Digging and dividing 2023

Juliarugula · 2023-10-08T17:22:54+00:00

We haven’t had a frost yet, but could be any day in the next few weeks. We have some nights with lows predicted as 39 coming up in a few days. Additionally...

AndreaB

The fun has begun. We cut down about 200 plants today. It was sunny and low 60’s, so it was
the perfect opportunity to get going. I started on one of the beds I plan to plant tulips in, so that
was a big motivator. The dahlias seem tired this year. Usually we have buckets of blooms left, but we just had several quart jars that we filled. The house is very flowery. Too bad they aren’t scented.

Bessie

Anyone think it's a good idea to photograph tubers and/or clumps, and post pictures here? Lobaugh's Dahlias is the only website I've found that lists the tuber production for some of its tuber inventory. I think information on tuber size and production is not well documented.

Teddahlia

There is no definition of "good tubers". Is it good if it only makes 3-4 small tubers that never rot and always grow well? Is is it good if it makes huge tubers (Kenora Clyde and Bloomquist Candycorn), Wildwood Marie). All of these make large tubers that are problematical. Do you really want a variety that makes 10-12 or more large tubers in clumps that weigh a ton? I like varieties that make about 5 medium small tubers that keep well. Easy digging, easy dividing.

Bessie

Teddahlia that sounds good about what is a "good" tuber. Would some in this group be interested in taking the substantial extra effort to document what kind of tubers they are getting from a given variety? A photo of a clump ( with something to gauge the scale) could be very informative. Perhaps this information is captured somewhere besides the brains of a long time Dahlia grower?

Juliarugula

Bessie you were asking for tuber clump reviews. Sometimes I’ll take photos of ones that catch my interest for whatever reason. Here’s a couple.
Hollyhill Bewitched makes a generous but well-behaved clump. Nice thick necks that are well spaced out!

Hollyhill Peachy Keen is my biggest clump so far this year. Look at those sweet potato tubers! I don’t remember last year’s being quite so remarkable. I’m always surprised when plants that produce smaller flowers make giant tubers and plants with giant flowers make small tubers…

Krista

Juliarugula These are great looking clumps, I love seeing these photos. I didn’t realize how interested I am in seeing other people’s tuber clumps, thank you!

Great call, Bessie!

MissyWeitzel

I started digging Monday. I usually start before frost takes down my plants because I like having at least a little nice weather for some of the work. I'm at the point of the process where I'm kicking myself for growing 250 varieties this year. I only wash and divide same varieties together, so it takes longer, but I also rarely have a mislabeled dahlia, so I'm going to keep my crazy system in place. I'm going to cut quite a few after this season and then try my best not to order a bunch more. 😅

Cosey

MissyWeitzel I understand the undertaking! Every season I reduce the number of varieties I grow because it's such a hassle at digging and dividing. I still dig by variety, but now each variety has 100 or plants. 😏

I put up with seedlings because that's just part of the process.

Juliarugula

Found my missing clump of Born Sty! Yay!

Teddahlia

Still marking plants to dig or not to dig. Always find some we did not remember planting.

calico20hill

Teddahlia I've got mine marked but every day there are new blooms and I keep finding more I want to save. WIll this crazy season never end! Well, plant quality is certainly dropping off now and stems are weaker But still there are lovely surprises I keep finding. I think I am ALMOST ready to chocp them back.....or maybe chop some of them?

Teddahlia

Surprise today was Formby Art and it looked pretty good. A Hapet something had a partially open flower. A second year seedling that is a seedling of Black Beauty looks nearly identical to Black Beauty. I will pick one and take their picture together tomorrow.

NCDahlia

Nice clumps! I do like the ones that are spaced out if only all tubers were like that lol. Having grown many hollyhill varieties most are easy storing for me. I believe after vole damage I only have 30 hollyhills varitety with plants that voles didnt get so will look to replace a few that I got ate - such as Dungeness, Sir Paxton J, Donnatella, & Black cherry which were some I really liked.

Juliarugula

Here’s some more interesting ones.

Mingus Gregory makes the cutest little clumps ever. Last years were similarly adorable.

I find the clumps of the Rivers varieties pretty interesting. They tend to get this super woody looking bark like effect. (this is WB Strawberry Shortcake, but I’ve noticed it on a lot of Rivers and WB varieties).

This is Small World. I think the stem of the plant laid down on the ground at the base and then grew tubers all along the stem. Cool huh?

Krista

Juliarugula Mingus Gregory clumps are dreamy perfect! I’m looking forward to seeing my River’s & WB clumps to find out whether I get the same woody surfaces.

Juliarugula grew tubers all along the stem

Way cool - any chance eyes will have developed for the tubers grown up with stem?

SteveM

Krista Way cool - any chance eyes will have developed for the tubers grown up with stem?

It will be a nice clump with easily identifiable eyes and will be easy to wash/divide. My father used to increase tuber numbers of the rare varieties by bending a stem down so that it was in contact with the soil. Doing this, a clump will form at every node that is partially buried. The only drawback is the clumps can be difficult to find and keep track of unless you somehow mark where every node is buried.

Juliarugula

SteveM It will be a nice clump with easily identifiable eyes and will be easy to wash/divide.

It was, 100%.

Krista

For those of you growing hundreds and thousands of plants/varieties who store tubers in vermiculite - do you use the “shoe-box” sized, lidded plastic containers? I just ordered 2 cases and I’m already feeling unenthusiastic about owning so many little plastic boxes to clean and store and fiddle with. It’s hard to imagine folks with larger operations use these - what are the alternatives?

Teddahlia

I like the shoe boxes and the pictures of the shelves put together to hold them all. We grow many hundreds of varieties and seedlings and I have only about 10 of these shoe boxes that I use when drying divided tubers. I truly think they are about the best solution. However, we never have switched from the plastic tshirt bags to the nice organized boxes.

Krista

Teddahlia plastic tshirt bags

Filled with vermiculite too? I like the idea of reusing plastic bags. Sounds more cost effective. And with limited space, the less equipment to store and keep up with, the better.