Taking Dahlia Cuttings

blown_dry · 2023-02-04T23:34:14+00:00

Continuing from https://cubits.org/Dahlias/thread/view/92091/#end_of_thread

Flowernut

KitCMC I grew cuttings in the oasis foam quite a few years ago. I would remove as much of the foam as possible once the cuttings rooted and then pot up in 4" pots to continue growing before planting out.

bloomhjelm

I've been thinking about the rooting cube persistence problem. Could you score the cubes with a scalpel or something prior to inserting the cutting to make them easier to pick apart, or something? Or would it not matter because roots will be roots? 🙁

Arobin673

I'm subleasing a commercial sized greenhouse right now, I don't have any heat on yet, and temperatures inside the greenhouse are around 75 during the day, and 40 at night. (30s-50s outside) I'm worried that's too much of a fluctuation for cuttings. Does anyone have any experience or advice on what the temperature range should be? Right now I'm rooting cuttings in my basement, but hope to move everything to the greenhouse soon.

Bessie

Arobin673 the first thing I thought of is introducing bottom heat, such as a heating mat. Several years ago I used a big massage table heating blanket/pad with heating controls under my plants growing in the garage under lights. The blanket covered a large area and worked well for bottom heat growing my vegetable and flower seedlings (in similar temperatures as you have in the greenhouse). I think cuttings benefit from bottom heat. There are sophisticated heat mat solutions available, I think.

drewtheflorist

When using bottom heat, a thermostat is a must, or you risk cooking the cuttings. A covering of somekind - a "greenhouse within a greenhouse" might help with moderating the temperature shift.

ksc

Root the cuttings in the basement, then grow them along with the mother plants in the greenhouse. hopefully you can turn on the heat if needed (freezing temps).

MissyWeitzel

Yes, please make sure you have a thermostat with your heating mat! A friend of mine fried an entire tray of tubers last season by making that mistake.

MIDahlias

Do you use a scalpel or exacto knife for leaf cuttings? If you use a scalpel, what size?

Teddahlia

Heat mats can easily kill dahlias. Be really careful if you use them and I have a $130.00 one with a thermostat that I will not use on cuttings. Too risky.

Teddahlia

There was a 20+ posting thread on Facebook about scalpels and using fingers instead. Fingers win the battle. I use scalpel for first one and fingers for the rest. Scalpels are sold on Amazon : MedHelp Disposable Scalpel 10, Pack of 20 Disposable Dermaplaning Blades with Plastic Handle, Scalpel Blades #10, High Carbon Steel Dermablade Blades. Individually Wrapped ● Box of 20 $12.90
But there are even cheaper ones. Stainless steel may be better.

Juliarugula

Teddahlia I use scalpel for first one and fingers for the rest.

Just curious - is there a reason to pick a scalpel over a utility knife?

I use one of those breakaway utility knives and just discard the break-awayed piece after every cut instead of sanitizing. I guess it’s a bit wasteful, but it’s a pretty tiny piece of metal and super cheap. (Plus, I only do around fifty cuttings a year, so I’m still working on my first box of blades)

MIDahlias

Teddahlia thank you. The 30pk is on sale for $9.95 (if anyone is interested).... i purchased and delivery is tomorrow.

JessieC

Juliarugula
That’s what I use. I think an exacto might be a bit more precise, but I like the convenience of the retractable blade. When I was in architecture school, we used a lot of #11 blades for model building, and there were always stories of gruesome trips to the ER resulting from stray blades and overexhausted students 🫣
The smaller Olfa type knife seems safer to me.

Teddahlia

"...breakaway utility knives and just discard the break-awayed piece." This site spawns excellent ideas. Scalpels are cheap and easy to use and I have been known to use my Zenport bonsai scissors when I was in a hurry. Yes, my Felco hand loppers are bitt too big.
random picture from September

Teddahlia

"When cutting flowers, sanitize tools with disinfectant wipes or 70% ethanol before and in between uses to prevent mechanical transmission of DMV"

Juliarugula

JessieC When I was in architecture school,

raising hand Umm, that would be me (the architecture student who cut the tip of her finger off with an exacto). Funny. What architecture school? I was at Rice.

JessieC

Juliarugula LOL that’s too funny. I was at UVA. Never made it to the ER with a blade injury, but I remember how many #11 blades we’d store in big jars after they were spent. Just looking at a fresh pack of them brings me back to the long days (and nights) in the studio.

MIDahlias

I did start a few leaf cuttings in pots last summer and did get some small clumps. I started some leaf cuttings last month for fun and cut them up today to start six more. Look at how cute this tiny tuber clump is. I'm
in love with how cute it is.

Juliarugula

MIDahlias that’s darling!

DarcyD

MIDahlias Ha. I had like twenty of these little mini clumps. I grew them out this past year after not getting a bunch of cuttings planted the previous year. They grew into some healthy plants and tuber clumps.

blown_dry

MIDahlias That's adorable! It's so perfect at scale; it reminds me of doll house furnishings.

MIDahlias

DarcyD Besides being very cute. I'm sow thrilled. I have purchased cuttings online and at auctions that gave me no tubers. I didn't have cuttings in my 2023 garden except for my experiments. This honestly gives me the same feels as puppy breath or a new born baby.

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