3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Love that Farmer John, Viking!

Thanks misslucinda I like Farmer John myself. The color is deeper in real life for both Farmer John and Sunny. The flash tends to lighten both. Farmer John and Dapper Dad make a big splash of color on my front lawn.

Very nice and the stems are great also. Which Dahlia dose the queen like best?

Thanks for comment. First time have grown it this year and like it a lot - am afraid I do not know the answer about what the Queen likes best!!

It's true that dahlias have no natural pests or predators, but they can be susceptible to other pests. I've got some planted near rosebushes (a dumb move on my part!) and I keep finding beetles eating holes in the leaves and moving into the buds. We've gotten some beetle spray and will probably get a beetle bag soon to keep them away.

However, you've got box elders, not beetles. I do not know how exactly to combat them, but look into ladybugs. You can buy them by the thousands for roughly ten dollars. They eat several garden pests, and they're kind of nice to have around (granted, they sell them in such large numbers because likely half of your purchase will just fly away)

Slugs, Aphids, Earwigs, Caterpillars, Japanese Beetles-- the list goes on & on-- all eat dahlias. Who ever told you that the dahlia has no natural pests is very wrong!

Your wet June and what sounded like few days of sunshine with it didn't help much, but it sounds to me like your "cutting back" was the main issue. Try to avoid leaving a hollow stem. Pinching the center growth tip off the main stalk/s will suffice. Just once is all I do. Your fertlizer, sun, soil all else sounds perfect especially since they look healthy.

I hope you'll get some nice hot summer now. One other thought: was the fertilizer slow release or more short acting? If not slow release, you might consider applying another dose to each plant and see what happens. Also adequate watering 1-2x weekly will do wonders.

Hope you have some laterals taking off so you can hope to see some blooms. Our neighbor dog snapped one off here so the stalk was just 4" tall, but the side shoots have taken off and are coming along just fine. Where there is green- there is hope! Let us know how they come along.

Is this the first time they've wilted, or do they wilt and come back to normal healthy appearance? Almost all of mine wimp, as I call it, during the heat of the day and then rebound as it cools off. Same goes for me ;)

Some things that have caused wilt and sudden death here are boring stem menace near the soil level. Rotting tuber (dig up, cut off rot and replant which may save the plant.) Broken or damaged stem. Vascular disease- see link.

If it stays wilted, I'd start checking your main stalk/s for damage or soft/discolored spots, foliage for suspicious developments, then if still no obvious causes, I'd unpot it as carefully as you can and check the tubers. Also consider over-watering which is hard to do in a pot, but possible.

Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: some dahlia diseases causing wilt

hi poochella. thanks for the reply.

yes, they wilt in the heat and then they usually rebound once evening rolls around. the one branch that i had to cut off was not supported and probably broke when it wilted.

i realized the ones that wilt also are sitting about 3 feet away from a parked car. i had a thought after i posted that perhaps they were getting reflected heat from the parked car and that caused them to wilt. dahlias that weren't placed near the car have NOT wilted. i'm going to move those pots right now.

also, re: watering. i usually water once i know the soil is dry, so that rules out any possibilities of overwatering.

I see you are zone 5-6 but not exact location, I am in zone 7 Baltimore County and have only one survive over the winter. Spartacus. Sorry I can't be more help. Steve.

I am in Zone 6a. Indeed, it is very unusual for your dahlia to have made it through the winter!

I had a couple tubers out in a cold frame this spring, one night the temps dipped just below freezing and that was enough to kill them.

However, there is much to be said for "micro climates". Your zone (5 or 6) is reflective of what is typically found around your area on a large scale. It is possible to find warmer "pockets" that do not experiance the same temperatures. Classic examples are along foundation walls of a heated structure, if enough heat radiates from the building, it could warm your soil enough to be the equivalent of a much higher zone.

Another possibility is if you heaped a lot of material on top of the ground, and it began to compost, the pile may have heated up / sheltered your tuber enough for it to survive.

Enjoy the flower, but if you want to keep it for next year for sure, I would dig it out in the fall!!