Spring 2022 in Geoff and Heather's dahlia garden

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Thanks Geoff these videos are valuable!

[@manderson9479]

Well, I did it. Split several sprouting dahlia clumps as you advised. It wasn’t as straight forward as your example because my clumps were enormous. Thanks for giving me the confidence to do this.

[@manderson9479]

Thanks, your video answers a lot of questions regarding what to do with all my sprouting tubers. Looks like I’ll be dividing clumps all weekend.

[@peterrat100]

Thanks Geoff. It’s good to see you back again. It always impresses me how some tubers will shoot in days and others take weeks, even though they’re all dahlias. Your videos and your garden are an inspiration.

[@wendychandler8304]

I almost know this by heart, but it's different when the dried-up tubers arrive. I put mine in small pots, covered them. suddenly half have green shoots but unearthing them and pulling off new growth is alarming. I can't thank you enough for all your detailed work.

[@JP-zn9dw]

love your videos

[@evelynrosa3562]

Welcome back, Geoff!!! Its great to see you again your videos are so inspiring and informative. Just found this season's video - I didn't notice when it posted. Where's Heather? I hope she's doing well. Cannot wait for your garden tours! Take care and Bye for now. E!

[@karenbohlert2890]

Welcome back! I learn something in every video. Love your garden, keep us updated!

[@sarahr2498]

I always appreciate the information from your videos! Please keep them coming as the spring progresses👍🏻🪴🌸🌺

[@kevingallagher4673]

Great to see you back Geoff and Heather, Have some of my dahlias started here in Ireland and lots more to come ... since watching your videos have really got the dahlia bug, would be lost without them now ... Happy growing everyone ...

[@keerthiarun2703]

Wow.. thanks for posting.. pls do a monthly video for us this time too..

[@lizzymonahan1893]

Yes!!!!! I have been in withdrawal, I loved your videos from last year! 🌸🌸

[@mariecurie7840]

I'm so glad you came back this year. I love your videos. I recently potted my dahlias, and I've gotten a couple new varieties. Thank you for the videos!

[@ElderandOakFarm]

Glad most of your tubers survived!

[@fatwarrington4136]

Thanks for the video Geoff. Over the Easter weekend after watching the way you prep yoye tubers I'll be copying what you have done.

[@siolta70]

Thank you Heather and Geoff. Great video and very helpful in understanding how to cut tubers.

[@laurencepatmore4134]

Thank you. I did pot dahlias last year as a result of your videos. I've got about 15 new plants now. Fantastic.

[@keithhilton8869]

Hi Geoff, Great to see you back. Hope Heather is well. I have learnt so much from your video and they are never boring. The only problem is that being in Sydney Australia I got a wait another 6 months before spring. 🤣🤣. Look forward to the next video. Cheers

[@faithg9766]

Brilliant video, so glad you hardly lost anything over winter. Can't wait to see how things progress this year.

[@gurjithall2660]

Welcome back was wondering when I would see you guys back. Love the videos and taught me how to split my tubers.

[@michellepower7163]

Thank you Geoff very informative.

[@sandraharris6872]

Welcome back, so enjoy your vids. They have got me into more dahlias this year than I have room for, so I will have to grow mine in pots ! Have already taken cuttings of Creme de Cognac which have taken, and the ones I stored have sprouted as well. Hope to have a good display this year.

[@pattyfeehan2510]

Thank-you so much for all of these videos. This one is particularly helpful. I'm going to start dividing my tubers today, and I feel more confident after watching this!

[@susanheald3210]

Thanx guys great tuition as always 👍 like yourselves I only lost 1 in storage which was lucky as then when moving to waken them up the bum fell out of my box lol 😂 not too sure how I will do this year as I have put them out in my veg patch to grow on as they didn’t seem to be doing much in the garage but I am really impatient So two have sprouted up,to now and I’m just leaving them to it as they were stressing me out keep checking them. So I had a word and said well guys you are on your own now go do your thing haha 😂 Catch you later x

[@anthonyburke473]

Very excited to have watched this years video so far. Your methods are by far superior with the right mix of letting the tuber do its own thing and giving them some additional help when needed. I have adopted a lot of your methods. This will be my second year growing. I have probably tripled the amount of dahlias that I will plant this year :) Unfortunately for my location in Canada, I have a unique growing season cutting me short of 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing how long the flowering stage lasts for my dahlias, having started them using your methods. Thanks for all the great gardening advice.

[@duchessofdahlias8085]

Thanks Geoff. You’ve inspired me to keep my tubers down to one stem this season. Also, I split my tubers in the fall last season. I think I’ll try to overwinter mine similarly to the way you store yours this time around. Last winter I stored my tubers in a climate controlled cooler and I lost so many to mold. In retrospect, I think they’d have been much happier hibernating in some compost.

[@adrianafloroaie7233]

Great job. My plants are in the ground, quite a warm winter. This year I have about 150 tubers.

[@keithbrown6990]

Yeah super video thanks 🤩

[@Adamace1972]

Glad to see your videos back as you inspired me to have a go at dahlias, I've grown from seed as it's my first time and I have really good germination, I've since potted on into pots, over 90 of them, but they are still very small some no more than 2 inches, is this normal for this time of year, as I was thinking they would be much bigger as they where sown in January, and I thought they go outside end of May time, hope you can help, and thanks for putting new videos on,

[@Dahliaholic]

Hi Adam. I’ve only just sown my own dahlia seeds, so yours are taller than mine! I’m guessing that a spell of sunny weather will bring them on. Most dahlias only start to grow fast around late June.

[@Adamace1972]

@@Dahliaholic many thanks for your reply and putting my mind at rest,

[@HappyDaysNI]

Thanks Geoff & Heather. I got lazy over winter and left all my dahlias in the ground, just to see what would happen. I live by the coast so not really that cold over winter. Worst temp this year was just under freezing, but there are shoots popping up already. Keep up the good work. By the way, could you not treat the extra shoots as cuttings?

[@ruthdevine3037]

I have watched your fantastic 2021 dahlia diaries videos countless times over winter. Your step by step instruction is easy to follow and your garden is simply stunning. Thank you for sharing with us. I'd love a trip over the Pennines to see it if you are opening it for charity again this year. Missed your partner in crime this video. Hope you didn't store Heather at the bottom of that box over winter too? She did say if she ever went missing..... !

[@shelmishb]

I love your videos and I'm really looking forward to watching the garden grow again this year and I wouldnt mind you going into the same amount of detail at all!! Will you be opening the garden for charity again this year?

[@Dahliaholic]

Thanks Mish. No, we are having a year off opening this summer.

[@shelmishb]

@@Dahliaholic well you definitely deserve a break!! I only just discovered you and your amazing garden, Im only over near Blackpool and I was thinking I might come and see it in person!! never mind. maybe next year :)

[@marilynsmith8054]

Hi Geoff My new dahlias are in the ground now and last year’s are up. When do I start feeding and what with? What do you use?

[@Dahliaholic]

Hi Marilyn. I don’t use any artificial fertiliser, only rotted compost. However the top growers use high nitrogen feed (eg lawn feed) in the early season to encourage growth, then high potash feeds when the plants are in bloom.

[@marilynsmith8054]

Like you I use garden compost. Black gold I call it. I spread a thick mulch in March and let the worms do the rest. I’m getting on a bit (76) so walking watering cans with feed to the end of the garden would be a chore. In Autumn I put a thick mulch on the ones left in the ground and by May that mulch was nearly level with the ground. I wish I’d had the dahlia bug when I was young.

[@triciat342]

Hi....lovely to see you in 22 .please can I ask about tools...you used I think u said ". Favourite bonsai scissors" for dividing tubers ? Do you use a particular brand or size ? Thankyou...up in North East England and new to dahlias .👍❤️

[@Dahliaholic]

Hi Tricia. The scissors I use are made by Zenport.

[@triciat342]

@@Dahliaholic thankyou ! 🌺

[@dougiedoug7236]

Great videos Geoff, something I wasn't sure from your previous videos, do you harden your dahlias off before planting outside? I did it last year as I start mine on window cills inside as I don't have a greenhouse. Would save a tedious chore If not. I live nor far from Stockport so I expect i would have similar weather to you. Keep up the good work thanks. James

[@Dahliaholic]

Hi Dougie. No I don’t harden them off, I wait until frosts are finished then plant them straight outside. By that time they are quite tall and would be blown over if left outside in their pots to harden.

[@ajl8615]

Did you divide the tubers clumps? They don't look divided so they're from original clumps that dug up after the blooms?

[@Rick2367]

I'm a first time dahlia grower. I potted up the tubers I purchased 3 or 4 weeks ago. Most now have shoots growing. Should I plant them out since we are now past our last frost? (Zone 7b USA)

[@Dahliaholic]

It’s probably ok to plant out, but I prefer to let mine grow quite big so they are better able to withstand a slug attack.

[@manderson9479]

By the way… once you have a sprout growing from a single potted tuber. Do you take the growing tip out once they have grown several leaves?

[@Dahliaholic]

Yes, I take out the growth point once the plant has three sets of leaves, to make it bush out.

[@marilynsmith8054]

Geoff I live in the south east and leave my dahlias in the ground with a thick mulch over Winter. How many years can I do this for?

[@Dahliaholic]

Hi Marilyn. In theory you could leave them in for ever, so long as they don’t get waterlogged or frozen. BUT they will gradually get weaker unless you occasionally dig them up in early spring and divide them up.

[@stevieb6173]

hi geoff , I've bought some dahlias from a garden centre in bags , how do i get them started ie compost warmth etc ????

[@Dahliaholic]

hi Stevie. Treat garden centre tubers the same as I treat the ones I’ve stored over winter, ie pot them up in ordinary potting compost.

[@anandchand9100]

What's the pot size for the pot tubers? 1L?

[@Dahliaholic]

The pots are about 4 inches wide

[@conraddouglas-smith7078]

When are you opening again this year 2022?

[@Dahliaholic]

We aren’t opening this year, we are taking a rest!

[@adrielecassianorodriguesca3]

Dálias