Your Dahlia Tubers Arrived — Here’s How to Inspect Them
Receiving your dahlia tubers in the mail is an exciting moment. Inside that box are plants that will soon grow into tall stems covered in blooms.
But if this is your first time ordering dahlia tubers, you may open the box and immediately wonder:
Is this what they’re supposed to look like?
The short answer is yes — most of the time.
Dahlia tubers are living plant storage organs, and they rarely look perfect. In fact, one of the most important things to understand is that not every dahlia tuber is a beauty queen.
A tuber may be slightly wrinkled, oddly shaped, or even a little scarred from the dividing process. These cosmetic quirks are completely normal and have no impact on how the plant will grow.
What matters most is whether the tuber is viable.
Step One: Open Your Package Promptly
As soon as your tubers arrive, open the package and inspect them.
Tubers are living plant material and should not sit in a box for extended periods of time. Checking them right away ensures that any concerns can be addressed quickly.
At Fox Cottage Farm you have 3 days from arrival to report a problem and send an email to flowers@shannonshipman.com and-
Include:
• Your order number
• The variety name
• A clear photo of the tuber
Step Two: Look for the Three Key Parts
A viable dahlia tuber typically has three important components:
The Eye
This is the small growth point where the plant will sprout. Eyes are usually located on the crown of the tuber and may look like a tiny bump or bud.
The Neck
The narrow section that connects the tuber to the crown. The neck must be intact for the tuber to grow.
The Tuber Body
The larger portion that stores energy for the plant’s early growth.
If these parts are present and the tuber feels firm, it has everything it needs to grow into a healthy plant.
Step Three: Check for Firmness
A healthy dahlia tuber should feel firm to the touch.
Some slight wrinkling can occur during storage and shipping, and this is usually nothing to worry about. Once planted, the tuber will absorb moisture from the soil and rehydrate as it begins growing.
However, tubers that feel really soft, mushy, or rotten may have been damaged and should be evaluated.
Some varieties are notoriously ugly, smaller, or more wrinkly - and they do just fine as long as they are firm.
What Healthy Dahlia Tubers Can Look Like
Dahlia tubers come in many shapes and sizes, and no two are exactly alike.
Healthy tubers may be:
• long and thin
• short and stubby
• slightly wrinkled
• curved or oddly shaped
• scarred where they were divided
These variations are completely normal and part of working with a natural product.
Remember — dahlia tubers are not beauty queens. They are still just tubers. They don’t need to look perfect to grow into stunning plants.
When Tubers Arrive With Sprouts
Occasionally, dahlia tubers may arrive with small sprouts already forming. This simply means the tuber has begun waking up from dormancy.
If the sprout is small, you can gently pinch or cut it off. The tuber will typically produce additional eyes around that same area.
You may also plant the tuber as usual at 4–6 inches deep. If the sprout is tall enough to reach the soil surface, create a small mound of soil over the sprout to protect it from sunburn while the plant establishes.
Either option is perfectly fine, and the plant will continue growing normally.
What May Be a Concern
While most cosmetic imperfections are harmless, you should take note if a tuber is:
• extremely soft or mushy
• completely dried out and hollow
• missing a viable neck
• showing signs of rot {I normally don't worry about mold and just brush it off with a toothbrush, then lightly spray with Lysol}
If you believe a tuber arrived in poor condition, contact the farm where you purchased it with your order number and a photo so they can assist you. Give them a chance before blasting them all over the internet.
A Quick Reminder
Dahlia tubers often look much less impressive than the flowers they produce.
What may look like an unremarkable piece of root today will soon grow into a tall plant filled with blooms from midsummer until frost.
Part of the joy of gardening is trusting that transformation.
And with a little patience, that small tuber will soon become armfuls of flowers in your garden.
