You Want Me To Plant My Dahlias NOW???

You may want dahlias like these. Who wouldn’t? But if you read the first article on propagating, that might be too serious for you. After all, you can just go to the store, get a package of dahlia bulbs, and plop them in the ground in May. Or can you????

You can, if you are willing to wait till September for blooms. You can get a head start on the season by potting up the tubers now. Doing so can result in earlier blooms, therefore significantly more flowers!

Considering that a tuber will take about 10-20 days to sprout and maybe another 3-4 weeks to get 18 inches tall, you could get a jump on the season by potting the tuber NOW. It will have good development when you transplant it outside after May 15th (Chicago’s last official day of possible frost).

Another advantage of starting early is that some tubers just don’t perform. They may not sprout at all, or they may take 2 months before you see any green come out of them. Those slow growers and perpetual sleepers need to be weeded out. By starting the tubers early, you get to see “who are the contenders and who are the pretenders”.

So go on-line to a place like KVB Wholesale to drool a little, dream a little, and buy a big ‘un. Start with a reliable and impressive plant like this one, Kelvin Floodlight. Frank Campise says ‘You can’t kill Kelvin Floodlight with a lawnmower’. You’ll look like a pro.

You’ll need bright light – doesn’t have to be an official grow light at all. Pick up some potting mix. Wait for Kelvin to arrive. Come back here soon for planting instructions.