Tuber Expectations

If you are part of any Facebook Dahlia groups you have surely seen the posts where customers receive their tubers from various suppliers and are wondering if the tuber is “okay” or “acceptable”. They are comparing what they have in their hand with Plato’s Ideal tuber, which would look like this, only more perfect:

And many tubers will look very similar to this. And many more tubers will not. Tubers can be skinny, or lumpy, or wrinkly, or blobby, or gnarled, or wizened, or pock-marked, or stumpy. Just like people. And they are all good. All you need is an eye — which will become a spout — and you will get a plant that will produce blooms and more tubers.

Below are perfectly good tubers of all shapes and sizes, and with varying levels of skin on them. As long as there is a visible eye or sprout, and no mush, you are good to go.

Yes, a soft mushy tuber is no good, as it will rot. BUT, you can trim off the mush up until where the tuber flesh is solid, let it air-dry, dip it in cinnamon, and you are once again good to go.

Shriveled is fine too, as long as it has a living eye. Scrawny is also acceptable. Tiny is also acceptable. In fact, ginormous tubers have a reputation for producing weak plants, so many people trim off the lower half of the megatubers. Notice the tuber in the final picture has lumpy blisters, still all good — lenticels form when the tuber sits in damp soil. It’s still a good tuber.

All you need from the tuber is the recipe, so-to-speak; the plant will be formed from the earth and the water and the sun. Think of seeds. You put a teeny little lettuce seed in — the recipe for the plant to come — and the lettuce plant is created from earth, sun, and water.

Also, the size and shape of a tuber is usually dictated by the variety of dahlia, not the quality of the farmer. Shiloh Noelle produces monsters. Zippity Do Da produces minis. Bacardi tubers are down-right homely. Otto’s Thrill are often a gnarly mess. Arabian Night is often long and slender, but can also be a lumpy mess. Caribbean Fantasy are usually squat and round.

So, when you receive your tubers, check for mush. No mush? Hooray. Then check for a sprout or an eye (often teeny). Find an eye or a sprout? You have a good tuber. Plant it and await the beauty.