A friend once bought a flat of impatiens and planted them the same day, the day before Mother's Day. They did survive the cold but never grew to be the big lush plants they should have been. Many people feel if plants are available at nurseries it means they can be put in the garden but one cold snap is all it takes to stunt their growth for the year.

Mary - when do you usually plant your dahlias? Our official last frost date is May 15th, but I usually don't plant tomatoes, or Dahlias until May 31st.

This year is especially warm, so I don't plan on waiting that long, but I'll wait at least until the 15th.

I have considered putting down black plastic on the dahlia beds to help them warm up faster.

Same here. Traditionally May 31 is the 'plant out' date. Sometimes I have pushed it a little, not due to any intelligent reason, more due to impatience to get them out of the garage or off the back porch. Much easier to care for.

I have some small tubers putting up tiny 1" plants. I am thinking I will plant those in a large pot and hope for an increased tuber for next year. I don't think they will have the energy to produce much of a flowering plant this year.

Hope you're in for a huge surprise, Mary.

I imagine a few will come up to scratch. Either way I need more tubers like 8 holes in my head. lol

I did spend two hours down in the basement. Some that I thought were going to show me an eye, showed me nothing. The ones I don't want are all thriving.
Others have many sprouts. They all now have some soil-less mix and a touch of water. Next I'll work on those I purchased in stores but that can wait for tomorrow.

"I have some small tubers putting up tiny 1" plants."

I have always been fascinated that small tubers can produce giant plants. My Ginger Willo Poms are usually large tubers, sometimes like Idaho potatoes, my AA Kelvin Floodlights are usually small tubers the size of my thumb, or less., But I suppose if you can grow from cuttings, then the size of the tuber doesn't really make a difference.

Cuttings aren't something I have done much of. I did a couple last year successfully, but this year, I have so many new tubers, that I don't have room for multiples, so I am not bothering.

I do have one tuber that has put out the tiniest (in diameter) sprout I have ever seen on a Dahlia, it will be interesting to see if it thickens up properly. Right now it is about the diameter of a piece of spaghetti.

Boy do I know what you mean. I have a lot of those tiny sprouts and you really have to wonder what they will become. I have had small tubers, yeah thumb size, that have produced huge plants. Go figure. Always a crap shoot but so interesting.

Tubers are all sprouting - some too much. I'll have to be more brave cutting them apart but have nothing to lose by trying.

Those look great. I am down to the last several pots with either no sprouts or tiny sprouts that may never really develop. Now is the race to get them outside before the garage explodes. I will prepare on raised bed today and move some vegies out there. I noted on my calendar that I planted the first raised beds May 2 last year. I think that was with seedlings not just seeds.

Good luck, Mary. Will the beds be covered? We're still having very chilly nights here and I'm not about to risk any dahlias to the garden yet.

I still have several waiting to show me some growth. I still have more than enough even if the hopefuls don't sprout. The dahlia garden will be quite full!

@pirl - so you don't divide your tubers until spring? I have always divided after digging in the fall, but then I also always end up with some that don't have eyes.

I finally tossed the last dozen tubers that hadn't shown an eye yet, they were all extras for give aways anyway, but at this point my grow room is bursting at the seams and there was no point in keeping anything I am not sure of.

About 2/3's of my dahlias are above the soil line now. Its warm enough that I am starting to put a few things out on my porch, but only things happy with cold weather - lilies and snapdragons so far.

I went out this morning and bought two more lamps - but after they are full, there is absolutely no place to hang anymore.

12 trays of Dahlias, 1 tray of cuttings (persian shield & angel wing begonia) and 28 trays of seedlings (annuals/vegetables/perennials), It takes a good hour every morning to check and water them now.

@mandolls - Sadly, I still have the fear of cutting off the wrong tubers so I don't divide until they sprout.

Finally planted the last package of dahlias to arrive but need an ID for one that was a freebie and I can't read the name on the tuber.

We have spare lights and spare tables galore, Geoff. My husband used to grow our own vegetables, the daylily seeds from my hybridization, all purchased seeds and he'd have around 3,000 plants growing downstairs. Fun to have but a major headache to harden them all off and get them all planted. This is just a small portion of what he had growing:

Thats impressive!

So were his backaches!

Getting all those seedlings planted in two weeks was even more impressive!

Shoot Arlene. You make my little garage greenhouse look wimpy. that's okay. I could not possibly handle one more plant. I took pictures but am just too tired to upload them. Tomorrow.

I lowered the lights and I'm already anxious to see how the sprouts will zoom to life.

Thanks, Mary, but your garage is mighty impressive. Sleep well.

I found you all! Mary and Arlene, you BOTH have pretty impressive setups for your Dahlias! Very neat. I will be out of room in my greenhouse, once the tomatoes and peppers are transplanted. The Dahlias are in the garage and have natural light from a window facing the South. My grandfather always said not to put anything out til the 20th of May or the frost will get it. So we live by his rules, for the most part. I will put out anything that is tough enough to take a frost. Petunias, Pansies, Snapdragons, Cabbage, various herbs. But the Dahlias will have to wait a few more weeks. Besides with all this rain we have had they probably would have rotted in the ground. I have lost a bunch of Iris to the same fate...too wet.

Hi Annette! Mid May works for me as well. I just don't like to take unnecessary risks. Seeing them rot would slay me.

Mine are happy in the basement and doing quite well.

End of May for us. And just to prove it we had a hard frost last night. I had hung out some things to dry on a rack (laundry day) last evening and one was stiff as a board frozen. Barely 32 this morning.

GTW, glad you found us. Didn't know we were lost.