I must say, Patricia aka Lucinda, that I have experienced this also for the first time. About 8 of my dahlias have gone mushy at the soil level. Maybe it is because of the rain we have had. I had extra dahlias which I was planning on selling in a garage sale this weekend, but I've been using them to fill the empty spots. Thank goodness I had them.

Hiya jroot-

Hope all goes well with you and the rest of your tropicals. (I only say aka btw because unlike most online handles, my husband actually calls me Lucinda although Patricia is my given name. Consequently, I respond to both at all times.)

What gets me steamed is that this was one of my vivid purples and I have had a hard enuf time overwintering, and growing them in general. In point of fact, I ordered a few more from the Pacific Northwest and all of them rotted. I even got two more and the same. Rats! The orange I have plenty of. Can't abuse 'em enuf to kill them off. Must find a trade buddy in the general area.

I thought it was me! I have replaced 15 tubers. Hard as rocks with eyes when I put them in. I didn't see anything yet and we have had beautiful weather, so I carefully dug around. Rot! I am not doing anything different. The whole order from one place rotted and I was blaiming them until I found more from Swan! Swan just sent me more but two of them didn't have eyes! I am thinking of all the tubers I gave away! Wonder what is going on?

Maybe on your birthday misslucinda you could plant some of your tubers up under lights. Then when you plant them out they will be plants. I have dinner plate dahlias in bloom already.

I've had a few mushy ones as well. Last year I lost most of what I planted to rot so I'm afraid the whole thing is starting again. I'm thinking now that maybe my soil doesn't drain well enough but what can I do about it now?

I did also notice that the ones that have rotted were near where the cat was "littering" earlier this spring. I'm not sure if cat waste would have that effect on my tubers though.

-Katy

Mine are rotting right where the tip comes through the ground. Took up a Jordan Michelle today. It had a little head about an inch. That part had two eyes. Do you think a plant could grow from that? There are no roots.

I don't know Katy, but that cat "litter" may very well be one culprit as the litter has a high nitrogen content which is exactly what they say will rot tubers.

If your soil is really that heavy, I would be tempted to lift the tubers and add a little leaf mold/compost under them.

Well, it really stinks that so many of us are having the same problem. Must be as jroot says, all those heavy rains....

I'm starting to trim off the bottom leaves now, so that the air can circulate around the stem. That seems to be helping. I had one sulking, and I thought that I would lose it, but after trimming the bottom leaves off ( up to 4 inches - depending upon the size of the plant - one has to leave enough to sustain the plant), the sulking has stopped, and it is doing better now.

I have heard "trim off the bottom four inches" so many times from new dahlia lovers I just know they are researching your old posts and listening to you, jroot. You (and a few others here) are gifted instructors!

Glad shes has stopped sulking. But what I would like, more than anything, is a picture sometime in August, of what your happy dahlia and tropical plantings. Promise?