around because that could damage any roots and shoots that are forming below the surface. If you have no-shows by the end of May, I think that's soon enough for the post-mortem.
3 weeks isn't long but after a while, on the flip side, having a proper nosey at a few of mine has allowed me time to buy replacements (Bishop of Llandaff/Waltzing Mathilda) while there's still stock.
When there's no sign of any small shoots after a few weeks I like to have a rummage around and have a feel of the tubers. If there's a little give in a few of them (as there was with 3 of mine) I'd tip them out and investigate.
I think I'd left last year's stalks too long on mine as they likely rotted from the centre out. The entire tubers were unviable. Note, this was after leaving them in their storage pots from over the winter. If I'd potted them up completely fresh it probably would have been fairly obvious from the start.
Fair comment - I'm not looking to buy replacements if my new dahlias don't all come up, and if I was I'd probably look at growing plants in GCs. I'm not really set on having particular varieties. If the older dahlias that I've left in the ground don't come up this year, I'll probably put something else in the spaces and maybe think about more dahlias for next year. I'm very informal about planting so I don't really have a defined plan.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I potted up my dahlia tubers in early March in the polytunnel, not expecting the very cold April and expecting them to be well away by now and ready for the great outdoors. There are a couple of dozen of assorted sizes of tuber and variety.
Some are showing enough shoots for me to take cuttings and some have barely a hint of a bud breaking and some are still asleep, maybe dead. I'll give them another couple of weeks before they end up on the compost.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Potted mine when I received the tubers in early April and kept them in my (heated) workshop. They came up surprisingly quickly and I've already had to pinch the top of two of them. The earlier ones look a bit leggy, the others seem to be normal. I have been putting them outside during the day for some proper light but bringing them back indoors at night. Hoping to plant them in the ground next week as night temperatures are set to rise.
My Rip Cities seem fine. One of my new bought Karma Choc tubers has gone the way of all things, which is frustrating (Sarah Raven), rotted in a few weeks after pretty much zero watering.
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I had a feel of some of my outside dahlias, kept in pots over the winter and
fleeced. After six years doing fine, this one below seems to have some rotten
bits - A Bishop of Llanduff. I pulled it out. It has zero shoots, the
outside is firm but the centre is rotten (underneath). I can't divide it
yet as there are no eyes to know how to split it. I'm very attached to
it and would like to save what I can. I decided maybe the best thing is
to grow it on for a few weeks and hopefully some eyes will break and I
can then split it and remove rotten bits then. Does that seem to make
sense?
All the tubers can you see are firm and seem fine. But I don't want the rot to spread.
Posts
3 weeks isn't long but after a while, on the flip side, having a proper nosey at a few of mine has allowed me time to buy replacements (Bishop of Llandaff/Waltzing Mathilda) while there's still stock.
When there's no sign of any small shoots after a few weeks I like to have a rummage around and have a feel of the tubers. If there's a little give in a few of them (as there was with 3 of mine) I'd tip them out and investigate.
I think I'd left last year's stalks too long on mine as they likely rotted from the centre out. The entire tubers were unviable. Note, this was after leaving them in their storage pots from over the winter. If I'd potted them up completely fresh it probably would have been fairly obvious from the start.
Some are showing enough shoots for me to take cuttings and some have barely a hint of a bud breaking and some are still asleep, maybe dead. I'll give them another couple of weeks before they end up on the compost.