Give Dahlias A Head Start

Ruth starts prepping tubers for a long summer of colour

- Ruth Hayes

Top Tip

When planting in the ground, cover tubers with soil then mulch to protect from any unexpected and late frosts

AFTER the long, grey winter the prospect of a garden packed with months of colour is a glorious thing.

One of the easiest ways to bring long-lasting vibrant shades and shapes into your borders and containers is to plant dahlias. They don’t take kindly to our cold, damp winter climate, so it is still too chilly and the soil probably too claggy and wet to plant them out.

However, you can steal a march on the elements and start your tubers off undercover now, so they are ready to harden off and move out when the frosts have passed and the mercury is starting to rise.