Dahlias are absolute showstoppers in the garden, but since they can’t handle the cold, we have to tuck them away for winter and replant them every spring. If you’re like me and can’t wait to see those stunning blooms, there’s a great little trick you can use: “pre-sprouting” or starting your dahlias early indoors.
Why You Should Start Your Dahlias Early
Waking your dahlias up a bit early comes with some pretty great perks:
- You’ll get flowers much earlier in the season, which means more time to enjoy them!
- It gives the plants a head start against hungry slugs (they love tender new sprouts).
- You can spot any dried-out tubers that aren’t going to grow and toss them before they take up space in the garden.
- It’s much easier to plant a tuber that already has visible shoots, especially when you’re trying to line them up with support stakes.
When to Get Started
The best time to start pre-sprouting your dahlias is late February or early March. This gives the tubers plenty of time to wake up in a cozy indoor spot. While the tubers still sitting in your dark cellar or garage are still dormant, your pre-sprouted ones will have a massive head start by the time they finally hit the soil outside.
How to Pre-Sprout Your Dahlia Tubers
Ready to get growing? Just follow these simple steps to give your dahlias a boost:
- Take your healthy tubers and give them a nice soak in a bucket of water overnight. This helps them rehydrate and plump back up after their long winter nap.
- Plant the tubers a few inches deep in a pot filled with potting soil and cover them up. Make sure your pot has good drainage—you want the soil damp, but not soggy, or the tubers might rot.
- Find a bright, warm spot for your pots. A wide windowsill is usually perfect. A greenhouse or a cold frame works great too. Just a heads-up: try to avoid direct, scorching south-facing sun, as it can be a bit too intense for those delicate new shoots.
- Once you see the first green sprouts poking through the soil, start watering them moderately.
- By late May (once the ground has warmed up), you can move your dahlias into your garden beds or decorative planters. This is also the perfect time to give them their first round of fertilizer.
Keep an Eye on the Frost
Since dahlias aren’t cold-hardy, timing is everything. This is especially true for pre-sprouted plants! Don’t move them outside until you are absolutely sure the threat of night frost has passed. Those tender green shoots will freeze in a heartbeat, and you don’t want all that hard work to go to waste.
