Hi folks,
This year, because it was such a rainy & cool spring here, I decided to start tubers inside in a 3" deep lasagna pan. Decided I like this because the 4" - 6" plants are fairly snail-proof when I plant them outside.
However, there are some tubers which seem slow to start this way (or maybe all ways) and they just don't seem to be growing roots in the pan. They are about 80% covered with peat moss kept slightly moist and all the problem ones do have a 1/4" or so sprout that is just sitting there. Are there some varieties that just don't like this method/peat moss? Should I try more peat moss so that they are totally covered? Now that it is warming up a bit, I have been keeping the pans outside in morning sun and there is a little improvement with some, but no improvement with others. What do you think? Never done container starting before.
Pat in Sacramento
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2?/min or less.
They could be rotting, but not because it's too moist in there- i keep it WAY on the dry side, sometimes bone dry and then only a few drops of water. (I see now that tubers don't need much moisture to start - the ones in the plastic bags in February didn't need any moisture.) I think I'll try sticking a couple of these slow starters in a regular size pot w/ peat & potting soil, covered more completely, and see what happens, outside.
Carolyn Schaffner
I know exactly what you mean!!
you said:
all the problem ones do have a 1/4" or so sprout that is just sitting there
***
The tuber is probably rotting in there. Someone told me that last year
when a coupla expensive tubers were resisting. and lo and behold! The
tuber was rotting, even tho' it looked ok from the surface. I do not
know if you can cut the sprout from the tuber and get it to root in some
sandy soil in a pot or not. I'd suggest allowing it to dry a bit in the
pot.
I couldn't save mine.
Carolyn Schaffner in Buffalo, NY
Should I try more peat moss so that they are totally covered?
I use a mix of equal parts garden soil, peat and vermiculite that is moist
but not wet. I cover the roots to the crown portion, cover with newspaper and
keep warm. Initially the roots do not need light to grow, but you do need to
check often (2 days) for growth that has started.
In the past I had purchased bagged soil of various types and mixed with peat
and vermiculite for starting roots, one year some bagged soil apparently had
something that stunted the growth and have resorted to our garden soil. I can
tolerate weed seed but not stunt. Yes, there are the soil-less mixes available
that would probably be free of problems but that gets expensive and I do know
what is in the garden soil.
Mac
Pat in Sacramento
I know exactly what you mean!!
you said:
all the problem ones do have a 1/4 or so sprout that is just sitting there
***
The tuber is probably rotting in there. Someone told me that last year
when a coupla expensive tubers were resisting. and lo and behold! The
tuber was rotting, even tho' it looked ok from the surface. I do not
know if you can cut the sprout from the tuber and get it to root in some
sandy soil in a pot or not. I'd suggest allowing it to dry a bit in the
pot.
I couldn't save mine.
Carolyn Schaffner in Buffalo, NY
Pat,
I don't use containers to start my roots. I put them in ziplock bags
covered with damp(ever so slightly damp as heat is more important)
peat/vermiculite mix with bag half sealed. A properly awake tuber will not only have a
actively growing sprout but will also have white hair roots on the tail end of
the tuber. This is much easier to see by shaking the soil around inside of
the bag than having to scratch around in a container. Also you can put many
bags in one box and slide the box under a bench out of the way. My two cents.
Buddy Dean
Hilltop Gardens, Inc.
Cashiers, NC
I take my tubers and pot them in a bunch in a big flat filled half way with=
potting soil. I put them at an angle end down, neck up. I lay them in ro=
ws side by side and water the tray to keep some moisture in the tray. When=
the sprouts grow I cut them off to root in another tray. WheWhen I see th=
at the cutting is growing I transplant it to a 4 inch pot. When the plant =
is well formed and the time is right I plant it out. When the tuber has pro=
duced a couple shoots I pull it out and plant it so it can grow the last sh=
oots normally. Tex
----- Original Message -----
From: deanbke@aol.com
To: dahlias@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: [dahlias] starting tubers inside in containers question
Pat,
I don't use containers to start my roots. I put them in ziplock bags=
covered with damp(ever so slightly damp as heat is more important) peat/ve=
rmiculite mix with bag half sealed. A properly awake tuber will not only h=
ave a actively growing sprout but will also have white hair roots on the ta=
il end of the tuber. This is much easier to see by shaking the soil around=
inside of the bag than having to scratch around in a container. Also you =
can put many bags in one box and slide the box under a bench out of the way=
. My two cents.
Buddy Dean
Hilltop Gardens, Inc.
Cashiers, NC
I have started additional plants from eyes knocked off (partly/wholly) in s=
hipment. (Yesterday in fact - I had a triple tuber in the shipment, but t=
he eye was knocked/cracked.... which led to immediate minor surgery..... to=
get the eye into a pot.) I normally divide mini-clumps like this any=
way in case there are more eyes to come... to increase the number of new on=
es in the current season. And there is every likelihood of more eyes/shoo=
ts to emerge from where the one eye was cracked off, and also from the othe=
r dormant tubers.
FYI, I have had the experience of an eye that slowed/stopped growing a/c ro=
t draining tuber energy .
Another approach that I have seen but not used is to leave the tubers in a =
warm lighted area until an eye appears.... w/o soil. And I have seen thi=
s done with potatoes, too. I prefer to pot up tubers when the eyes appear=
. I share the concern about too much moisture. When a root appears, it i=
s seeking moisture, it will continue to grow....... seeking more moisture/n=
utrient. Green cuttings will be very slow to develop roots if kept in too=
wet a medium.
OT: There is some snow still in the woods and very shaded areas of the gar=
den. Daphne bushes should bloom anytime.
Billy
William F. Matthews
65 Witch Hazel Road
Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, NL
Canada
A1M 3N3
----- Original Message -----
From: sbgseattle@aol.com
To: dahlias@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [dahlias] starting tubers inside in containers question
Yes, you can get the sprout to root. .......................
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
William:
Had I known about planting the eyes, I would not have thrown away some this past week.
Thanks for this information.
Wally Lowe
----- Original Message -----
From: William F. Matthews
To: dahlias@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 9:42 PM
Subject: [dahlias] starting tubers inside in containers question
I have started additional plants from eyes knocked off (partly/wholly) in shipment. (Yesterday in fact - I had a triple tuber in the shipment, but the eye was knocked/cracked.... which led to immediate minor surgery..... to get the eye into a pot.) I normally divide mini-clumps like this anyway in case there are more eyes to come... to increase the number of new ones in the current season. And there is every likelihood of more eyes/shoots to emerge from where the one eye was cracked off, and also from the other dormant tubers.
FYI, I have had the experience of an eye that slowed/stopped growing a/c rot draining tuber energy .
Another approach that I have seen but not used is to leave the tubers in a warm lighted area until an eye appears.... w/o soil. And I have seen this done with potatoes, too. I prefer to pot up tubers when the eyes appear. I share the concern about too much moisture. When a root appears, it is seeking moisture, it will continue to grow....... seeking more moisture/nutrient. Green cuttings will be very slow to develop roots if kept in too wet a medium.
OT: There is some snow still in the woods and very shaded areas of the garden. Daphne bushes should bloom anytime.
Billy
William F. Matthews
65 Witch Hazel Road
Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, NL
Canada
A1M 3N3
----- Original Message -----
From: sbgseattle@aol.com
To: dahlias@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [dahlias] starting tubers inside in containers question
Yes, you can get the sprout to root. .......................
