Dahlias

hampshirebabe

I popped into my local garden center for some strawberries and came home with a whole load of plants, one of which was a Happy Dahlia Date, it's beautiful, has dark foliage and bright yellow flowers. I'd like to have a load of them in my front border next year, this year would be nice, but I'm short of cash. I had Dahlias a few years ago and remember you have to dig them up every winter and store them, (I didn't and they all died), but when you dig them up you can split them for a load more.
So I'm wondering how much work is it to do that, and how many new plants might I get from the one I've just bought? How many would I be likely to need for a border thats about 5 meters long, I've got some bush fuschers at the front, but might move them somewhere else anyway.

oldtractor

Dahlias arnt frost resiliant so they will die in the winter. its a matter of lifting the tubers in the autumn and storing them somewhere cool and frost free eg a garage. let them dry and then store in sand. I think theres something they can be dusted with to prevent fungus groing but cant remember its name.
You take cuttings from shoots in the spring and root them to increase the plants. Its sometimes on Gardeners World about doing this.

amcluesent

IMHO, it's too late in the year to do anything more than collect seed, not sure they will come true anyway.

I find it's winter wet that rots the tubers as much as the damage from cold.

Yep, lift the plant after the 1st frost, cut off the foliage and store in damp sand over winter.

Start off next spring and take cuttings to multiple the number of plants.

hampshirebabe

Should I split the tubers before I store them over winter, would that give me a few more?

jojo2910

hampshirebabe wrote: »

Should I split the tubers before I store them over winter, would that give me a few more?

Don't split them. Keep them whole and make sure they are dry. Next year put them in a pot or tray with some compost and they will start growing shoots. These can be taken as basal cuttings and potted on. I did this last year and from 5 tubers took about 4 shoots from each and all but 1 took.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/creative-projects/how-to-take-dahlia-cuttings/104.html

cyclonebri1

I'll differ and say yes you can split at this stage, we used to do, plus we stored them dry but that was just my dads way;)

Farway

hampshirebabe if true to your name, there is generally no reason to dig up in Hampshire unless in winter waterlogged area [I am near Horndean], but as you only have one plant I would do as others suggest

You could try some soft cuttings now, bit pot luck but at least a backup