Dahlia Propagation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Dahlia Leaf Cuttings and Stem cuttings

Jane Westoby
Apr 23
6 min read

If you've ever fallen in love with a particular dahlia—maybe it had the perfect blush-pink hue or the most ruffled petals you’ve ever seen—here’s a little secret: you don’t have to leave it to chance next year.

Dahlias grown from seed won’t give you an exact copy of the parent plant. That’s because dahlias are genetic wildcards, Octoploids and each seed is a mix of its parentage.

Lady in striped jumper holding Dahlia Cutting in fingers

To get an exact clone, the only way is to propagate from the plant itself or Divide the tubers —and that’s where cuttings come in.

In this post I’ll walk you through exactly how I take Dahlia stem cuttings and Dahlia leaf cuttings from my own dahlias—step-by-step—so you can fill your garden, your buckets, or your flower stand with more of what you love. Let’s dig in.

Why Take Dahlia Cuttings?

🌱 Cloning your favourite plant – Get an exact replica of the flower you adore.

🌱 Cost-effective – One tuber can yield 5–10 plants from cuttings.

🌱 Earlier blooms – Cuttings often flower earlier than direct-planted tubers.

🌱 Healthier plants – New cuttings grow with vigour

When Should You Take Dahlia Cuttings?

I start pre-sprouting my tubers indoors in February and March—especially for cut flower production. But if you’re a show grower aiming for the earliest blooms or want more propagation time, you can start as early as January.

Best time for cuttings? Take them once shoots are around 10 - 15cm tall, ideally through April before they go in the ground.

What You’ll Need

Healthy pre-sprouted dahlia tubers
A clean scalpel or sharp knife
Rooting hormone (optional but helpful)
Perlite or gritty compost in a plastic pot, or Rootriot cubes
Propagator lid
Labels (always label your varieties!)

🌿 How to Take Dahlia Stem Cuttings (Step-by-Step)

Choose a strong shoot – Look for a shoot that’s around 10cm tall, with no flowers or buds forming yet.
Cut it cleanly – Using a sharp, sterile blade, cut the shoot as close to the tuber as possible. A sliver of tuber attached helps root faster.
Trim lower leaves – Remove all but the top 2 leaves to reduce moisture loss, and if the remaining leaves are too large you can always cut those down to.
Dip in rooting hormone – This can improve root success, especially in cooler setups. The freshly cut end will ensure that the rooting powder sticks to the cutting.
Insert into pot– Make a hole in the perlite or compost at the edge of the pot and push the cutting in.
Water Well - if you are using perlite or compost then you can soak the pot with a watering can rose and the excess will drain off. If you are using root riot cubes then they just need a few drops if water to dampen the cube.
Label and cover – Pop them into a propagator or bag to keep humidity high and stop then from drying out. I am currently using perlite as I find it the easiest way to proagate cuttings with the leat amount of time.
Wait and watch – In 2–3 weeks, roots will begin to form. Once they have a strong root system, pot them on.

Perlite V's Compost V's Root Riot Trainers

Compost is the go to medium for many growers and you can mix it together with lots of grit for good drainage. However I'm just not that good with compost mixes. I struggle to get the moisture levels just right and my cuttings regularly rot or dry out so I prefer to use just Perlite.

It drains well, holds just enough water to be damp without being too wet and I can pop my cuttings into a propagator ( No heat) and go on holiday for a week! NO problem..... I just pop them into a warm but shady spot, usually on the bottom shelf of my greenhouse where it's actually shady, and we have a lot of trees too so it never gets too hot in there. They only need watering once every 1-2 weeks in my climate here in the UK.

If your greenhouse gets full sun and no shade then find a suitably shady spot, this can be indoors.

Root Riot Cubes - I have used these for many years with great success and the only reason I have switched away from them is because last year I needed to go away on business for a few days right in the middle of my Dahlia cuttings season so I needed to find an alternative.

Rooted dahlia cutting in root riot cube on wooden bench

I totally found perlite by chance was a lot less needy. Root riot cubes need looking after DAILY, they dry out very quickly but you can't just soak them more as the cuttings will rot so they need to be checked on ideally twice a day, in the morning and at night and a few drops of water added, or I sometimes dip the bottom of the cube into water.

🌿 How to Take Dahlia Leaf Cuttings (Step-by-Step)

This method is lesser-known but a great way to multiply if your shoots aren’t long enough for stem cuttings or to increase the number by X2 or even X4! So this method will multiply your stock even quicker!

Snip a shoot with two leaves – Choose a shoot that has defined leaf pairs and you can cut a long length 10-15cm and take several cuttings from it.
Cut across the stem just BELOW the leaf node – You want the cutting to include the base where the leaf joins the stem and around 1cm of stem.
Cut across the stem just ABOVE the leaf node – again with around 1cm of stem.
Slice down the centre of the stem - splitting the stem in half with a set of leaves on each side.
Dip the sliced stem in rooting hormone – This can improve root success, especially in cooler setups. The freshly cut end will ensure that the rooting powder sticks to the cutting.
Trim the leaves if needed – This reduces transpiration when the leaves are too large
Push into compost or perlite – Bury the base just enough to anchor the leaf node.
Water and cover – Keep humid in a propagator just as you would with stem cuttings.

How Long will my cuttings take to root?

Whichever method you use the application of heat will speed up the rooting process but you will need to keep an eye on the cuttings daily and water then more. I prefer not to use heat as I often don't manage to check then daily and they dry out.

Without heat cuttings should root in around 3 weeks, and with heat in 2 weeks. It's also worth noting that the thicker the stem the longer it takes for rooting to occur.

What Next?

Wait until you can see roots at the bottom of the pot or you can see the cuttings visibly putting on new growth. You can also give leaves a little tug to see if the cutting moves, If its firm then likely to have rooted but if it moves then its not yet rooted.

Once rooted, your cuttings are mini-plants—ready to be potted on. Use a good peat free compost and pot on into a 7cm pot for a few weeks. Feed weekly with an organic seaweed fertilize to give then the nutrients they need in the early stages of life.

Keep them indoors until the risk of frost has passed, then plant them out in late May or early June.

Will my cuttings produce tubers?

Absolutely!! They will produce tubers of their own, which you can store over winter and multiply again next year. From one tuber, an entire dahlia dynasty begins.

🎥 Watch the Full Process on YouTube Want to see it in action? I show you exactly how I take both stem and leaf cuttings in this video—watch here