Hmmmmm, mites could be a problem. Grasshoppers are not as we have 2
MinPins (miniature pinchers) that detest grasshoppers. They move into
the Marigolds and Brandy & William terrorize them. They spend the
summer harvesting my Roma tomatoes at will, chasing away birds,
grasshoppers, butterflies and any other object that might invade their
domain. Brandy even gets PO'd when AIR moves in her areaG.

Starlord wrote:

Dahlias hate clay! The best you can do is to plant each tuber in it's
own good sized pot full of good potting soil and then you can either
dig a shallow hole and put the pot in that or put the pot on a stand
or base if there's any trees which roots will seek out the water. Also
as your in a dry area, ( I live in the High Mojave Desert of calif. )
you'll have to watch out for spider mites too and grasshoppers love
the tender plant of dahlias.