Try a fresh approach. Growing dahlias from cuttings (or plant starts) is an ideal way to start your stock. Cuttings are taken from good, strong tubers that have sprouted, or from already established plants. They are alive, rooted, and already growing when we send them to you.

Why plant cuttings?

• Cuttings give you a head-start on the growing season of a couple of weeks, bringing blooms sooner than ever
• Cuttings eliminate the worry that a tuber may not be viable: the weeks of waiting, waiting…
• They ensure your plant is healthy and strong from the start
• They will bloom as beautifully and prolifically as your old tubers did. They will also produce good tuber clumps in one season.
• Free yourself from the drudgery of tubers. Cuttings are a simple way to plant, especially for gardeners new to dahlias

Our Part

Our best tubers are planted in temperature controlled beds where they are nurtured and cultivated. We take the strongest shoots or branches from the plant and root them in a separate area where they are misted and fertilized at regular intervals. The cuttings you selected are then hardened off so they will enjoy their journey. Your order is packaged carefully, shipped USPS Priority Mail, and will arrive at your door 1-3 days from your selected shipping date.

What To Do When Your Dahlias Arrive

Your dahlia cuttings will arrive already growing in Oasis foam. After hardening them for 1-2 days outside, but out of direct sunlight, they are ready to be planted in your garden. If you cannot plant immediately, pot them up and give them sunshine and water until you can get them in the ground. Remember to keep the foam cubes watered while waiting to plant – they will dry out quickly and then bad things happen. Do not try to remove the plant from the foam as the roots have grown through it. Just plant the foam right in the ground where it will biodegrade with no harmful effects to its environment.

Dahlia cuttings should not be planted outside until there is no risk of frost.
Don’t forget to tag your dahlias with their names when you plant them. Knowing the correct name is necessary if you want to enter your blossoms in dahlia shows, and is helpful if you decide to save dahlia tubers for next year. Also, it is impressive if showing your flowers to anyone worth impressing.

Sunlight

Dahlias want full sun – a full 6 hours at the bare minimum. In fact, the more sunlight they get, the stronger and studier the plants will be. Even so, it’s a good idea to stake your dahlias to protect them from strong winds.

Water

Dahlias require plenty of water, especially during the first two weeks while the cuttings are getting established. After that, normal flower bed watering habits are most likely sufficient, except, perhaps, for the very hottest parts of summer. Parched plants often produce flowers that are weak or have faults. Common signs of under watering are limp leaves and the “green-eyed” dahlia blossom, where the petals in the center remain green and undeveloped.

Look for your first blossoms in mid-summer. Love them. Enjoy them. Share them.