I don't usually plant out dahlias until the spring bulbs have finished, but I thought I would try a couple to see how they fared. It is still a little bit early. Although the soil is nice and moist, it still hasn't really warmed up yet. It will be interesting to see how much sooner they flower.
After removing from storage, it is a good idea to shake off some dry soil, keeping a close lookout for the little yellow round slug eggs which have overwintered with the tubers. These should be removed immediately.
Often it is possible to gently prise the tubers apart without doing too much damage and giving more plants. Having said this, I do not plant single tubers, and find that two or three plants together give me bushier plants with more flowers. Plants are normally two or three years old before they need to be split up. Splitting every third year does the plants good. They go down hill from this time on.If you have bought single tubers to plant out, plant them separately. This will give you the biggest flowers.
SLICING
If you cannot separate the tubers at this stage, then I find it best to wait until a little later and slice them with a sharp spade or knife. Since each half needs developing shoots, it is best to make sure that you can see these first. Tubers left alone will soon be starting to sprout young shoots, even without water.
If you do slice your tubers, you should plant them out as soon as possible.
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