05/29/2026
I’m absolutely the crazy plant lady that talks to her plants like they are her pets! These dahlias went in the ground on 5/17 and about 40% have made their above ground debut. Everything was sprouted or eyed up at planting . I had some pop in under 3 days, others will be another week. Everyone in their own time!
I know it’s hard to be patient, but please don’t dig up your tubers to check on them - you’ll actually slow them down! My rule is 3 weeks - and even then, I just gently bush the soil to the side until I get to the crown. Often times you will find a sprout on the way down.
You may notice that the top of my soil looks really dry (it’s been an unusually dry spring here in the PNW). That top layer of soil isn’t any concern to sprouting tubers. What they care about is having moisture where they sit. So, before you pull out the hose thinking they need a drink, stick your finger down in that dirt 2 to 3 inches and see if there’s still moisture there. If there is, put the hose down! Until tubers have an established root system they can’t take water and you risk rotting your tubers.
How are your dahlias doing? I’m here if you have questions or need help!
