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Starting Dahlia Tubers Indoors

Alfie_Alfie_ Posts: 456
in Plants
Hi,

I’ve expanded my dahlia varieties from last season and one new one I’m trying is Show N Tell I’ve started them all off indoors (tubers) on the kitchen window sill. I’ve got about 15 on there currently. 

The problem is that some of them have grown quite tall and leggy (particularly this dinner plate) despite me pinching them out when they had 4-5 sets of leaves. Since this variety is a dinner plate I don’t think its current growth will support the large flowers so well.

Any advice on how to optimally start dahlias off inside as tubers (particularly dinner plates) is much appreciated. Thanks 





Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    They don't look as though they are getting enough light.
    When did you start the tubers?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I agree about the lack of light. I started mine at the beginning of March and put them on a south facing window sill in a fairly cool spare room. They are now approaching the 4 pairs of leaves point, when I can pinch them out, but they are not as tall as yours. Once they had visible sprouts I turned them daily. Yours look to be quite low in the pots, which will reduce the amount of light they get too.
    Some of my largest tubers are still in the greenhouse as I don't have space for their pots inside. They will start a bit later but will soon catch up. Those will all be planted in the same bed, so no problem.
  • Alfie_Alfie_ Posts: 456
    punkdoc said:
    They don't look as though they are getting enough light.
    When did you start the tubers?
    They get loads of natural light as the kitchen has floor to ceiling windows as well as a sky roof. However, the window sill they are on doesn’t get much direct sunlight as it is west facing. 

    So maybe I should put them on a window sill that gets more direct sunlight? Is it worth leaving them outside for a bit since there are no frosts forecast for at least the next week? 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Not really. You would still need to bring them in at night and you can't plant them out till after the last frost. Mine transition to a cool greenhouse before being hardened off. Moving them somewhere much colder than they are used to would be a shock to their systems :)
  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    Average last frost date for this area not too far off now, Alfie. I took a chance and put all the cosmos out around this time last year- got away with it! Probably wouldn't risk dahlias like that, though... 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Last year we had frost up until the end of May here!
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