Dahlia Cuttings - 4 ESSENTIALS FOR SURVIVAL 

Thank you very much for your kind comment.

Wonderful, I hope it all works out well for you.

Thanks Tammie, nice of you to say so.

Thank you Mary.

Thank you so much Kaboogi

Thanks for your encouragement and for taking the time to comment Sharon, and good luck with your growing.

@@MoorfieldFarmFlowers just taken 9 cuttings today I have put them in a propagator under some lights so fingers crossed 🤞

Great! And it sounds like they are well looked after :)

Thanks Yesid.

Hi Beverlea. I use an indoor area with light and heat to get them started. Then later move them to usually a polytunnel to grow on. A greenhouse is ideal if heated. Hope yours are doing well !

Hi,, thanks for your question. Yes! Dahlias benefit from pinching out. Here is my video on this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oJV05YSsYKE.html You will not only get a bushier more pleasing plant, but more flowers, and healthier too, so pinching is part of standard Dahlia care. And Yes! you can root the tips - recut to just below a node, and plant up in a warm, humid environment. Good luck !!

Hi Derila, Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your questions. Vermiculite is a good mulch, we use it all the time. Regarding infected tubers. Rotten tubers usually implies the conditions were unsuitable, and various bacteria and mould could be in the rotten part. It's usual to simply cut away the part and use the remaining tuber in the normal way. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z8ftiLN83Os.html Transmission would be unlikely. Although some specific infections are more troublesome, for example Leafy Gall, which is a bacteria which IS transmissible - discard the tuber if suspected. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NW4uMZju5-0.html Viruses are big trouble and if there is suspicion the whole plant should be destroyed by burning or other non-composting method. They can be very specific and infect only one variety, or more widespread. Viruses are usually diagnosed on the adult plant and would be undetectable in tubers. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-djyLK_WBgBA.html Good luck with your dahlia journey!

@@MoorfieldFarmFlowers thank you very much for your comprehensive answer!

@@Derila1 Its a pleasure!

Hello Chris, Yes that is a very good question! Traditionally cuttings are placed around the edge of a pot, and there are explanations and myths around why this might be advantageous. The most attractive explanation to me is that a root will tend to branch when meeting the inner surface of the pot, leading to a more bushy root system. I know of no scientific investigations to confirm this. One disadvantage from my own experience is that leaves tend to rot if they touch the plastic bag when near the edge. And of course it involves disturbing the young cutting to plant it on. We take cuttings into individual pots because they do as well as we wish for, almost all cuttings take ok, and we are then well into growth before transplanting to a larger pot. I would be interested to hear of any scientific evidence either way. Great question and thank you for this Chris.

Great! Good luck with yours.