Dahlia's are sprouting

Hi all,,,my first question to this group. I'm very new to dahlia's, tried them this year for the first time and just loved them! So I dug them up in the fall, cleaned, washed them and tried the Saran Wrap method of storing them. So far so good...I think. I stored them in a dark cool place..but realize now it's not that dark as I didn't put them in anything but plastic bags. So I just went to check on them and found the whole lot to be very healthy no problems...except that most seem to be sprouting...just small sprouts for the moment..maybe a cm in length, but now what?? I placed them in a dark box and put them in a colder area. I haven't touched the sprouts and was wondering if I should break them off or hope for the best till march, when i can pot them then transplant in late april??

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome,
Thank you

Coolbreeze, I think that the process has begun once they've started sprouting. I'm no expert on this, so you might want to wait for a better information source. We've got lots of them here on Dave's! I'd be very cautious about breaking off the sprouts. I have a feeling it could cause rot in the tubers. I think it would be fine to plant them into pots to plant out later. They'll need some good light while they are getting started.

I have had good luck "stopping" sprouting lilies, tulips, daffies, lily of the valley by putting them in the crisper drawer in the fridge. They almost always wait until I can get them planted and then grow like normal. I've never done this with dahlias or this early in the season though, so I don't know if it will help you or not. Maybe just moving them to a darker and cooler place will slow them down. I really wouldn't break off the eyes, tubers with no eyes won't grow and I don't think they would grow back.

Hi, I'm new to this form stuff. I live in Fredericsksburg, and I would like to know if Dahlia's would grow here and if I could leave them in the ground.

silverfluter, I'm sure not from Texas, but another one of the 'big' states. I checked out the PlantFinder, and it shoes dahlias hardy in your zone 8. I'm not sure where they bloom, but you won't have to dig them up like we northerners do. Here's a link to the page in the Plantfinder: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/759/index.html

CoolBreeze: You need to cool those tubers down. You mentioned having them stored in plastic wrap, but not where you're storing them. They should be in a cool (4.5C / 40F) dry location, such as a garage or shed with minimum light.
Move them to a cooler location now, and you should be able to put them back to sleep.
Good Luck!

Marc

Silverfluter: Dahlias should do wonderfully in your zone. Make sure you plant them in a good sunny to part sun local with excellent drainage and let em go. Dahlias are more likely to fail if allowed to stay to wet during the dormant rest period. Hope that helps.

Marc

Thanks for the advice all...yes I have moved them to a cooler and totally dark place...will pot them in March....keep your fingers crossed!

CB

Hey, if it were me and they keep sprouting go ahead and pot them up. Do not tear off any greenery. Best, ginny