Personally, I would cut that sprout about 1/4 an inch from the tuber, stick most of the cutting (cut sprout) 3 -6 nches away from the tuber, water and cover with a yogurt container for a couple weeks. The tuber will quickly re-sprout with a much straighter stem, and within 10 days the old sprout may be well on its way to being rooted and becoming its own independent plant. Once the sprout shows new growth, you know it is rooted and you can remove the humidity regulator (yogurt cup).

Thank you and your recommendations for the soil level? I'll cut it tomorrow and cross my fingers.

The sprout knows the direction to grow, if the tuber or sprout is covered with potting mix or soil. If you are in zone 7 and you're leaving the pots outdoors, it might be prudent to cover with a couple inches so the sprouts don't get burned by frost. The most important thing right now for the dahlia is to develop a root system... its amazing how quickly the sprouts will take off after the tuber is primed for growth!

Just for the record, you COULD just leave the long sprout, perhaps adding extra soil so only the tip peeked out. The negative to that is the curled sprout would be a weak point for the plant, and could snap off in the future.

In that case i think I'll take your first suggestion and cut it and give the sprout a chance to grow on its own. Ill add an inch or so of soil as well just in case of frost though we're in a funny little weather pocket I'm hoping it's finished. Thanks, I can't wait to see these in bloom.