Taking Dahlia Cuttings

blown_dry · 2023-02-04T23:34:14+00:00

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

Teddahlia

"I assume that some varieties are more susceptible to rot than others." The same varieties that have a propensity to rot in storage may well have a higher incidence of rot when taking cuttings. I take lots of cuttings every year and have my sanitizing protocol that is chlorine household bleach to sanitize the pots an flats used for propagation. The ancient garbage can I used to soak the material sprung a leak and I substituted a smaller container and then got lazy and did not add the bleach for the last batches. Water is not good enough. I lost 14% of a batch to "black leg" as the Brits call it. Generally, besides being varieties that rot in storage the smaller cuttings were the victims. I have noticed there is an ideal size for cuttings as judged by rooting quickly and well. 4 to 8 inches is my ideal. I take lots of 2-3 inch cuttings as I am impatient and they do root but more slowly and with a higher failure rate. They were the ones that rotted in that batch.
By the way, my overall average for success is about 95-96% and losses are generally the smaller cuttings and white cuttings and seldom the 4-6 inch cuttings. I take a few leaf cuttings but they take way too long to mature.And I do not use any rooting chemicals.

LoveLanguageDahlias

Teddahlia Thank you, Ted, for so much helpful information!! I'm also experimenting with some white cuttings, more light green, really...I'll see how they do, but I got some late season sale tubers and many had sprouts too nice to compost.
Cuttings taken 4/10...

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