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Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,102
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@AuntG 

 

Yeah, it's kind of interesting. On an episode of "Gardeners World" on Britbox they'd visited a dahlia grower who grew them for cut flowers. He'd start the plants from tubers then take cuttings and he insisted the cuttings produced, bigger and better flowers than the tubers. I was planning to take cuttings earlier in the season, but a case of shingles disrupted my plans.

 

I'd started the four dahlias inside early so they'd have some growth before being planted out. The weather around here finally cooperated so I planted them out, but the bigger plants were a tad fragile and two smallish stems broke off. Those stems are already rooting and it's been just a few days. We'll have to see how they grow and flower, but they're certainly rooting easily.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,295
Registered: ‎06-06-2011

@gardenmanFascinating information. Thank you. I just started with dahlias about 10 years ago. Bought an almost empty box of tubers from our local plant sale. They just looked like dried up roots, but for $2.00 ~ hey. Anyway, they have thrived and I've since decided that dahlias are the easiest plants to grow ~ ever. I'm in the Seattle area and don't dig my bulbs up in the fall. I leave them in. Occasionally, I dig them up to relocate some and simply enjoy. I believe I will have to try your cutting information. Heart

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea-Robert A. Heinlein
Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@gardenman wrote:

All four dahlia tubers were showing some signs of growth and are now potted up. We'll see what happens. I went ahead and started up my tuberous begonias I held over from last year also. I'll try taking a few cuttings of them to see if the cuttings perform better than the parent plant also. They're a totally different type of plant, but it might work. Who knows? There's only one way to find out.

 

I'll have to poke around the internet and see what I can find out about why cutting grown dahlias perform better. It seems illogical, but the guy from England was quite emphatic about it and the flowers he showed certainly looked better from the cutting grown plants. Maybe the cutting causes some sort of a growth hormone spurt that benefits the plant? It would probably have to be something hormonal since the plants are genetically identical. 


 

 

@gardenman   I have my begonias in pots all over the deck and stairs where they get morning sun and afternoon shade.  They stay in the pots year round, and all are now leafing out and beginning to gain height and width.  I have never fed them, after three years, but think I will to see if I get more blooms.