QUESTION : How can I tell if my dahlia tubers are dead ? I ’ve had them sitting around a while and I am wondering if I can still plant them . They still look like a antecedent . – Willamette G
JENNIFER POINDEXTER AT horticulture CHANNEL reply : There are a few signs that your Dahlia pinnata genus Tuber may be dead . If your tuber have a spoiled smell , are soft , spongy , or have mold on them , chances are they ’re no longer viable .
Also , if you point out that your tuber are dried out and do n’t come out smooth and full , these are also signs they could be idle .
When in doubtfulness , you may always judge the pre - sprout method to see if your tuber are still alive . You do this by placing the tuber in a sealable sandwich udder .
bring nutritious land to the udder and spritz it with weewee . From there , leave the bag unseal and place it in a sunny locating .
Within a month to six weeks , you should see your tubers wake - up and form sprout . This is also a great way of obtain a saltation on the grow season .
If you ’re interested about your tubers remaining viable , it ’s important to sympathise how to properly store them .
Over the winter month , stash away your dahlia tuber in a position that ’s dry , cool , dark , and has equal flow of air .
It ’s important to store the tubers , so they are n’t heap on each other and there ’s way for strain to circulate all around them .
One suggestion is to wrap your dahlia tubers in peat moss or husk and place them in a vented crate . This should stop the skins of the Tuber from touching while allowing decent flow of air .
Take these Spanish pointer into consideration when stash away yourdahlia Tuber overwinter . Also , apply these tip when deciding whether or not your Dahlia pinnata Tuber are still viable after wintertime entrepot .
If they still look plump , have no odor , and have nothing growing on them , they should be fine . If your genus Tuber seem questionable , pre - sprouting is an excellent way to find out if they ’re viable while also jump - originate the growing operation .
Hopefully , these tips can help you enjoydahliasaround your home and garden each growing season .
Overwinter and Store Dahlia Tubers Checklist
commence guidebook after a kill frost occurs :
Learn More About Growing Dahlias
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dahlia/
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C576&title=dahlias
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2086/2014/05/dahlias1.pdf
