It will recover!

Watch for rot because the stems are hollow so they collect water and rot, but you should be fine. They are tough little buggers : )

Keriann~

Is there anything that I can do to prevent the rot? Some kind of salve or something? Meanwhile, my fingers are crossed. Happily, I have one other S&T, but I like to have at least 2.

I do not know of anything you can use on a living plant that will help prevent rot (like sulfer on tubers when storing them).

I would watch it and pinch it out if you start to see rot instead of the proper scab it should form.

Keriann~

I've had two plants break off at about 4" height with a good stem already formed. I didn't do anything to protect them, and they both went on to prosper. But you could cover the hollow broken stem with a cap of aluminum foil couldn't you? Or a milk jug top? Water or pop bottle cap?

It should send out enough foliage to recover if water doesn't get in to rot the stalk/tuber. Hate to waste a dahlia you really want to see.

Don't know where you are in Western WA Poochella, but I got rain today. So my Show & Tell got wet. I'll go try to dry it out and put something over the top to keep out further rain. But I noticed that there was some kind of green layer about 3/4 of an inch down from the cut off, but don't know if that layer is enough to keep water from the stem. The new growth is coming now above two of the leaves, so I'm starting to feel more hopeful. I'm glad I didn't take the plant out and put in a spare instead. Nothing replaces a Show & Tell for me. Thanks! And looking forward to sunshine within a couple days in our part of the country!

Hi, Show and Tell is my very favorite and my tuber didn't make it this year. As a matter of fact, I did have a top break off once and stuck it in the ground. Later I couldn't tell which plant it was. Good luck. We have had no rain in MA. so white fly is rambant this year. Any suggestions?

I babied about 17 Dahlias this spring, starting about 2 months prior to our last frost date, hoping to give them a head start. They grew to about 18-24 inches in height by the time they where ready to be planted. Then, while planting a group of 5 at the back of the garden, I broke one of them badly, indeed, I was left with NOTHING above the ground when planted!! I was sick about it!!

Now, this group is starting to flower, and my broken darling is indeed, right there with them all, standing just as tall and proud as the rest!!

I am still glad I did the headstart, if only to preserve the tubers, as things where heating up and I had no cool place to keep them for another few months. But, it demonstrated loud and clear, that any benifit to starting too early, other then to try and get cuttings, is moot.

I am sure your baby will be fine. I agree though that capping the top is probably best... Keep and eye on it, and pinch back any rot you see develop.

Just a follow up: First, the broken off one, while it still looks strange, the new growth is coming along nicely. I'm encouraged.

And tonight, the broken top that I used a little rooting compound on and stuck in some potting soil in a little peat pot? The leaves have maintained a healthy appearance and I'm starting to see the new growth coming! I was encouraged enough to plant the compostable pot. I may end up with an extra Show N Tell. So maybe I got some lemonade from a batch of lemons. Thanks for the encouragement!