General Dahlia Chat - "Study" on amount of eyes

PegMc

This may be a silly question, not sure... Does the amount of eyes at time of planting possibly have a direct correlation to the amount of potential tuber production? I realize genetics, proper growth environment would be first considerations, but it makes me wonder if the eye amount, say 5 eyes vs 1 eye, again - at time of planting (aka earlier growth) may also be a contributing factor? Your thoughts?

Teddahlia

Multiple eyed tubers often grow with multiple stalks. Dahlia growers who allow multiple stalks to grow from a tuber have observed(if there's enough water and fertilizer) that multi stalk plants makes more tubers. However, larger flowered varieties will have fewer and smaller flowers. The tubers from the multi stalks will be smaller and division can be more difficult. Tuber traits are genetic and a poor making variety grown with multiple stalks will make only a few more tubers and they will be smaller. Most tubers that have multiple eyes have one dominant sprout that seems to suppress others from growing.

Honnat

As a general rule, I stick with one stock and eliminate the others. With multiple stalks, tuber clumps are a mess, the plants are over crowded and the flowers are smaller.

Teddahlia

Honnat Are you really sure about that? You seem wishy washy. Actually if you have time to give extra water and fertilizer and do not mind the huge mess of a clump, multiple stalks can work out especially for smaller flowered varieties.

Krista

Preemptively, I apologize for this question. But, is eliminating a stalk from a plant grown from a multi-eyed tuber going to cause a similar response as taking a cutting, in that it has the potential to signal to the tuber that it’s time to generate backup sprouts?

blown_dry

Krista I wonder this, too. Yet I'm assuming it does not. Maybe someone here will know why, like if the plant already has one or more mature stalks then the plant focuses new growth there instead, through some chemical mechanism.