If you want to go with the "one-stem-healthier-flowers-tubers theory" than just cut off a couple of the 4 stemmed plant stems. They will probably regrow a time or two, but just cut them off again.

I think the bulk growers pretty much hack roots and hope for at least one eye per clump. Some individual tubers can have many eyes or none- it all depends. Took me a long while to find a couple packages in a big box store that showed any signs of life and I wonder how many people are taken buying worthless stock in those places, not knowing what on earth to look for, or quality/lack of quality of the packaged little tuber clumps.

I will say that tubers I've got at Costco in the past have been much better than other large stores with nursery departments.

Good luck on your plants.

Unfortunately, I think, there's two types of growers and I do believe that advice is different depending on your goals. If you want to take a flower to the flower show, then you do things you wouldn't do if you just wanted a big bushy plant...IMO.

I got hooked on Dahlias from a friend who couldn't care the least about them. He brought me a clump that had to be from a 3+ year-old plant, and it was what he had split off because that plant was "too big" for his garden.

He proceeded, after several beers, to literally rip tubers off the clump and, without considering which end was up, stuffing them into various holes in my garden beds.

Most grew, and were covered in many flowers.

Call it luck or whatever you want, but Dahlias are left by many in the ground to grow into larger and larger clumps. I have to believe that most of those clumps have many stems.

I received this year, for the first time, a clump rather than a single tuber. It is Firepot, and the tubers are about the size of ping-pong balls or a little smaller. I assumed they sent me a clump because they couldnÂt separate the tubers from the crown with enough assurance theyÂd get eyes on each tuber. Currently, each of my 3 Firepot clumps has a single sprout.

Meanwhile, some of my single tubers have shown multiple starting sprouts.

If I had to decide, I would let a clump grow whatever number of stems it wanted (within reason, considering how much area I want it to take up) but I would trim single tubers to a single stem. No long years of experience involved in my decision, just my interpreting what IÂve read.

Cheers,
Russ

IÂve been pretty satisfied with the ones I bought locally. Since I donÂt plant that many and have not successfully kept them over the winter, mail order is kind of expensive for me. To get the best pick I start calling the stores in early March and get them as soon as they come in. I only buy the ones that come in a clear bag so I can examine the contents carefully for eyes or sprouts. There are some that come bulk in a larger bag or box where you canÂt see the contents. Those have often been duds. It seems like they are packaged earlier or sit around too long under sub-optimal conditions. I tried SamÂs Club boxed 3 times, nothing in a box ever performed (except Asiatic lilies which apparently can withstand the long storage better). We don't have a Costco but I hear they have better plant material than Sam's. I have been happy with the stock at my Home Depot, Walmart, and a regional hardware chain called Menards. But the HD and this one particular Walmart have a very good dept manager who really cares for stock, like keeping bulbs in a cool area so they donÂt sprout too early.