Dahlia Tubers Started Indoor Show Signs Of Life - May 2025

A couple weeks ago, I potted up a number of stored and newly purchased Dahlia tubers in one-gallon nursery pots.  All of the stored tubers (Melina Fleur Dahlias) from last year were stored over-winter in Saran Wrap in the garage and a few of them were already showing some growth/sprouts of new growth off the tubers.  That lead to some of them moving fast to show new foliage - above the soil - with new shoots of life.  

See below for a few photos of the tubers growing new green growth.  

After these put on a couple sets of leaves, I'll move them out of the basement and into the screened porch.  There, they'll get A LOT more light and a tiny bit of wind (when I open the windows) and can continue their growing process.  Once they put on another set of leaves out there, I'll begin to harden them off by putting them outside for an ever-increasing amount of time.  

That means they'll be in the porch for 4-5 days, then begin to harden-off for another 4-5 days.  

By all accounts, we're past the last frost date in our Zone - 6a/5b.  

The current soil temp - according to Greencast is 58 degrees.  Dahlias want consistent above 50 degree soil temps, so we're getting close.  

These next few days are going to be important for dahlia growth.  They're in a new environment that I'm hoping speeds them up a little bit.    I'm hoping I'll be able to get them in the ground before the end of May.