faq

Our fields are not open to the public, but you can find us at the Saturday Market on Lummi Island during market season (roughly June through September).

Not this year, but we hope to offer this starting next year.

When to plant depends on your zone and weather. You’ll want to plant 1) after the danger of last frost (you can look this up online for your area) and 2) when soil temps have reached around 55 degrees. Here in the PNW, most people plant around Mother’s Day or when the lilacs start blooming.

Dahlias like loose fertile soil (adding compost is a great way to improve most types of soil) and they love sun (at least 8 hrs a day).

Plant them 12-24” apart. 18” is good spacing for most gardens. If you plant them in a pot or grow bag, roughly 24” diameter works.

You can plant them outside after danger of last frost has passed. Dig a hole 3-6” deep and plant the tuber lying sideways, with eye(s) up. The eye/sprout should be at least 1” below the surface. If the sprout falls off, don’t worry — the tuber will grow more.

Put a stake in the ground/pot near your tuber (within a few inches) so you can support it as it grows — this is key! Don’t water until green growth shows above the soil. But also don’t worry if it rains — you just don’t want to give them MORE water.

If you’re unfamiliar with “pinching” flowers, Google “how to pinch a dahlia” for instructions when the dahlia reaches around 16 inches. You don’t have to pinch but it’ll make a much bushier and floriferous plant.

If you live on Lummi Island, there is a box to mark at checkout and we will reach out to arrange pickup. We do not do local pickup or delivery unless you live on Lummi Island. 

Email us! We’ll make it right.

Our plants and fields are inspected by the Washington Department of Agriculture. We pull plants that are suspicious for viral infection. During the growing season and when we divide tubers, we sanitize our tools with Virkon S Disinfectant between each plant or tuber clump.

Despite protocols and best efforts, viruses are a reality in the garden and buyers must accept that flowers sometimes get sick. Like other reputable growers, we do our best to keep it to an absolute minimum.

Open your order and inspect the tubers. If you have any concerns please contact us within seven days of receiving your order. And don’t be alarmed if they look weird/ugly! Dahlia tubers are like weird potatoes and ugly/misshapen is not an indication of quality. Also size does not matter — every dahlia grows different-sized tubers. The sprout just means they’re awake and ready to be planted whenever you’re ready.

Until you can plant, you need to store them. **Unseal the plastic bag they arrived in** and put them in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator). We put them in the back of a closet in the basement, for example.

We sell KA® varieties that have trademarked names. This means that we have signed a license agreement with Santa Cruz Dahlias and we pass along a percent of our KA® sales to the hybridizer. Please be aware and respect the fact the KA® varieties carry a trademark and you need a license from the hybridizer to use the trademarked name (learn more here). You can grow, trade, or give away tubers and/or cut flowers without a license. You are also free to sell cut flowers without a license. The license is only necessary to sell tubers or cuttings.

If you are sure that the mistake is ours and not a garden mix-up, email us (lummiislanddahlias@gmail.com) and we’ll refund you. We’re a small business – please don’t abuse this policy!

We guarantee a healthy tuber with at least one eye.

If you receive a damaged tuber or do not see an eye, please snap a photo and send to us with a quick message within 7 days of delivery. We will help you troubleshoot, and offer a refund or replacement, if available and appropriate. Once the 7 days have passed, the tubers become your responsibility. We offer recommendations on storage, planting and care in the Updates section of our website.

Please note that our refund policy does not extend to damage due to bad weather, pests, rot before or after planting, virus, negligence or tuber/plant performance.

We will be shipping the first two weeks of April. If you have concerns about this timing, reach out!

We only ship within the United States.