Just want to share my experience this year. I had some dahlias with no visible eyes but tubers were firm. I started them in bags with moistened peat moss. Nothing sprouted . So I put them in soil with their heads sticking out. I was about giving up on them as it has been a month already. Then today, I saw Thomas Edison and Bodacious sprouting with 2 new shoots each.

Its crazy isn't it? Sometimes they take a week, and sometimes a couple of months. I have a couple that I am waiting on that sprouted , but then stopped developing. They have 1" sprouts and are just staying like that. I am not sure how to kick them into gear.

It is Geof! I would never have thought that they would grow. I have learned my lesson though - not to give up on them until they are rotted or declined. I was desperate for these to grow so I just chanced it. The tubers have proven that they are viable even with no eyes present.

Well, I wish I would have seen this Monday! I dug up 3 tubers to see what was going on. They were all firm and had nice little roots on them, but no growth. So, I threw them out! Oh well...live and learn!

So sorry Rose...One that I planted that did not make it usually just don't grow,...do not know what happened with them...and I did not try to dig and found out...

I dug one out because that I thought that it had rotted, or been eaten. But no, it was there. The problem is that I hacked it with the spade, and maybe finished it off. I stuck what was left in a pot to see what would happen. That was about a week ago. So far, it is still a no show. Patience is the key. My problem is that some of mine come up so fast and strong. I think that they are all the same. But no, this is not growing corn.

A few of mine have been reluctant to grow so I gave them much more water as they sat in a tray. Within three days the growth on Tartan was and the other two still aren't "anxious" to grow but getting the message. It plays havoc with making room to plant.


They'll all get planted tomorrow. Tartan met the soil two days ago.

Wow - thats a lot of water! I am always afraid to soak them like that for fear of rot - but maybe I'll try it for 24 hours and see if it will shock them into doing something. I usually completely bury my tubers in the potting mix, but maybe if just the "hind end" is saturated like that..........

I tried cutting most of the sprout off of one, to see if it would respond to that, but so far - nada.

I felt I had nothing to lose. I felt them today and they're still firm.

So sorry for the late post, Rose. They just all of a sudden decided to sprout! So strange. But Arlene maybe right. Perhaps that's what it took, a lot of water. We had thunderstorms and rain everyday for a week.

It's okay kousa! Next year I'll just buy from Geof. Every one of his are up and doing great!

@rose1656 thats good to hear. But you just can't always count on them. I kept a number of what I thought were "good" ones for myself that didn't work out. Luckily mostly they were doubles so at least I have one plant of them.

I have more buds on the dahlias, for this time of year, than I have ever had before. Mostly Orchids, Anemone and Poms, which are pretty much always the earliest since they are smaller, but even a couple of the BB's have buds. I know you are "supposed to" pinch off early buds on smallish plants, but I can't seem to make myself do it - I'll pinch them after they bloom.

Ditto. Seems to be human nature to want to see the first bloom. After that I have no problem with pinching.

My Thomas Edisons were pretty much the last to sprout for me. I have 4 and they all sprouted at about the same time. For a while I thought none had survived.

I agree with all the comments about taking one's time before throwing a tuber out. sometimes they just are slow. I find if I have split the tubers in the fall, and left just a little of the stem with the tuber, then they may take longer than if I leave the whole clump and wait till the lump sprouts. My Wine and roses are like that this year, so I planted them in my raised bed vegi garden until they have a few good leaves --then to be planted in the Dahlia garden. Every week or so i dig them up to check for tuber rot. If there is any, I cut it off, and replant the tuber.

Welcome to the Dahlia Forum, Donald.

The most unlikely of tubers can produce a great plant...and vice versa. These two hopeless looking tubers...

produced this magnificent bloom (and many more):

After I joined this forum I found out that I have a whole lot to learn about Dahlia, and realized now that I know a little bit more about it, growing Dahlia actually a lot harder than I thought...
Before I just planted them in the ground and most of the time they grow but sometimes nothing happened and I just accepted that as a goner..
Thank you all for teaching me about Dahlia, I will post some photos of my blooms soon...

This is my Thomas Edison that took 2 months to sprout.

At least he made it. Actually it took the human, Thomas Edison, much longer to create a light bulb.

So right!