Pink dahlia seedling

I started the seed last summer and had such nice blooms I saved the tuber. I guess I should have seperated it but could not see where the "eyes" were, so I planted the whole thing.
Not a large flower, but pretty and nice for cutting.

Now, se_eds you can name it and know that when you save the tuber you have a unique one of a kind dahlia. I always try to raise a few from seed as it is such a joy to see what you might get.

If I had a good daylily I would name it. Dahlias I just grow for pure pleasure. I have friends in nursing homes, and friends who need a quick bouquet for their lonely wives, and people who just love to get flowers. This way I can chop some off and hope they enjoy them as much as I do. Not only that, cutting them back makes them give more flowers.

Absolutely, we grow about 1 and one half acres of dahlias. And we have named five different ones so far. I love daylilies too but a dahlia bloom will last a bit longer.

se_eds, this is a beautiful dahlia! (I just happen to love PINK ones, anyway. :-) )

This is my first year back in a garden where I can hopefully plan that I'll get to keep it (the garden) for next year. Dahlias, the mid and dwarfs, have always been a favorite of mine. I've often grown them from seeds and once I tried to save the tubers. It didn't work very well for me, so I'd appreciate any help you (or any other reader) might be able to offer for storing and restarting tubers.

TIA,
~julie~

Hi Julie88 - When cold weather comes here in Pa., and Ithink we are going to get a frost, I chop the plants off about 4 inches from the ground. Dig them up in about a day or two. I wash off as much dirt as I can with a hose and then let them air dry in a frost free place. Use those 5 gal plastic buckets, put down a layer of peat moss, a layer of tubers(not seperated) and so on until the bucket is full. Store is a cold, preferrably dark and frost free location until about a week before you are going to plant them. When you get the stored tubers out in the spring, they may show little buds around the main stem. Cut tuber off the main stem with an "eye" or bud. Tubers should be planted when the soil is warm on your hand. If soil is too cold they will rot. I could not find eyes on some of mine and planted the whole clump which gives a mound of plant and flowers.

se_eds, Thanks a million for the reply. I'm definitely going to be trying your method this fall. I've always stored mine "dry" in mesh bags. This year I'll use the peat.

Thanks again,
~julie~