Dahlias are grown from tubers, which look like small potatoes. You can also grow dahlias from seed, but growing from tubers is the only way to replicate the mother plant and know the exact variety. Dahlia tubers can be big, small, fat or skinny - it doesn’t matter! As long as it has a growing “eye” it will sprout and produce a beautiful plant with ample flowers.

Over the course of a growing season, one dahlia tuber will multiply and grow anywhere from 3-10 more tubers! Tuber clumps can be divided and the individual tubers can then be replanted the following season.

In cold climates, dahlia tubers need to be dug up in the fall shortly after your first frost and stored in a basement or garage over the winter at about 40-50 degrees. If left outside they will freeze and rot over the winter. In warmer climates you can leave them in the ground and only dig them up when and if you want to divide them.

When you receive your order, make sure to open the box and inspect your tubers. Then store in a cool, dark location between 40-50 degrees until planting time (when ALL danger of frost has past). Do not store in a location where temps dip below freezing! In Burlington VT, zone 5b, we typically plant our tubers around May 20th. Check on them periodically (every 1-2 weeks) in storage to make sure they are not drying out (shriveling up). If they start to - don’t panic! They will still grow if slightly shriveled. If this happens, try wrapping them individually in plastic wrap to retain more moisture if you still have a few weeks to go before planting. Skinnier tubers are more prone to shriveling and may arrived already wrapped in plastic to better protect them. You can leave them in the plastic wrap until planting time.

If your tubers begin to “wake up” in storage, or arrive with a small sprout, this is no problem - even if an existing sprout breaks off before planting, it will grow a new one!

Plant your tubers horizontally in the ground, about 4-6 inches deep and about a foot apart from one another with their growing eye/sprout facing upwards. Dahlias prefer an area with full sun, at least 6 hours a day. There is no need to water them once planted until you see them sprout above ground. This can take 1-3 weeks (even up to a month sometimes). Keep them well-watered after that, and once they have 4 sets of true leaves, snip off the top of the plant to encourage branching (this is known as “pinching”). Slugs love young dahlia sprouts, so be sure to treat the area around them, (we love Sluggo), if you have them in your yard!

Cut your flowers often, (long stems, deep into the plant), to encourage more blooms throughout the season!

Prices are per one dahlia tuber. Tubers will ship in April. Shipping is a flat rate of $12 regardless of how many tubers are ordered, or free local pickup in Burlington, VT. We will email you a tracking number when your order ships, or coordinate a local pickup location. When your order arrives, make sure not to leave it outside overnight if temps dip below freezing! For further storage instructions, see General Info.

Tubers come in many different shapes and sizes, and this does not determine their viability. A smaller tuber will produce a plant just as strong as a tuber 3x its size. The tuber(s) you receive are guaranteed to have at least one viable growing “eye”. It can sometimes be very difficult to see the growing eye, and other times it is more obvious. If you have any questions or concerns about your tubers when you receive them, please be sure to contact us at schoblooms@gmail.com with a photo within 7 days of receiving your order. Beyond this we cannot be held responsible for any plant failures due to improper storage or growing practices.

In the event of a storage failure on our part between the time of purchase and delivery of your tubers we will contact you to determine if you would prefer a refund or an alternate variety.

Please be aware that plant viruses are very common in dahlias. A virus can show visible signs on the plant or tuber itself or it can show no symptoms at all. We follow strict sanitizing protocols and are relentless about sanitizing our tools between cutting our flowers/plants and dividing the tubers, but we are not able to guarantee that every tuber is virus free. Once again, if you have any concerns about your tubers when you receive them, please be sure to contact us within 7 days.

Our tubers have been inspected by the State of Vermont Agency of Agriculture. We are phytosanitary certified and a licensed nursery dealer.