Sarah s Cut Dahlia Tuber Info and Planting Guide Instructions
- June 12, 2024
- Sarah s Cut
Table of Contents
Sarah s Cut Dahlia Tuber Info and Planting Guide
Product Information
The Dahlia Tuber is a plant product that is sold by the farm. The tubers are packed in vermiculite and plastic bags for shipping. The tubers come in various shapes and sizes, and wrinkling is normal. Some tubers may have a light dusting of mold, which can be cleaned off without impacting the tuber. The farm selects the best and healthiest tubers to sell, but some varieties may not produce the best-looking tubers. If customers are unsatisfied with their tubers, they can contact the farm within 2 days of receiving them to start the return process.
Every tuber has been handled and inspected multiple times before being shipped. Each tuber is guaranteed to have an eye(s) necessary for growing into a beautiful flower. The eyes may not be visible, as they can go dormant after being checked and waiting to be packaged and shipped. Some tubers may arrive with visible eyes or even start growing a shoot, while others may have less visible eyes.
If customers are not ready to plant the tubers immediately, they should store them in a cool, dark area until it’s time to plant. Alternatively, if they want to wake up the tubers earlier, they can place them in a pot with damp potting soil in a warm area.
When planting the tubers, it is recommended to wait until the frost date has passed and the soil temperature is at least 10 degrees Celsius. It is also advised not to plant the tubers if heavy rainfall is forecasted, as this may cause them to rot. The tubers should be planted in a well-draining spot with at least 6 hours of sun exposure. They can also be planted in pots, with one tuber per pot with a diameter of 12-18 inches. Potted tubers will require more watering.
When planting, the tubers should be buried 4-6 inches deep and laid horizontally with the eye facing up if visible. If the eye is not visible, there is no need to worry as the tuber will know where to grow. The tubers should be planted at least 12 inches apart. For small-scale growth, staking or using a tomato cage can be done to support the dahlias as they grow. It is important to label the variety of dahlias planted to know what to expect when they bloom and if they need to be dug up and stored at the end of the season.
Product Usage Instructions
- Unpack the tubers and inspect them immediately upon receiving.
- If unsatisfied with the tubers, contact the farm within 2 days to start the return process. The return can be initiated within 10 days of receiving the tubers.
- If not ready to plant yet, store the tubers in a cool, dark area until it’s time to plant.
- If wanting to wake up the tubers earlier, place them in a pot with damp (not sopping wet) potting soil in a warm area.
- Plant the tubers after the frost date has passed and when the soil temperature is at least 10 degrees Celsius.
- Choose a well-draining spot with at least 6 hours of sun exposure to plant the tubers. Alternatively, plant them in pots with one tuber per pot with a diameter of 12-18 inches.
- Bury the tubers 4-6 inches deep and lay them horizontally with the eye facing up if visible. If the eye is not visible, do not worry as the tuber will know where to grow.
- Plant the tubers at least 12 inches apart and consider using stakes or a tomato cage for support.
- Do not water the dahlias until the sprouts break through the soil.
- Label the variety of dahlias planted to keep track of their growth and potential storage at the end of the season.
Thank you for choosing to support my farm with your dahlia tuber purchase this year! Please take the time to read this important information regarding your purhcase.
Unpack your tubers and inspect them immediately
We pack them in vermiculite and plastic bags, but this might not work for longterm storage for you, depending on where you live. Tubers come in all shapes and sizes, wrinkling is normal, even a light dusting of mold can be normal and not impact the tuber if cleaned off and left out to dry. We select the best, healthiest tubers to sell to our customers, but some varieties don’t produce the best looking tubers.
Please contact us within 2 days of receiving your tubers if you are unsatisfied and would like to start the return process; you have up to 10 days after receiving them to return. If any tubers arrive rotten/moldy/mushy, this is not normal or acceptable, please let us know and we will make it right. Every single tuber has been handled and inspected multiple times before it arrives to you. Every tuber is shipped with a guaranteed eye(s), even if you cannot see the eye, the tuber/small clump has all the necessary parts (crown/neck/body) to grow into a beautiful flower. Remember: eyes are NOT the same as a sprout/shoot. Sometimes the eyes go dormant after we have checked them waiting to be packaged and shipped. Some tubers will arrive with very visible eyes and even start growing a shoot, others the eyes will be hard to even see.
If you are not ready to plant yet, store your tubers in a cool, dark area until it’s time to get them into the ground. If you want to get a head start and get them to wake up, but them in a pot with damp (not sopping wet) potting soil in a warm area and watch them start growing. They need a bit of water so they don’t dry out, but don’t overwater or they could rot.
When to plant:
In general, you have to wait until your frost date has passed and your soil is
at least 10 degrees C. I am in zone 3b and I always plant my tubers mid-April;
my ground is workable and warm enough and will insulate the tubers if it
happens to snow or get really cold again. It is not recommended to plant your
tubers if you have heavy rainfall in the forecast, or you risk them rotting.
Speaking of which: choose a well-draining spot to plant them with at least 6
hours of sun. You can add some amendments to your soil if you like, but I’ve
never had an issue growing dahlias in newly tilled soil either. You can also
plant in pots, 1 tuber per 12-18″ in diameter pot. Potted tubers will require
more watering.
How to plant
Plant your tubers 4-6″ deep and lay them down horizontally with the eye up if you can see it; if you can’t, don’t worry, they will know what to do and where to grow. Plant at least 12″ apart, and if growing on a small scale, you can stake or use a tomato cage to support your dahlias as they grow; place before you fill in your hole so you don’t pierce your tuber. You don’t need to water your dahlias until the sprouts break through the soil. Don’t forget to label the variety where you’ve planted so you know what to expect when they bloom and if you intend to dig them up and store them at the end of the growing season.
Care
Once they are growing well, dahlias need a LOT of water, especially during a heat wave. At least 1″ of water weekly, more if it’s hot. The leaves of your dahlia will start to curl/wilt if they’re thirsty. Once dahlias have 4-5 sets of leaves, pinch the centre shoot just above the set of leaves. It seems counterintuitive to cut a growing plant, but dahlias need to be pinched so they send more side growth and give you more flowers.
Pest control
You have to keep up on your weeding as your dahlias get established, or they’ll quickly take over. Once the dahlias are big enough, they shade out most weeds from growing. I do not have snail/slug issues in Alberta, but if you’re in a more wet climate prone to these pests, you can set out your traps as you’re planting. Please check out my website for more specific pest control issues.
Tips/things to note:
It can take up to 12 weeks for some dahlias to wake up and start growing. I do
my best to not sell/grow these because of our short growing season, but
sometimes I don’t know with new varieties. Even if dahlias don’t look ‘picture
perfect’ and have some bumps or wrinkles, they should still grow. Remember:
when growing anything, not every single seed, bulb, corm, root and tuber that
you plant will grow…it’s just not how gardening and growing things works. I
know it’s frustrating when something doesn’t grow, but I try to take these as
learning experiences to improve on for next year. There are pests, weather,
growing conditions…so many factors that can impact how things grow (or
don’t!), I experience at least 15% loss on my dahlia tubers every growing
season for a plethora of reasons.
Returns
As mentioned previously, you need to inform us via email only (no DMs on Instagram please) within 2 days of receiving your tubers if you would like to return them. You will need to pay for your own return shipping that is tracked and provide us with the tracking number. You need to ship them back in a ziplock bag with vermiculite within 10 days of receiving them so I can re-sell or plant them myself, once received, you will receive your refund issued on your original payment method. After the 10 day window has passed, your order is no longer eligible for a return.
FAQs
Scan for more info on my Dahlia FAQ page!
Sharing is caring! Please tag me when you open your package, when you’re planting your tubers, and/or when they’re blooming! Sharing on social media has one of the biggest impacts on a small business and is so very much appreciated!
Contact Us
- @sarahscutflowers
- www.sarahscutflowers.com.
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