3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Thank you both for your suggestions. Poochella, hope your pretender does well. I've had them break up higher before but this is the first time they've broken below ground. I'll cover them and leave them for now. Some are in an area of heavy wet clay and I always dig those, the other end of the planting is in good soil that is bermed up and I may leave those in the ground. I have a lot of one particular dahlia so not a disaster if I lose some some of those, but I also have a few "onesies" that haven't multiplied as much as I'd like and those will be pampered a little more.

"Pretender" has some of the curliest stems I've seen! Even a day or two horizontal will get those stems aiming skyward. Plant is doing okay though and new stems are straight again.

I hope your tubers keep for your.

Worton Blue streak is the closest I have come to blue so far.

Unforgettable is one dahlia I never want to be without. It would be lovely with any purple you chose.

Your the man PDSHOP. We would be proud to display our Dahlias that way. I like the purple ones also. A large group all in row like that really makes a statement.

I just went out to look for a tag on the purple one. Can't find it. It may be on the tuber. It has a silver glow in the middle but I didn't catch it. also maniac didn't upload. Will try it later. Thanks for all your comments. I love doing trhis.

Yes the first shot is farmer john.

That cat is everywhere! He has good taste in flowers and obviously has a love for dahlias.

I love your dahlias and will be visiting you this year via cataloge I hope. I am making lists of what I want. It is pouring now and the dahlias look like peonies.

Of course I have to have that purple one. My daughter wants the orange yellow one. I will have to wait for your on line photos to show the wife. I may just order from you my self like last year. I have been very happy with farmer john and daper dad. They are out front in the big pots so every one who goes by the house sees them.

PDSHOP it is nice to see more shots of your garden. I feel compeled to ask are you JROOT ok. I know my garden is not as nice as last year. It it wasn't for some of the new dahlias I planted I would have a very sparce garden this year. I put all the new dahlias up in March and they were will formed before facing all the rain. Later I tried to start all my other dahlias out side late and it still rained them out.

Thanks everyone. I will keep trying. It is so frustrating when I can't do something easy. It ios going to rain for a couple of days so have to go out and cut.

Google 'Wynne's Dahlias' and you'll find the link to seed-to-seedling photos and descriptions. Very informative and soooo much work!

If you Google "dahlia seeds" Images, click on the largest image of seeds that show up. You get a view of a fairly close up from a dahlia society page in CA, I think.

Thank you for introducing me to Wynne's. Unfortunately, my DH and pocketbook will not be thanking you! I was so impressed by the pictures of their plants and reasonable prices. I spent time at the site, reading and learning. What a wealth of information for the dahlia novice is there.

I have grown "pot" dahlias for almost as many years as I've been gardening, and also grew a few of the taller varieties. These did not have larger flowers but they did produce "pretty" ones. It's just been in the last few years that I tried my hand at keeping my tubers over winter and had some success. I'm pleased because one of my keepers did not bloom last year - I may have planted it too late - but I have buds now. This is Hayley Jane and I can't wait to see it. I also have a plant given to me in a trade by Corgicorner, who I hope sees this message. Betty K is going to bloom too, Alfred, and I'm anxiously waiting to see it.

I have much to learn and will be spending lots of time reading messages here and enjoying all the pictures everyone has shared.

Thanks again,
Linda

My gosh, viking- you've been working that Farmer J hard this summer- it seems like he's been blooming since around June. He always was a hard worker though!
Your Dapper Dad is taller than his namesake- who barely made 5'8"!

Who can find the cat?

What state gives you the longest blooming time for dahlias. I think I may move there.

YIKES, trustmissy- that's one nasty looking center. If it doesn't straighten up on the next few blooms, give it the old heave-ho! That can be caused by extreme weather or by the stock just being no good any more. If they all have looked like the second picture for long- ie- a dahlia that's supposed to be fully double but has an open center then I'm tempted to say it really has broken down & needs to be replaced. If that's a picture that you took late in the bloom's life & it was closed in the center (like poochella's picture) when it first opened then it's OK.
poochella- yes - those are curly petaloids- but our weather has been so weird this summer that I'd give it until the end of Sept to see if all the blooms are like that. Hopefully it's straightened up by now.
Growing for eg.- 8 up --means to allow 8 laterals to develop on a plant.
If you grow too many up on a plant the blooms will suffer as they won't put enough petals in each bloom so you get early open centers. Your blooms won't be as large either. If you grow too few up- that is-- if a dahlia has a really high petal count- like Wyn's Sensation or Wyn's Aztec Gold-- for instance, the centers are pushed into ovals as they try to crowd a lot of petals into a small space.

pdshop- usually the Pacific NW is dahlia heaven- they grow better & easier here than anywhere else in the country-- & there's a load of dahlia societies from Canada to Oregon so you can move here & get your fill of wonderful dahlias every year! Right now, the weather has settled down & the dahlias are spectacular!

This is supposed to be an open and honest forum. That is a terrible Just Married. The color seems OK but not the form JM should have. I like Urchin. Good pics. Steve S.

Sorry my second bloom of Just Married is worse than the one you picture. Steve S.

CORGICORNER HERE AGAIN.
It is my opinion only, but I think most potting mixes are too "heavy". By that I mean they do not drain well, and are very liable to become "muddy". Try a small amount in a pot, and see how it reacts--if it drains well, and doesn't seem muddy----that's your decision. NOW, mix a small batch of 4 parts of your potting mix and 1 part perlite. TAKE YOUR TIME AND MIX IT WELL! See how that reacts. Yes! I know! you will have to decide which you think is best! Remember, you are putting a lot of time and energy into this project, so take your time and try to do it right. (By the way, you can incorporate those experimental batches into what ever you decide to go with.)

Thanks again. The mix I got is very light & has perlite in it. The 6 pots were washed, given a mild bleach dip, & rinsed. One tuber had a sprout which I cut off, dipped in rooting hormone & put into a small pot with a clear plastic cup on top. There were several smaller tubers that I put into a window box type container & covered lightly. If they sprout, I will find more large pots. The sun porch gets rather cold, so I'll move them into the house.
I am feeling like a mad scientist, minus the lab coat.