planted 5 bulbs in our "big box" in the corner of the deck. the tubers already had 1/4 inch stems growing out of them! cant wait for them to come up.

Congrats! post pics when they bloom.

For sure!

Can you plant out so soon in Washington. I see you are an 8b? You must be on the dry side of the state? It was 27F here this morning. ugh.

What are the names of your dahlias?

Mary - we always plant them the first week of may. its the perfect time for western washignton. but we don't water them until the shoots are 3 inches tall. we let the natural moisture in the soil (as well as the rain) do it. we never have any problems.

Arlene - I have no clue! ha! we bought 5 of them at random and I don't remember what they were!

Good. I love surprises!

You're planting and watering exactly as the pro's advise to do.

I learned it years ago from Ciscoe Morris, Seattle master gardener and local TV/Radio personality. been doing it that way for years. works excellent!

Arlene, we are just about the same zone. Maybe I'm a tad warmer. I already planted about 25 tubers. Some already sprouted out of the ground. I'm waiting for 12 more from Swan Island. Just got an email they just shipped them - so might be arriving in a couple days.
Awaiting also for 6 tubers from River's. I have no idea when they're going to shipped them. I just ordered from them last week just barely made it in time. Paid through pay pal and got my invoice and receipt. Literally just an hour later went back to their site to 'browse' for more when I noticed everything was "Sold Out", when just hours before - so many were available.
Same thing happened with Vicky's Dahlias. A vendor I just discovered this year since Swan is sold-out of the varieties I needed and I was too late for Corralitos Garden. Found some in Vicky's Dahlias and then some. Ordered last week too - some hard to find varieties. Moments after I placed my order, they closed their site for the season. Phew! Lucky I was! Got my dahlias in 4 days time with a freebie and some of the healthiest tubers I've seen. So impressed with this vendor.
Well at least I got the varieties that I really wanted except for one which I'm really, really sad about. Nick Sr. That is my favorite. Couldn't get it anywhere anymore. Bummer! Maybe next season then.

Jason - it's also what I learned from the late radio guy, Ralph Snodsmith. It does work and yet impatient gardeners think watering helps...it doesn't and it leads to rot.

You were so fortunate, Alfred! Perfect timing!
I've ordered through Corralitos many times and have loved their plants and seeing them arrive with leaves! Those tiny tubers do develop into full sized tubers by fall.

I love River's Dahlias!

Sorry about Nick Sr. - did you try the Dahlia Locator? I tried to copy and paste a link but my computer isn't cooperating.

Here are the vendors they show for Nick Sr.:

NICK SENIOR Birch Bay Dahlias
NICK SR Big Dahlias
NICK SR Clack's Dahlias
NICK SR Find and Buy Dahlias
NICK SR Lobaugh's Dahlias
Nick Sr Mingus Dahlias
NICK SR. *Aztec Dahlias
NICK SR. *BJ'S Dahlias
NICK SR. Big Dahlias
NICK SR. Dahlias by Les & Viv
NICK SR. Dan's Dahlias
NICK SR. Eagle Dahlia Farm
NICK SR. Hollyhill Dahlias
NICK SR. Homestead Dahlias
Nick Sr. Linda's Dahlias
NICK SR. Red Hawk Dahlias
NICK SR. River's Dahlias
NICK SR. Swan Island Dahlias
NICK SR. Van Bourgondien
NICK SR. Verrone's Dahlias
NICK SR. Vikis Dahlias

Thanks Arlene! I've tried more than half on your list already before and everybody are all sold-out. I'll search for the rest later after work.

Well I did some quick searching and either everybody are sold-out or closed for the season.
So - anybody here has ordered from Van Bourgondien? I heard horror stories from this kind of retailers/wholesalers. I know they have pot tubers probably from Holland just like the big box stores and $15 for a clump of 5 is not that bad. But I'm just wondering about the tuber quality and if it's true to their name. Seems to be the only place to get Nick Sr. and they also have Ice Cubes, aka Café Au Lait. Already have one planted but might get more. Had them last year and they were gorgeous. Only got 3 blooms from them because the tubers I found (by accident) at Walmart last year were almost rotten and did not sprout until late in the season.
Off to work I go!

I copied your entire post to send it to my DG Dahlia Forum buddy. He does have experience with KVB and I hope he has time to respond here.

I hate to say it, especially in public, but I think this is the last year for dahlias for me. At least any more than ordering a few new ones each fall. Trying to keep them alive and healthy in a garage for two months is really too much. I think it is too hot and too dry in there. I have two fans going and have to carefully check each one to be sure they aren't drying out. I am more concerned about rot that drying. I guess I always feel this way about this time in the spring. And yet I always have enough to put on a great show all summer. Perhaps I will just try keeping clumps and not cutting them up. That will give me fewer to manage come spring. Arlene puts me to shame with all she does in her gardens what with heat and the required work. She is one to aspire to for sure.

Mary - today is not April Fool's Day!

Mine are thriving in the basement but I don't look forward to going up and down the stairs 30 times to bring them all upstairs and outside, and planted. It's always a lot of work to get the whole process done. This year I hope to have bountiful blooms again but hope I don't keep them all for next year. I'm happier with about 30 to 40, not 66.

It does become a full time job taking care of everything doesn't it? But come bloom time it really is worth it - don't throw in the towel Mary!

The dahlias don't take as much time for me as all of my seedings. Once they are potted up in their baggies, I only have to check them every 3-4 days for moisture. The rest of the seedlings I check twice a day.

I have begun moving a lot out to my screened in porch - not the dahlias yet, but its been warm enough that I think even they would be ok.

The kicker for me this year is I apparently brought in aphids on one (or more) of my potted plants last Fall, because yesterday I spotted aphids on lots of my dahlias, and eggplant!. I am going to have to give each plant a bath as I take them outdoors.

I guess that is what is the most discouraging. I plant seeds in six-paks (flowers and vegies) and they germinate and do well for a while then they start to fail. And it isn't damp off. Too much water, too little water?? I don't know. Some are easier to grow than others. Brocs, bok choy, some types of beans, but zukes, other types of beans, alyssum, even my marigolds have not done well. I swear I will not plant anything before April 15th. Including potting up dahlias.

Gardening can be discouraging. I was yearning to see six hydrangeas in bloom but I doubt it will happen this year since I had to remove most of each plant. They obviously didn't like the last two winters. One went from 5' tall down to less than 1' tall.

yep. I would imagine NY winters will do that. much to wet and cold to leave the bulbs out. its not too late to plant new ones if you have them. now is the perfect time here in washignton. I would imagine NY would be similar. give it a shot.

I'm sorry about your hydrangeas Arlene. I have never tried them here; just azaleas and rhody's. I think I moved my beautiful yellow azalea one too many times and I think it is dead. I will just dig it up and get another one. It was so beautiful and had the most wonderful fragrance before it got moved. It belonged to the Northern Lights series. Naturally.