Dahlia 2021 Season

[derekbrooks]

My tubers are in five boxes. Two are in the house, one on a propagator and one on a warming mat. One is on a propagator in the greenhouse and the other two are on warming benches in the greenhouse. More tubers are growing now and some have growths on almost ready for taking cuttings. However, none of the tubers on the warming benches are growing yet because they are not as warm as the propagators. So today I have swapped the boxes over. The two from the warming benches have come into the house and those that were there have gone onto the warming benches. I will keep doing this so that tubers in all the boxes will be growing.

[johnjess]

Hi derekbrooks,
I'm in the same boat regarding heat. I have heat from a heat mat and a heated propagator which holds two seed trays but I only have that until I start taking cuttings. I'm shuffling my trays of tubers round so that each gets a spell on heat.
I have a couple of pot tubers which have several eyes open after a couple of weeks but my field tubers aren't showing any life as yet. Plenty of time yet though.
I'm hoping this year to make a few more pot tubers as they take up so much less room and seem to wake up more easily than field tubers.

Johnjess

[derekbrooks]

Hi Johnjess
The boxes of tubers that weren't growing which I brought into the house have a few beginning to grow already.

[derekbrooks]

Took my first cuttings today, only twelve but , at least, it's a start.

[johndoe]

Feb 9, 2021 20:23:21 GMT derekbrooks said:

Took my first cuttings today, only twelve but , at least, it's a start.

You both need to get heat mats for Hotbox. Made to measure, easy to use and store when not needed. Fully thermostatically controlled.

You're an early starter Derek, are you going to use those cuttings for pot tubers after taking the tip off for a later cutting?

Finally got the tubers out of the winter bedding and trayed up and will set the temp at 10'c for a couple of days before turning up to 16'c once they've settled. I should start taking my pot tuber stock by the middle of March, then I'll look to be taking my exhibition stock from the middle to end of April.

Hope you both have a great year with your dahlias and keeping fingers crossed for some shows!!

[derekbrooks]

I don't normally grow pot tubers, Johndoe. They all get planted out.

[johndoe]

Always like to keep at least one of each variety just in case of virus, crown gall, or the plant doesn't make enough tuber. With plants and tubers getting more pricey to replace I like to err on the safe side.

[johnjess]

Your set-up looks great as always johndoe. Is each tray a different variety?

A Hotbox heat mat set-up would be my dream really but unfortunately space is a big issue for me. Maybe one day though.

I have a few field tubers with eyes opening up now which is always a relief! The tubers have survived!!

Johnjess

[johndoe]

Thanks JJ. I usually get two varieties in a tray of the exhibition stock, for the garden stock I'll cram in as many different varieties as I can. It also depends on the size of the tuber, but I do a lot of cutting bits of to help them fit. Once they've got through winter storage you can cut back excess tuber to save on space.

Glad to hear your tubers have survived, its always a great feeling when they all come through storage on good condition.    Hotbox are made to order so you can have any size to need, but not sure you really need one as you grow for the garden.

Will post some pictures when I have some shoots to show.

[johndoe]

Well it's just over 4 weeks since I switched on the heat, and things are coming along nicely. Took the first 120 cuttings yesterday just to thin out the tubers and allow more shoots to develop.
Hope all your dahlias are growing well

[derekbrooks]

I have almost taken enough cuttings now. Two boxes of tubers have been taken off the warming benches to make room for all the cuttings.

[johnjess]

Lots of eyes open now on by all of my tubers though at one point I thought my Mary's Jomanda was going to let me down but a few eyes have finally opened.
I've taken a few cuttings from the pot tubers I made last year as they fired much more quickly.
The field tubers seem to be growing much more slowly than normal, maybe I am just checking them too often!! They are in moist compost and as many as I can are on heat so maybe I'll just have to be patient.

Yours are looking great johndoe, how many cuttings will you end up with before you stop taking them?

Johnjess

[ladybird]

You have great patience johnjess and everything is so tidy and neat. i love the idea of the heated mat. I have a heated table with sand. I usually grow my dahlias from seeds.

[derekbrooks]

'
Rooted dahlias potted up today

[johndoe]

Mar 19, 2021 20:40:11 GMT johnjess said:

Lots of eyes open now on by all of my tubers though at one point I thought my Mary's Jomanda was going to let me down but a few eyes have finally opened.
I've taken a few cuttings from the pot tubers I made last year as they fired much more quickly.
The field tubers seem to be growing much more slowly than normal, maybe I am just checking them too often!! They are in moist compost and as many as I can are on heat so maybe I'll just have to be patient.

Yours are looking great johndoe, how many cuttings will you end up with before you stop taking them?

Johnjess

Hi JJ. Pot tubers always fire up quicker than field ones. They'll soon catch up and give you plenty more as the light levels get extended.

Yes, the tubers are really shooting well now, I'm watering them once a week now and they'll soon be finding the chicken pellets at the bottom of the trays. I'll start taking my exhibition cuttings at the end of the month, so I probably end up with about 1500 to 2000 cuttings I expect.

I'm hoping to go one better this year and win the National 12 giants at Wisley, and then hold on to my Northern National title at Harrogate as well.  Going to be very hard, especially as I expect a big entry at the National this year, so fingers crossed they'll get the go ahead.