This is a busy month for the dahlia grower. Dahlia
tubers which were boxed up during February are producing an abundance
of material suitable for cuttings
(ideal dahlia cutting size). Here is a photo of a cutting taken on the 3rd of February, it is in a three
inch square pot and the adjacent photo shows how the roots are
starting to investigate the bottom of the pot.
Space soon becomes a premium as this photo taken on
the 7th March shows.
Throughout the month cuttings are taken not only from dahlias but begonias and fuchsias, petunias and various other plants, all root easily under a mist system. Some space has to be created in the propagating room and so the 35 year old glasshouse is used to house the overflow. Here is the glasshouse on the 20th March.
Follow the progress of
a cutting of Ruskin Charlotte (medium semi-cactus dahlia) from
these photos. This first one shows where to take the cutting
from the dahlia tuber 1, another view
2. This one shows exactly how close to the
mother tuber the cutting is taken 3. The photo
of the Ideal
Dahlia Cutting depicted in the previous
month is the same cutting of Ruskin Charlotte with the bottom
leafs removed and the lower portion of the stem removed. Once
dressed the cutting tip is dipped into Hormone Rooting Powder
. The cutting is then inserted into the rooting bench or
rooting cell, don't for get the label! After seven days
the cutting is starting to make roots and at 10
to 12 days looks like this, it is ready
for potting on into a 3 inch pot