Want to start your dahlias earlier this year? All you need is a sandwich bag and a handful of compost

Although gardening needs a lot of patience, there are some things we wish would grow quicker so we could enjoy them for longer. Dahlias are certainly on that list, and with this genius method, you can bring forward their growing process.

If you know how to grow dahlias, you'll be aware of how high-maintenance their tubers can be, both with storing them through the winter and when you can safely replant them come springtime. No matter how well you protect your plants from frost, dahlia tubers are particularly susceptible and need to be stored until temperatures reach a safe, warm average.

Instead of waiting for the unpredictable UK weather to finally stay warm, Garden Designer and Influencer Ish on Instagram @gardening.with.ish has a method that means you can start the dahlia growing process now.

Starting dahlia tubers early with the sandwich bag trick

Looking to finally sort your garden out this spring? Well, you can now include starting your dahlia tuber thanks to Ish's genius sandwich bag trick.

"Now, a quick little tip for you, if you want to start your dahlias a little early, you only need a sandwich bag and some compost, and the idea is really, really simple," starts Ish.

"You want to take a little sandwich bag like this, put in about a handful or two of some multi-purpose compost or some seed compost, something that’s going to hold a bit of moisture but keep it damp," he continues.

Ish does, however, warn against making the compost too wet, saying you only want a little bit of dampness in there. Then you can pop your dahlia straight in.

Just as when you're overwintering dahlias, it's important to control the amount of moisture around the tubers. Too much can be incredibly damaging and even stop the dahlias from growing.

"Now you want to make sure it kind of just sits slightly nestled in all that compost so that it hydrates the tubers but leaves the top completely exposed, and then you want to close the bag about three-quarters of the way, not the whole way," instructs Ish.

"And the idea is that you want to allow a little bit of air flow through this. If you seal it off, it’s going to go mouldy, it’s going to go gross. You don’t want that, and you can pop that fairly compact on a windowsill or in the greenhouse until it’s ready to sprout," he adds.

It should only take a few weeks for you to see signs of life from the tubers.

Dahlia planting essentials

"When the risk of frost is gone, you can plant it directly in the ground or in its new home in a pot," says Ish.

"So pretty simple, now all I say to you is to remember, keep this open, don’t let it get mouldy, and if you notice that the soil is starting to look a little dry or the dahlia tubers are going a little bit wrinkly, you can add a little bit more water in there just to keep it hydrated."

Now you needn't panic about when to plant your summer bulbs for an impressive display of dahlias; the process has already started with little effort.

If you're looking to plant dahlias for the first time this year, then you can pick up some magnificent tuber collections from Sarah Raven, starting at just £13.18, now on sale.

You might have wondered if you can simply keep your dahlias in their pots over winter to skip all this overwintering and repotting business. And while you certainly can, there are several things you'll need to do to ensure they survive the winter months.