Learning how to water plants to increase growth in pots, container or garden - especially how to water roots and tubers. Specialities: root growth or tuber growth of lawns, fuchsias, geraniums, dahlias and begonias.

21 April 2011

Selecting Dahlia Tubers From Storage

If You Want A Stronger Plant, Choose A Stronger Bud

All beginners, note this maxim well. It's one of the fundamental principles of growing. If you want good results, they cannot be had in an instant, or even in a hurry. They must be built upon a strong foundation. We are talking rock here, not sand. In growth terms, this means strong healthy stock - grown naturally, not forced.

As far as over-wintered dahlia tubers are concerned, we can to some extent 'back the horse after it has passed the post'. Of my stock, only the earliest varieties have yet sprouted; the rest may never sprout, but there's no way to tell for certain which tubers will and which won't.

So instead of putting them all in the soil and hoping for the best, I always wait until they have started. This way, I can select the best stock, be certain (as near as can be) they will grow, and avoid undue exposure to pests and disease whilst they wait in the soil for things to get going. These selected tubers will grow very quickly, especially if planted as recommended (see other posts on planting dahlia tubers)

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