can someone tell me how long it takes for dahlia tubers started indoors to sprout? I planted 13 a week ago and so far only 2 have sprouted. They are in a light place and I am keeping compost moist.
They do vary a bit individually - my old ones started into growth a little before most of my new ones, but a couple of new ones were the very first into leaf. Warmth is important too, but it is vital not to water too much before they show signs of active growth. A week is not that long if they were fairly dry tubers, so if some have started you needn't worry. If you look closely you should be able to see the little pink 'eyes' at the tops of the tubers. Once they start they fairly race away. After watching some recommended You-tube videos I put mine in flat banana boxes, lined with plastic, and with just a little compost over the tubers. Put them on windowsill in a very cool room. I only watered a little at the start, just to dampen the compost, and only twice since. Potted some up yesterday and was amazed at the root growth. Will definitely do it that way again!
Mine took over 2 weeks for the 1st one to sprout and the others have slowly appeared in dries and drabs, the 1st one to sprout has less growth than the others.
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.
I keep mine in the garage over winter and I don't usually bring them out until May. Even when it's a bit warmer it can take 2-3 weeks or longer. Some never sprout though, I couldn't tell you why that happens when they're all stored the same way.
They shouldn't need loads of water to get going but use water at room temperature rather than straight from the tap.
I left some in the ground over winter. We had a bit of snow and frost. When doing some spring weeding I checked the tubers (carefully!). They seemed firm and healthy. Should I leave them as they are? Can I expect a good result for flowers and foliage?
I dried my tubers off for the winter and have only just put them in a bakery tray with old tomato compost around them. Out of the eight only one had a single very small shoot showing. Still plenty of time especially after the cold winter and recent blizzards. They will shoot when they are ready, no point in them breaking very early, any late frosts will kill the top growth and you will be back to square one.
I dried mine, and potted them up (a couple of weeks ago) and have left them in the shed (which has a window in it, so is light). Nothing happening as yet. Should I bring them into the house for warmth?
my feeling is, if you bring them into somewhere warm, they'll shoot and stretch and you then have to "harden them off" by re-acclimatising them back into the outside temperatures.
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They'll get going when it suits them, not when it suits us, annoyingly
Warmth is important too, but it is vital not to water too much before they show signs of active growth. A week is not that long if they were fairly dry tubers, so if some have started you needn't worry.
If you look closely you should be able to see the little pink 'eyes' at the tops of the tubers. Once they start they fairly race away.
After watching some recommended You-tube videos I put mine in flat banana boxes, lined with plastic, and with just a little compost over the tubers. Put them on windowsill in a very cool room. I only watered a little at the start, just to dampen the compost, and only twice since. Potted some up yesterday and was amazed at the root growth. Will definitely do it that way again!
Even when it's a bit warmer it can take 2-3 weeks or longer. Some never sprout though, I couldn't tell you why that happens when they're all stored the same way.
They shouldn't need loads of water to get going but use water at room temperature rather than straight from the tap.