How to get a Dahlia Bud to Open?

[GardenGeisha]

I was feeling happy that I had saved my dahlias from freezing by carrying them inside, when I noticed my best bud was missing on a dahlia plant! I checked, and it fell off when I was moving the plant back outside. I was so mad. It was nicely formed and already showing some petal color. It was severed right below the bud. Is there any way I can encourage it to bloom? I have put it in a warm room, in sunshine, and put just a little water in the bowl, since it really has no stem and I don't want it to turn to mush... I sprinkled some flower preservative mixture in the bowl. Anything else I can do to force it open? What a horrible day. I hate, hate, hate Jack Frost!

 

[digitS']

Just the nature of things, GardenGeisha. It may just be so that we appreciate spring that much more.

My experience with dahlias is that they will absolutely stop after cutting. Frozen briefly in time . . . they aren't the best cutting flower despite all the beauty!

Very few flowers can do much once they are cut and in water. Sometimes, annual chrysanthemums will begin to grow roots! I think that makes them real special. Of course, you can sometimes get rose stems or perennial chrysanthemums that will develop roots but it is long after the petals have dropped off and the buds have withered. Painted Daisies or Pyrethrum Daisies, those annual chrysanthemums can grow buds and bloom!

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

Yea, I think you can enjoy the bud itself for its own beauty.

 

[GardenGeisha]

I was reading that sometimes you can get buds to open by aiming a hair dryer on them. I am going to try it. Wouldn't you know this was a dahlia that hadn't bloomed yet, so I didn't even get to see what the flowers would look like, and I can't overwinter dahlia tubers worth a darn. The plant has 2 small buds left but they are so small I am sure they won't open.