Care of Dahlia Cuttings

Growing dahlias from Rooted Cuttings is different than growing dahlias from tubers.  Check out our Instagram @lyonparkdahlias for some helpful videos about care for your cuttings. Here are some benefits of growing dahlia cuttings:

• Blooms earlier than tubers
• No blind tubers
• No rotted tubers
• No waiting around wondering if it will sprout
  

Hardening off:

After receiving your dahlias, we recommend that you pot in a 3-4" container and place your cuttings outside a north or shaded location for 2-3 days.  This is called "hardening off" and helps the dahlia get used to a new environment after shipping.  Our greenhouses are humid and the cuttings are not acclimated to direct sunlight.  Keep the plugs watered, but not soggy.  After hardening you can plant directly in the ground after your last frost date or leave in pots until the threat of frost has passed.

Plant deep:

Tuber production starts now!  Remove at least two sets of lower leaves on the plug and plant those nodes (were those leaves attached to the stem) below the soil level.  Burying more nodes under ground will help your cuttings produce more tubers.  This single cutting produced 14 viable tubers because lots of nodes were planted below the soil.  This is the most effective way to get more tubers from your cuttings!

Sun:

Dahlias need 8+ hours of sunlight after hardening.  They will not thrive indoors without commercial grade grow lights.  Do not grow them in a windowsill.  Give them as much sun as possible. 

Fertilize:

We recommend fertilizing weekly with an all-purpose fertilizer (20-20-20) to help the plant reach its full potential, and to help stimulate tuber development.  Once established after 2 months, you can switch to a higher phosphorus and lower nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate tuber development and blooming.  Deadheading flowers before they are spent and disbudding will help the plant store up energy in the tubers for next season.