Hello
I dug up the Dahlia root ball in the fall.
I would like to divide it before I replant it. Any tips on how to divide the root ball.
Thank you
Response:
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners about your dahlia tubers. Congratulations on the successful overwintering of your dahlia. Spring is the best time to divide your dahlia. Before beginning, ensure you have a sharp shears and disinfectant. Disinfect the shears after each cut to avoid potentially spreading disease to the remaining tubers. Identify the mother tuber. Remove this first as it will have exhausted its energy from the past growing season. Then remove any damaged or moldy ones. Examine the remaining tubers for eyes from which the sprouts will emerge. Each of the divisions needs at least one healthy tuber with at least one eye and several side tubers (without eyes), for the new plants to grow well. Separate these “divisions” from the root ball by cutting them off taking care not to damage the eyes. Plant these 10 to 15 cm deep with the eyes pointing up and water lightly until new shoots appear. Then you can resume normal watering.
Enjoy your new dahlias!