3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Perhaps Juul's All Star for the orchid?
Here is a link that might be useful: Juul's All Star
If I had a tuber that was moldy, and yet still firm, I would wipe it off; coat it with some bulb dust or dip it in a mild solution of bleach; and then plant it.
If the tuber was soft, that is a different story. I would insist on a replacement.
Mold can happen, but we want to avoid it if at all possible. Mold can definitely cause problems for all plants including dahlias.
Hi jroot,
Thanks for the advice. The tuber is actually brittle and crumbly, so I asked for a substitution. I was appalled that they did not just provide a substitution when I mentioned the mold. They charge a premium for their tubers and should provide only the highest quality product.
I agree that mold can cause problems for all plants, and do not want to add it to my garden. Who knows what it really is.
thanks. i did check them earlier and i dont know if they were rotting but they didnt have any growth.
I just went into lowes and see that the dahlias there all already have growth and the bag I had bought had zero growth in it. it was seriously just a bulb and dirt, so I will be returning that and buying a new one that looks alive!
Okay.... FYI they are tubers not bulbs, tulips, daffs ect are bulbs : )
If you want to try potting them up inside before you return them it is worth a try. Use moist soil and lay the tubers on top of it, and get it under some lights, or a bright window.
The warmer temps inside, will help promt the eyes (growth spots) up near the stem (well stump of a stem)
FYI for your 'new' batch of lowes tubers. They look like skinney potatoes hanging from a main 'stem'. Each skinney potatoe (tuber) needs a part of the stem (collar) and a growth eye (part where they start growing from) in order to flower for you.
Roots will start to form BEFORE you see top growth. So if you are able to start them inside you should see roots in 2-10 days. Wait till your soil is 60* and plant them outside with the stem up and the potatoes dangling down. Or you can plant them on their side (horizontal) if it is easier, just try to keep the eye pointing up. I plant mine about 2-3 inches below the soil line. 2-3 inches from the tubers, not top of the stem. They are pretty hardy so they should be fine in less than ideal situations (too shallow, too deep, cock-eyed ect).
Good luck!
What kind did you pick up?
Keriann~
Nobody seems to have an answer for you, sorry. My first thought was hard water scale, but unless you're misting them, that doesn't make sense. Powdery mildew was another thought, but that is finely powdered and not very flaky.
How are the plants doing otherwise? Perhaps it's nothing much to worry you.
Hi Poochella,
Thank you for your reply. Plants are doing ok. One variety better than the other. The not so good variety now seems to have black on the a couple of leaves and the leaves tend to curl up? The white stuff is very flaky. Comes off very easy. I water at the base of the plants. I hope I am successful this year. I LOVE DAHLIA'S!!!
When your soil reaches 60* you should be good to go and not have rotted tubers due to cool soil AND spring rains. Many will say you can plant them anytime because you keep them in the ground but I would play it safe and wait till the soil was 60* so they can combat the heavy Spring showers.
I am very jealous that you can leave them in the ground : )
Happy Gardening
Keriann~
One of the growers of full sized dahlias in pots is commercial, selling cut flowers. One and two gallon pots have weep holes where moisture can drain and roots can sneak out. Teresa Bergman of Cowlitz River dahlias planted a show garden of dahlias that grew four feet and taller in 6 inch and smaller pots. Gordon Leroux of Kenora dahlias planted all of his seedlings in small pots and left all of the pots in the ground. They grew to normal size with normal sized flowers. He planted 2600 of them one year. The milk cartons would work fine if you remove some material on the bottom to let it drain(you probably did that already as you do not want to drown them).
Wow 18" would be one impressive "serving platter" dahlia! I've only been able to muster a mere 11" across here in a white ID with no name. Still pretty impressive for a flower.
On a side note, does anyone else find the Bing popup things the most annoying interruption in any online experience? Reminds me of telemarketer calls in days of yore.
We've had 15" Wyn's Conquistador get 15" without any problem-- & bigger when only 3-up (this is on late bloomers that are under the trees so don't mature very early- otherwisw we grow it as many up as it wants & it's still bigger than a basketball!) My brother-in-law grew a 17" one- the first dahlia he ever grew!
We have a seedling 06-01 that regularily gets upwards of 16" or so-
I was going to post pictures but now have to figure out how - Photobucket seems to have changed how you put pictures on here & I'm flummoxed! Or maybe it's the fault of Windows? Don't know but I'm stuck again!
Check out botrytis blight. This fungus may be the culprit. I've had this happen with buds on plants. Don't remember this happening last year, though, with my 'Unwins'(only ones I have). Humid conditions -- and probably rainy stretches -- caused buds to rot.
I brought mine up and misted them for a few weeks and then the eyes were visible.
This year, I have also trying setting them on top of a moist sterile potting mix and they seem to show their eyes much faster. I just took a 1020 tray and added an inch of potting mix and then rest them on top, in 3-7 days, I could see the eyes pushing through.
Just a note, both methods were done under lights and in a 60-80* room.
What kind do you have? It doesn't matter for the above reasons, I am just curious!
Happy Spring : )
Keriann~
I'm still trying to figure out how best to store Dahlias here in Minnesota. I do have a good place for them but each year when I try to preserve them I always have some die. I've tried the plastic wrap and they rotted. Otherwise, if I put them in paper bags and into the storage area they tend to just dry out. Sometimes I take them out of storage in Feb. and soak them in the sink so that they won't dry out and that seems to help. In March I plant them in pots to get them an early start. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it to save them or if I should just buy new every spring. I always end up buying some of them to replace the ones that don't make it through the winter. In zone 4, (long winter), I'd be interested in knowing how you store yours. If you use the baggie/vermiculite method, what does the vermiculite do to preserve the dahlia bulbs? Thanks.
Hi there,
There was a post about stored tubers sprouting early and growing excessive chlorotic folliage but you seem to be the expert on Dahlias so I will try a question here too.
I just opened up my box of stored tubers (in peat moss in the basement) and some of the sprouts are up to 2 feet long with small leaves. Of course the colour is whitish and light green having had no light.
What should I do? Should I just bury the stems like you would a tomato plant? Should I cut any of the stem off? It is still too cold to plant in the ground here so should I go ahead and plant them in pots just to get them out of the box? Or should I leave them until I can plant them straight in the ground?
Thanks!
Hi there,
The same thing happened to me! Is it because the basement is just too warm? Our Canna Lilies have always done fine there...
Anyways, so it is still too cold here to put them out. Should I plant in pots temporarily until they can be placed in the ground? Or once I put them in pots should I just leave them be?
Thanks!
You are growing dahlias like they were potatoes. Most people who start them in pots just put an inch or two of soil in the pot and then the tuber with eye pointing up. They cover it with soil and that would be about 4 to 6 inches of soil. Advantage to starting in pot is that they will bloom earlier. Sounds like you want them to grow more tubers on the stem as you are covering leaf nodes with soil. I do not see any reason to do it your way. The sprout from the tuber has nodes that form roots and tubers.
I'd do cuttings from the hopeful ones that are a clump with starts. Some dahlias are really slow to eye up- we still have lots that haven't eyed up yet. We have one variety that, every year Walt has a whole tray that he thinks won't eye up so stashes it somewhere & forgets about it- along about June- there they are-- growing like crazy! I'd start them all in flats to see what starts & what doesn't. Some people will put them in a baggie with moist potting soil & place it in a warm spot to get them started & not take up as much room as flats do