Dahlia Tubers in North York

(Question)

Hello, I have an extensive collection of dahlia tubers that I direct plant into the garden each May. The unseasonably warm weather has warmed the soil much earlier than other years. Could I plant my dahlia tubers into the garden now or should I wait a few more weeks.
What would be the ideal night time temperature to start planting. Thank you.

(Answer)

Thank you for your question to Toronto Master Gardeners.

The warm weather we’ve had the last few days is certainly an incentive to plant early. But it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the weather, as in early spring weather can turn so quickly.

I am including an article written by Toronto Master Gardeners called dahlias. This article references “You could also get a head start and plant your dahlias indoors right now, then move them outdoors in mid-May when temperatures should be more consistently warmer at 15C. Planting them indoors would assume that you have a sunny location for your dahlias, or sufficient artificial light.”

I’ve included another article:  First Frost from the TMG site which mentions how to best determine when to plant. The weather is certainly behaving unjustly these days, and it’s always best to use our past experiences to base what we do today.  Hope these articles help.

All the best with your planting.