3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Ryan-- I think you're refering to the plant-growing wedges rather than the big oasis that florists use. They are of different density from the florist's kind, are already cut into little wedges, have a hole in them for the cutting-- the roots will grow right out through them just fine. They also contain a bit of stuff to prevent fungus & to feed the cutting. I would never use regular oasis for cuttings- it's far too dense.
Soak the wedges well before using, do your cutting- be sure to have a leaf-node to put down in the hole in the oasis or you won't get tubers from the plant. Keep the wedges in the flat/tray made just for that purpose-- or-- one of our members gets really little plastic cups---- but it has to have a hole put in the bottom because, yes, you do have to keep the oasis wet at all times-- about a half inch of water in the bottom of the flat or container that you put the cups in.
You can use Sluggo-Plus to do them in- make sure it is damp or they won't eat it. Just sprinkle it sparcely around the garden & wet it down once in awhile with the hose. It's not cheap but you don't need much to get them. The bonus is it gets the slugs, too & is classed as Organic-- & it works!!!
Earwigs love dahlias- esp. the white & yellow ones & can turn your blooms into lace overnight. I used to have a garden with 75 waterlily-form dahlias in it- loved them. One year I didn't get a single bloom that wasn't ruined off of that garden! Gahhhh!!!! I hate earwigs, too!!!
There's no cure- you've been bitten by the dahlia-addict bug & are doomed for life! We started with 1 in 1965 & now grow 6,500+ plants every year!...and, yes, the husband digs them up, cuts them up, stores them over the winter & plants again in the spring! (I won't go into the dahlia-hybridizing bug that hits about 10 years after the dahlia-addict bug-- but it's even more potent than the dahlia-addict one!) :)
Thanks for confirming the hopelessness of this addiction!! LOL
Plantlady2008, you should make some YouTube videos of hubby cutting them for winter storage. There are a few bad quality vids on there, but nothing of good quality. I didn't cut last year's up, I'll wait to see where the new shoots are and then cut. Do you have any pics of your garden with all those 6,500 plants!!!???? That musts be a sight to behold.
I was sorry to see quite a few of the dinnerplate sized tubers from Costco are dried up, and wrinkled with no shoots. Oh well, the good thing is that Costco will give you your money back.
Come on, Spring - I want to get these planted in the garden! LOL
Linlily....you will get both, tubers and lots of flowers this year...a lot depends of your green thumb and mother nature as far as how many but you will get both....you have the right idea, start the seeds and pot them up, then slowly introduce them out doors....start the process in early April so you can have the new plants ready to go into the ground after the last frost, usually around May 1st., the AA or Dinner plates will produce fewer flowers then your smaller types.... teddahlia is right...depending on the conditions around where the seeds were collected, you could get a wide assortment of different size and types of dahlis...kind of like Easter but once your plants are up they will be just as large as the ones from tubers, flower just as nicely and should have nice tubers
Thank you teddahlia and groall for your input. Growing dahlias from seeds sounds like it could be a lot of fun. I've grown daylilies from seed before, but dislike doing it because it usually takes 2 to 3 years to see any flowers from them. I'm more impatient than that!
Linda
I just potted some of mine up last night.
I am not sure what kind they are, I believe they are a large white dinnerplate varity.
I potted them up using the method above.
1020 flat, moist soil, bright sunny spot.
Keriann~
I am getting antsy for Spring!
I just bought some locally and I'm going to pot them in in large pots and put them in our enclosed but non-heated sun porch. Even if it goes down to freezing at night, it stays warmer than that in there. I hope to get an early start on them that way.
Linda
Because every mico-climate is different and every pot is different, you need to dig it out and look at it... that is the only way to tell.
It is also a good time to divide your clump if it has made it.
It won't hurt anything if it is alive and growing, just be gently. : )
Keriann~
I am sure the VM will be fine, all it needs is an eye, and it will start developing new roots. A method of propagation is actually to let the eye develop a little, then cut it off (along with a small chunk of tuber) and grow it on carefully, so if it still has much of the mother tuber which is stable, then I am sure that it will be fine.
As for the Sir Alf Ramsey, I worry too that something is hiding inside, I would be tempted to slice into it a bit or cut out the hole just to be sure. Again since it has eyed up, otherwise it should be fine.
Liverwort.
I wouldn't call it a weed as it isn't going to be any competition for your dahlias.
Here is a link that might be useful: Liverwort info
Hi kayjones,
Annies Annuals in Richmond, California has sold them. Here is the link to their website:http://www.anniesannuals.com/.
A beautiful new dahlia season to you!
allie
Since you are in FL, your tree dahlia probably blooms; I'd love to see that. I have a very healthy lt pink, and since I am in Oregon, if the summer is nice & hot, in October it will put out 1 or 2 blooms at the very top of the plant (you need binoculars to see them). I bought mine from PD, and I love it, except I can't share tubers with friends because they are so tough and inter-grown that I can't dig them. I cut some off with a hand saw, but they did not grow.