Life of the Dahlia-Chapter 2-Time to come out of hibernation!

                                                                                                                      February 2025

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of the snow and cold! Although we really can’t do anything outside, we can come out hibernation and start preparing for the 2025 dahlia season.  With only 2 to 3 months from planting, there are several things the dahlia hobbyist can do to prepare. If you haven’t done so, design a layout for planting, keeping in mind plant height. If your wish list is still incomplete, there are still lots of tuber sales out there as well as tuber suppliers.  You can find links on our website kitsapdahlias.org!

As soon as winter warms little try to get outside and clean raised beds, retaining walls and fences before weeds and grasses get established. This will make the weeding easier come spring and eliminate some of the place’s insects have laid eggs.  It’s not to early to lay slug bait out to protect the new growth of your perennials. Sluggo-2 is now available at Costco for a good price! It’s also a good time to repair, replace and/or sharpen your favorite garden tools, sharpen pruners and scissors, and tune up the rototiller! Our long cold spell is also helping to kill some of the insect eggs as well. Hopefully the frozen ground didn’t freeze tubers left in the ground.  You won’t really know until the ground thaws and warms up. 

As we prepare for the new gardening season, we should also look at getting our body ready for all the physical tasks ahead of us.  If you have been laying around, drinking coffee, ordering tubers, and reading the latest greatest how to articles on growing dahlias, it’s time to get off your duff and exercise!  Walking is a good start.  I recently Googled “exercises for gardeners” and found all sorts of different programs to prepare for Spring.  Garden Therapy.ca offered these 5 simple stretches that address the legs, back and shoulders. Check out this link or look for other exercises.  https://gardentherapy.ca/5-simple-stretches-for-gardeners/

February is the time to wake up any of the dahlia tubers you may want to take cutting.  Taking a cutting is a common practice to increase the quantity of stock for dahlias that may not make lots of tubers, or with new, especially expensive tubers.  Successful cuttings can make a $20 to $30 new introduction more tolerable.  If you get 4 to 6 cuttings now the price is $4 to $5!  Tubers and pot tubers are planted in a good potting soil and grown in temperatures around 68⁰ to 70⁰ s with sufficient light. In my greenhouse I have some a heat mat that regulate the temperature ideal growing conditions.  You can also grow your tubers indoors using a grow light or bright window.  The grow light will prevent the new shoots from getting too leggy.

In about 3 weeks new shoot will be close to harvesting once the shoot has two sets of leaves.  With a sharp knife carefully cut about 1/8” from the tuber. Place the cutting in water over night to allow the cutting to become fully hydrated.  Dave and Leona Smith shared this tip and will improve cutting success rate survival!  Remove the first pair of leaves and place the cutting in quality potting soil.  I use a propagation mix that drains well and keeps tender young shoots moist. There are lots of other growing mediums such as “Rapid Pooter” or “Rockwool” cubes.  And some growers also use a rooting hormone powder, dipping the cutting in powder, then placing in the growing medium.

Sterilize your knife after taking each cutting with isopropyl alcohol or a bleach solution to prevent spread of virus.  In about 3 weeks you should notice the cutting with new growth.  This is a very abbreviated explanation.  If you purchased the new Dahlias-A monthly guide published by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association, Appendix A has excellent information on taking cuttings. 

This month’s KCDS meeting will feature our president, Paul Kusche will share PowerPoint presentations the great work completed from the Genome Project. It will be great to see everyone!