Basal growth on Dahlias in the hot house
A couple of weeks ago we started pulling select Dahlias out of the cellar and putting them in the hot house to force growth for cuttings. With the recent wave of warm weather, we have already had significant basal growth, allowing us to take quite a few cuttings. These cuttings are important because overtime Dahlia tubers may dry out or rot or be eaten or simply tire out. It's important, therefore, to increase inventory by propagating.
Our beautifully constructed potting bench
This week we have been taking select Cannas and additional Dahlias out of the Cellar and potting them up. These plants are being divided and potted into different sized pots, depending on the tuber size or the required number of plants for both the garden and the nursery. After they're potted up they're placed under glass in a cold frame, where they will begin to put on growth but still have necessary protection. We won't be needing the plants for a while yet, but by getting this done now, we'll have stronger plants when the time comes for planting. Also, by doing it now, we get it out of the way and give ourselves time for other important projects around the garden, such as weeding, staking, and sorting the next phase of seedlings in the nursery.
