Dahlia Cuttings!
My absolute favorite flower, hands down, are dahlias. They come in so many different shapes, colors, heights… it’s incredible how one type of flower can have so many different varieties.
However, sourcing different varieties can be expensive and time consuming. There is such a thing as dahlia mania, and we’re right in the thick of it now with dahlia sales. Certain varieties can be upwards of $30 for ONE tuber - and they sell out within seconds!
So what’s a flower farmer that loves dahlias to do? Take cuttings!
Taking cuttings from dahlia tubers is a cost effective way to increase stock. Dahlia tubers have to be dug up in our zone (4b) so that they don’t freeze, defrost, and rot in our soil over the winter and early spring. These flowers are heat lovers, and hit their stride for us beginning mid-July.
One of the (many) great things about dahlia tubers is that they multiply over the growing season - on average, one dahlia tuber planted after the last frost will turn into 3-10 individual tubers (connected as a clump) when dug up after the first frost in the fall. Those clumps are then divided into individual tubers that can then be planted the following spring to multiply again!
I start “waking up” my dahlia tubers in early January. Yes, this might be a bit early - however, my storage for dahlia tubers isn’t the best and waking them up means I can hopefully save them from rot. I wake them up by putting them in soil in pots with the neck of the tuber exposed, in a 60-70 degree room with grow lights. This allows the eyes on the tuber to start sending up sprouts - which means, it’s cutting time!
This week I’ve been able to take my first round of cuttings, and thought I would share my process here with you all! So, here we go!
The first step is to get all of my supplies in order. I use a 12 cell tray, filled with Pro Mix soil. I bottom water the tray by filling it up a third of the way, so that the soil absorbs the water from the bottom up.
I make sure I have a humidity dome that fits my tray, as well as a sharpie for labeling.
I use a rooting hormone gel (Clonex, from Amazon) to dip my cuttings in to help the rooting process.
An X-Acto knife allows me to cut close to the tuber eye without damaging the tuber itself, in order to remove the shoot.
Finally, I have my “woken up” tuber with the sprout still attached.
You can see my tuber has a sprout that has a few small levels of leaves. I cut my sprout off right where it is attached to the tuber.
Once I’ve removed the sprout, I remove the lower level of leaves. That removal area is where I want the roots to develop, so I then dip it into the rooting hormone.
After dipping the cutting in the rooting hormone, I immediately place it in my tray. Prior to taking the cutting, I used the bottom of the X-Acto knife to make a hole in which to place the cutting. This ensures the rooting hormone isn’t wiped off when the cutting is placed in the soil. I then gently pat the soil around the cutting to help keep it in place.
I was able to take 9 cuttings this first round, which is great! They’re different sizes, and we’ll see how they stick. Each one that roots and survives to planting will then develop tubers, and hopefully create another 3-10 plants for the 2024 season!
Once everything is labeled and tucked into the tray, the final step is to spray and place the humidity dome on. I do not have them on a turned on heat mat at this point, as the room they are in has been in the low 70’s due to the grow lights. They are, however, under turned on grow lights.
I will be checking them next week to see how the rooting process is going - these trays are clear, so I don’t have to disrupt the cuttings much to check!
There’s my process! If you have questions or comments, leave them below!
In 2021, we planted around 40 dahlia plants. In 2022, the number increased to 250.
This year, I’ll be aiming to plant around 1200 dahlia plants (including cuttings). This is an awesome way to increase stock, especially with those harder to find varieties.
Here’s a list of varieties we’ll be growing this season:
20th Ave & Baker Road
20th Ave Gwen
20th Ave Ingrid
AC White Rabbit
Ala Mode
Amber Queen
American Dawn
Appleblossom
Arabian Night
Barbarry Banker
Bargaly Blush
Beatrice
BJ Dusty Rose
Blizzard
Bloomquist Mojo
Bloomquist Richard
Bloomquist Tory P
Blyton Softer Gleam
Bracken Palomino
Bracken Rose
Bracken Sarah
Bradley Aaron
Bride to Be
Bristol Fleck
Brown Sugar
Cafe Au Lait
Caitlin's Joy
Camano Zoe
Caramel Antique
Castle Drive
Center Court
Chewy
Chilsons Pride
Chimacum del Blooma
Chimacum Troy
Clearview Peachy
Colorado Classic
Coralie
Corn Bride
Cornel
Cornel Bronze
Coseytown Dexter
Coseytown Gale
Coseytown Lion's Mane
Creamy
Crichton Honey
Daisy Duke
Darcy
Diva
Downham Royal
Fawn
Ferncliff Copper
Ferncliff Rusty
Finn
Fluffles
Formby Alpine
Foxy Lady
Gingeroo
Gitts Attention
Golden Scepter
Hamari Rose
Hamilton Lillian
Hapet Champagne
Hillcrest Amour
Hillcrest Suffision
Hollyhill Golden Boy
Hollyhill Pollyanna
Hy Suntan
Irish Glow
Irish Imp
Irish Ruffles
Isabel
Jomanda
Jowey Winnie
KA's Bella Luna
KA's Keltie Rose
KA's Mocha Katie
Karma Prospero
Karma Serena
Kelgai Ann
Kelsey Annie Joy
Kelsey Aria
Koko Puff
L'Ancresse
Lakeview Premier
Larks Ebbe
Linda's Baby
Maarn
Mak's Georgia
Marionberry Milkshake
Megan Dean
Mini CAL
Miss Amara
MM Buttercream
Mystique
Narrows Ryder
Night Silence
Obsidian
Orange Globe
Orsett Beauty
Picasso
Pink Pearl
Platinum Blonde
Polka
Punkin Spice
Rebecca Lynn
Rivers Laura
Robann Royal
Rock Run Ashley
Rose Toscano
Ryecroft Bella
Salish Twilight Girl
Sea Electra
Sebastian
Sefton Silvertop
Sidehill Trishie
Skipley Lois Jean
Skipley Moonglow
Skipley Road Jan
Skipley Spot of Gold
Snoho Doris
Snoho Jojo
Sonic Bloom
Southern Belle
Sugar Daddy
Sugartown Sunrise
Summer Rain
Sweet Fabienne
Sweet Nathalie
Sweet Suzanne
Sylvia Craig Hunter
Tahoma April
Tahoma Kellie
Tahoma Stellar Feller
Take Off
Teddy
Terracotta
Tyrell
Valley Tawny
Voodoo
White Nettie
Wine and Roses
Wine Eyed Jill
Wyns Moonlight Sonata
Wyoming Frost
