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Cut Flowers and Floral Design: Dahlia Tubers

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    Communities > Forums > Cut Flowers and Floral Design
    Forum: Cut Flowers and Floral DesignReplies: 10, Views: 41
    AuthorContent
    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 2, 2011 11:23 AM

    Post #8873354

    First I dug the tubers, forgot and used a shovel instead of the spade so did cut into a couple. Then for the washing!

    Thumbnail by haighr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 2, 2011 11:24 AM

    Post #8873356

    Some of the clumps were huge and had to be separated.

    Thumbnail by haighr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 2, 2011 11:25 AM

    Post #8873358

    Then one final dry in the sun before boxing for the winter. I put layers of newspaper between the layers and put the box in a cold, dark closet.

    Thumbnail by haighr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    soilsandup
    Sacramento, CA (Zone 9a)

    November 2, 2011 1:23 PM

    Post #8873489

    Good for you in getting that task done so quickly and efficiently. Looks like you just combine all your tubers together without labelling them? That is quite a stash there.

    I am mulling over whether to tackle that now or in the spring. The ground here doesn't freeze, so overwintering is not a problem. I lost about 3 tubers by leaving them in the ground last year. But the danger of leaving it till spring is that I get too lazy and the tubers sprout before I know it. I tried splitting a sprouted tuber this spring, and ending up breaking the sprouts. If I dig them up now and divide, I will put some right back into the ground, and maybe keep some in storage in case any of the inground ones die. I also promised a lot of tubers to people who sees them in the vases I bring to work so I am hoping that I will have some clumps of dahlia that is big enough to divide.

    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 2, 2011 1:52 PM

    Post #8873515

    I lose some in the divide as well Dianne. I had a whole box that didn't keep an eye or were dangling or split.
    I don't mark them as I like to be surprised when they come up. Oddly enough I have always ended up with the whites, reds and such together and same for the orange and yellow ones. The pink always end up alone. Always surprises me.

    Wish I could let them in the ground. I had some huge clumps and lost 3-5 on each clump just separating??? We shall see next season?
    Sallysblooms
    South, TX

    November 2, 2011 2:00 PM

    Post #8873528

    Great job!
    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 3, 2011 5:09 AM

    Post #8874322

    We shall see in the spring how great a job it was?
    BLOSSOMBUDDY
    (Zone 5a)

    November 10, 2011 3:04 PM

    Post #8885128

    I just repotted a few tubers... they were little, but maybe they will restart indoors... that reminds me, got a ton to do yet...need to bring my cannas in to store, pull the rest of the dahlias out oand pot them to their own pots.. transplant some impatiens... eeks.. its too cold to do it...I had skiff of snow today...
    haighr
    Hagerstown, MD (Zone 6a)

    November 11, 2011 6:47 AM

    Post #8885782

    You better get cracking! So you repot the dahlias after you dig them instead of storing for the winter? Guess that is a good use of a greenhouse.
    BLOSSOMBUDDY
    (Zone 5a)

    November 11, 2011 7:04 AM

    Post #8885794

    Well, normally I do not do dahlias.. its just I got one heck of a deal on them in the spring and now have them in haning baskets to which I need to pull them out...pot them seperate.. I am brigning them inthe house actually, puttingthem under lights... I want to bring in my impatiens too so to save on spave I need to do some re-potting. Otherwishe I have some 20 baskets to bring in... I decided to pull some of the canas out of their pots to store... its jsut too many to bring down inthe cralw and space wish.. yipes.. so hope that the tubers on them will be ok too. going to put the roots in a box with wood shavings. Now to find a box...
    BLOSSOMBUDDY
    (Zone 5a)

    November 15, 2011 7:41 AM

    Post #8891120

    Shucks, still have a few more to do!

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    Other Cut Flowers and Floral Design Threads you might be interested in:

    SubjectThread StarterRepliesLast Post
    Welcome to the Cut Flowers and Floral Design Forum dave 40 Apr 24, 2008 2:40 PM
    Starting us off Wvdaisy 36 Apr 24, 2007 9:24 PM
    My Tropical displays. celt33040 8 Apr 23, 2007 12:26 PM
    Articles and tips about processing cut flowers.... gemini_sage 23 Aug 7, 2012 4:11 AM
    Vases Lenjo 83 Jul 31, 2008 2:11 PM


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