Reproduction technology dahlia tubers

Propagation of dahlias by tubers is one of the most effective methods that experienced flower growers often resort to. It allows you to get beautiful and large inflorescences with bright shades. And in order for the result to please, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules and recommendations.

Choosing a tuber for growing a flower

Many are happy to buy cut dahlias and admire them in the house. These flowers are truly worth admiring.

There are more than 30 species of annual and perennial dahlias of various sizes, colors and varieties (about 15 thousand). The main advantage of this flower is the duration of its flowering. After all, dahlias continue to bloom uninterruptedly from July until the first autumn frosts, adorning the compound with its splendor and variegation.

Fans of garden flowers are often stopped by the fact that, according to their ideas, it is difficult to grow dahlias, since dahlia tuber cannot winter in the soil. And to store it in the winter is difficult and troublesome. And caring for flowers is too complicated. In general, dahlias are not flowers for the lazy.

Indeed, the storage of dahlia tubers requires certain conditions and knowledge. To grow a beautiful and healthy plant, the tuber of the flower must be dense (not soft, but also not dried, wrinkled).

And when is it better to buy material for planting? Do not do this in the fall or winter. Especially if you are just starting to breed these wonderful flowers.

Buying tubers is best left in late spring, when it is time to plant them in the ground. And if the time for planting has not yet come, then before that the dahlia tuber should be stored in a box with wet sand or peat.

It is also important that tubers or parts of them have eyes. If the eyes are not visible, then something is unlikely to grow from such tubers. And you can plant dahlias with tubers only after the earth is fully warmed to the full depth of the fertile layer. This is usually the end of May or even the beginning of June.

Procedure execution

One of the methods that allows you to qualitatively propagate dahlias, suggests the use of tubers. This method is not applicable in all cases. The signal that the tubers are ready for reproduction is the presence of kidney dahlias on the neck. After a certain time, they must be transformed into the so-called sprouts.

How to propagate the flower in question by the tuberous method in order to achieve a positive effect? Most professional flower growers focus on the timeliness of the procedure.

• Tubers are usually stored in special storage facilities until the end of March, where special conditions are created to prevent them from deteriorating. In early April, they are moved to a room where it is warm enough so that they can warm up.
• Tubers should be treated additionally only in those cases if their condition is unsatisfactory. It often happens that they become lethargic. This does not mean that such tubers are no longer suitable for propagation. The situation can be saved. Tubers must be placed in cool water for 11-12 hours. Then they are taken out of the water and left for 10-15 minutes to dry.

• Next is the landing of the prepared material. To do this, you will need special boxes. They are filled with earth and sand. Tubers are placed there and covered with earth. The neck of a dahlia, which has a root character, should not be sprinkled with earth. This part of the tuber must be open, otherwise the flower cannot be propagated by the considered method. To implement this stage as correctly as possible, you can see how experts do it.
• Boxes with planted tubers are placed in a greenhouse. If this condition cannot be ensured, then you can use an alternative option - a greenhouse. Caring for planted tubers involves ensuring the correct soil moisture level. The first watering is carried out immediately after their landing, it should not be plentiful.
• In the early days, experts recommend that you carefully monitor that the soil is not very wet. This parameter should fluctuate in moderate limits. After 3 days, the humidity level is increased, as the tubers are already moving to a new stage of development.

How to prepare dahlias for spring planting

Further actions

Dahlias can be propagated by tubers only when sprouts form on them. This indicator indicates that they are ready for the main stage. The tuber propagates by division. Novice gardeners can watch a special video to better understand how this event occurs. First you need to free the root neck from the ground.

But damaged tubers cannot be propagated, therefore, if necessary, an additional measure should be taken to remove rotten and other damaged parts. Mandatory action at this stage is to sprinkle the cut parts with special coal, which must be shut in advance.

The neck of dahlias allows reproduction only when the eyes are dispersed. In those cases when they accumulate close to each other, it is better not to use the tuber and wait until other sprouts appear on it.

The division is initially carried out by exfoliating those parts that are easily amenable to finger pressure on the side sections. The rest is cut with an ordinary knife, but the event is carried out neatly, which can be seen in the video. A prerequisite - on all received parts must be present germ.

The resulting material may last 2-3 weeks. So that it is not spoiled, it is covered with a thin layer of soil, which is a mixture of sand and earth. Watering in this case is not required. Planting prepared parts of dahlia tubers is carried out either immediately in open ground or in a pot. It all depends on what temperature is on the street. If the weather is quite warm, then the first option will be very suitable.

Before realizing the landing process itself, it is planned to conduct another additional event. It involves processing the root system. The roots are shortened. This procedure is carried out for the appearance of other tubers. They can also be divided in the process of development.

Often, many flower growers say that dahlia seed propagation is more effective, but experts do not completely agree with this. It is the use of tubers that makes it possible to obtain gorgeous flowers.

Dahlias: tuber division

Reproduction of dahlias with the use of tubers to an inexperienced grower may seem a difficult task. This will require some training, knowledge and skills. However, if you take the advice of specialists and gradually perform the necessary steps, then a beautiful bouquet will surely please.