You are too early yet Pete, in an unheated greenhouse, in Cheshire. I take it you are going to start them in pots like I do. I think our temperatures will be about the same (I'm near Scarborough) and I usually start mine, weather permitting, about mid-April. For direct planting of corms outside, I leave it until well into May. Some people just can't accept that dahlias are actually semi-tropical, not mere half hardies. Don't fall into that trap.

thanks ,i usually start them off in pots in the greenhouse ,april/may ,im just eagar to get going lol

Aren't we all? It's been a long winter, especially after a lousy summer.

I think i grew approx 100 last yr and i lost 70 to slugs with the weather being so wet,so make sure you protect from the slime bags when you plant them out! Im going to wait til around april this yr to start some more off :O)

strange thing is joolz slugs attack some but not all of mine i allways keep a good guard on the slugs pesky things they are lol