3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Hi Dahli22,
Pam Howden and Wildwood Marie are waterlily forms, both about 5-6" across, but WWMarie is very much pinker than Pam Howden's orange with purple undersides. Both lovely!
You can see the lavender underpetals of Pam Howden here, as it was closing up for the summer evening.
Annabeth,I highly recommend Tempest. At least for me, I have found it trouble free, vigorous, hardy, and a real good tuber producer. The blooms pictured were from a tuber that actually overwintered in my Brooklyn garden (granted it was a mild winter and it was in a sheltered spot.). This year, I wasn't so lazy, I dug them up!
I hope to post more photos this summer - hopefully,larger than this one!!!
thanks for your response (cantstopgardening) i dont mind useing a chemical fungicide sence im not a Organic Garden yet. i hope that dosent offend anyone, but i will try my best to stay chemical FREE..
from what i been reading most fungicides are made of sulfur and are very toxic.. thats not good!!!
as im typeing this i just found on google, that your not the only one that uses cinnamon. quote Ground cinnamon is recommended as a natural fungicide for use on tubers and roots that have been cut or dug up for winter storage.
i have lots of tubers, so i will try a hand full with cinnamon too and see what happens..
also still looking for more advice i dont want to lose what was given to me..
There are better experts out there than me. I have grown dahlias for 40 years. Most of the time I leave them in the ground, (because of my illness, not lazy). Some people split them up in the fall. Wash with a hose. Then let dry. Then you decided whether to store them as a whole clump or individual tubers. Cut off all of the small root pieces that are under the size of a pencil. Label them if you know what they are. I bought a good knife at the Goodwill just for plant work like this. On some tubers, you will see little nubs or eyes on them, that will be next year's plant growth. I have stored mine in brown lunch sacks, then put each lunch sack in a big grocery paper sack. Some wrap them in saran wrap, and some in plastic baggie. Store in cool basement, or someplace with no frost. I usually put mine in our window well that is covered with wood. In spring, it is easier to see the eyes, where to divide them. I know on this site, someone posted on dividing them with pictures, but at this time, have not looked for the address. Looks like you will have some to trade there in spring.
Darlene
No- it isn't normal- if you keep them cleaned up & dead-headed they'll bloom until frost no matter when they start. It might help to give a boost of garden fertilizer in July to give them more energy to keep on going. We use 10-20-20 at planting and again in July to spruce them up for shows in August.
Sorry no one has answered botanicat. A good place to get answers for your region is the Dahlia Society of Georgia website below. Their newsletters are informative whether living in the SE US or not.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia Society of Georgia Newsletters
Thanks, poochella. I'll look there.