Imported Tubers Information

Around half of our tubers for sale are imported into New Zealand in August.  They are coming from a very highly regarded supplier in the Netherlands, who supplies many of the big name growers in Dahlias around the world.

Just a reminder, they will not look the same as NZ grown tubers. This is normal. Firstly they will be looking a fair bit drier and likely quite tired,  as they have been help back an extra 6 months from planting, as they transition from North to South Hemisphere seasons for you.

Secondly, they are produced using a different method to NZ tubers. In the Netherlands they are propagated by cuttings, rather than tuber division. Each cutting roots and grows a little clump of tubers. Depending on the variety the clump may be tiny or huge! But regardless it will not look the same as a clump of tubers grown from the tuber propagation method, which many NZ Gardeners are used to.

These cutting grown clumps are then mechanically harvested and packaged in crates for bulk sales. To the inexperienced Dahlia grower they might appear to have broken necks from seeing the way the tubers hang off them, but the base of the stem where the cutting was made holds the energy to start the plant growing and produce eyes. They are little scruffy packages of very special DNA!

All our tubers are hand checked to have growing eyes, which will produce a viable plant for you, before they are bagged and shipped to you.