Did I plant my dalhias too early?

[Rabbit Hole]

Hi guys,

I live in north east NJ, about zone 6b, and I planted some dahlia tubers I stored over the winter. It's been pretty cold here, so I'm wondering if any of you live near me and can tell me if I made a mistake.

Also, should I have watered them in when I planted them? I didn't want them to freeze or sit in cold water.

Thanks in advance

[ButterflyLady29]

What has your weather been like? You said it was cold, but as long as the temp doesn't go below freezing they'll be fine. As for the watering, if it rains soon, within a couple days, it won't matter. I personally don't water bulbs or tubers in when rain is forecast within a few days.

[Rabbit Hole]

Thanks for the response. It's been pretty warm during the day here, tiday it's 70. We've had some cold nights going down to about 42. Right after I planted them I threw like 5 inches of dried leaves on top to help keep them warm. The soil was pretty cold when I planted but I can't really give a good approximation of an actual temperature of the soil. From what you said it sounds like they should be fine. I'll give them a watering today since I thought it would rain this weekend but it hasn't. Again, thanks a lot.

[ButterflyLady29]

When the soil is cold, mulch keeps it cold. I try to hold off mulching until the soil has had a chance to warm up a bit. Brush the leaves off to the side and give the soil a chance to warm up. But if you are concerned about weeds sprouting in the area, mulch is great any time. It does keep the weed population down and holds moisture in, making it easier to pull any weeds that may pop up.