3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Dear Busy:

I am late in responding and I hate to say this but this year my deer HAVE started eating my dahlias. Perhaps we have a greater deer crowding problem along with less cayote than other regions but that's whats happening here. So I will second Poochellas suggestion to spray!

Lucinda

The deer in CT eat everything except a few bushes and my Dahlias. I did not lose one from deer. I lost two from a mole problem, but the owl fixed that. The deer ate the sunflowers 4 feet away.

I was given really really really shrivelled tubers this fall. I managed to get them to sprout this spring!

These are the things I think made them successful;

1.) I bathed them in a 10% bleach solution to kill of any fungus / mold for around 1/2 an hour. Then switched them over to a water bath for a few more hours to try and help hydrate them. I added a tablespoon of an anti fungal product called "no damp" to the water bath, but I don't think this is critical. Afterwards, you have to let them dry off for an hour or two.

2.) Once they are dry, they are ready to package them up for storage, or start to try and grow them. If you want to store them a bit longer. I recommend putting them in wood shavings (the type you get at a pet store, really inexpensive, pine or cedar, or a mix of both). Another good choice for storing them would be vermiculite. If you only have a few tubers, then try putting them with the shavings in a ziplock and stash it in the fridge. If there are too many for the fridge, then find as cool a place as you can. check on them every few days if you can.

Thank you for the help!!! I plan to try to revive them, and either way, I've learning my lesson. Thanks!

homemommy! You can trade with me! I live in Canada and should have some to spare...I thought I lost them with all the power outages we had over the winter....So I happily ordered more...and now it turns out some of mine survived....so I should have more than enough. Do you have any particular ones that you looking for? I only grow for cutting so I mostly have B's and BB's
Janice

Hey Busy-Girl, I will PM you. I am not sure what B's and BB's are, but if you are not familiar with my tubers back story, I need to fill you in.

The plants I would have to trade are dinner plate dahlias. They are either purple, or purple and white in colour. (Lilac time and I think it was Moms Special). But, I won't know which I am sending due to issues last year and not identifying during storage. Where in Canada are you?

Hello,

I have had experience growing Fuzzy Wuzzy and have given all of these bulbs away. Fuzzy Wuzzy is a medium pink with a smaller flower and not very showey in the garden. In a small garden as you describe, I would want to purchase dahlias that have larger flowers but still grow to only about 36 inches. Hope that this helps!

Paula

Thanks for your responses. I decided against purchasing Fuzzy and will try some pom-poms instead. I am still deciding on a few others as well. I can't wait to see them bloom!

Yea you are holding out on us. You probly have huge plants blooming all over the place. The local flower shop is calling you day and night for your blooms. It is just horiable.

I love your work sturgeonguy...very nicely done fella

Mick

Just a couple of other dark dahlias.

Hello,

I think that you might want to try Kenora Macob! This dahlia has an absolutely lovely dark maroon color! It does well in the garden, grows to 42-48 inches in my garden and the bulbs multiple and keep well in the winter! Good luck!

Paula

You don't sound stimulated.

How do we know she likes dahlias. NCdigger, good one!

Carla

Has anybody herd from Russ. He must be holding out some outstanding dahlias.

I hope you'll take pictures when they bloom.

Carla

Greetings to the far north Moose,

I should just permanently install the word "dahlia" in my Google search box so I don't have to retype it so often...

Tomo link below. I've never grown it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia tomo

That looks like one I have grown in the past, unfortunately that year i did not know they where tender and let it freeze in the ground ;-( However, it really was beautiful and grew very well.

BTW, i have seen it at Costco for sale every year for the last 4 years in the spring... They are really well priced.