3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Yes, I saved a complete clump with the stem cut off to about 1 inch as I had seen on the site. The little growth is coming from under the stem. It is about 1 inch in length. I also just plant the single tuber. You can tell that I have bought everry year and this is my first year of saving. I hover over them like an old lady! I will plant the growth, but what do I do with it if it grows to a big plant? We have months before we can go outside?
I hover over my flowers too, it drives my husband to distraction!! Every 5 hours or so I have to go do a full "inspection". Probably going to kill them with love. lol. Although it has gotten worse since I got the two flats of seedlings!!
It sounds to me like this is not really out of the stem, but is related to the tuber... I would try a sharp knife and seeing if you can sever it with perhaps a couple of tubers if just one would be too difficult from the rest of the clump and burrying it... My stem buds are much higher up the stem, about 2"-4", i left a large piece of stem on one clump, just stored it the way it was given to me. These buds are definately from where the meristems would be...
Thanks for the cutting tip, I have been to that site before and read and re read it a few times, but, I missed that somehow, perhaps getting confused with other advice on the web.
I am not sure how much these tubers can take before they exhaust themselves! But, many have multiple sprouts, so I will definately use the sprout cutting method on the extra sprouts! Perhaps at the end of the day, I may be up to the original number of plants!!
I have something similar happening with one of my MILS tubers. It had a length of stem attached to it. Now, it does have a tuber, but it is not rooting and honestly looks like it is on lifes last legs. However... In a few different places, along this dried out woody stem, there are buds forming! I think these where dorment meristems (you see the ridges where the buds are). Almost impossible to believe the thing is alive, but, it is!!
I am planning on letting them grow a little more, and then cutting them off and planting them like one would a cutting. Probably not sever it from the stem, but plant them with pieces of the stem and all.
tate85- you can store them in the pots over the winter. Cut them off a few inches from ground level, store the pot on it's side- this lets any excess moisture drain away & keep them cool- above freezing but not above about 45* & in a dark place just like you would for tubers. In spring you can dig them out, divide them & replant. This is the way most people store pot tubers from cuttings if they've kept them in the pot through the summer.
Your pots are big enough for dahlias. Hawaii is 4 ft tall for me, so a stake would be recommended when you plant it, or plant it next to some kind of support- fence, deck uprights, etc. I hated the crosswires in the pot and found them unnecessary.
Don't know cactus soil mix. It sounds sandy. In pots in a sunny location, one enemy will be moisture loss. I used Soil Moistening polymers in 1/3 compost, 1/3 topsoil (with more compost in it) and 1/3 potting mix. Still, on the hottest days in black pots they needed water daily, once up and growing.
They should grow well and the tubers do nearly as well in a pot as in the garden. On the taller (4ft) varieties the foliage was more sparse, but the flowers were fine. I might have missed topping those, though. 3 footers are great in pots.
My opinion would be to only put one Hawaii in each pot rather than crowd the tubers. Three would be too many, two would look funny. How tall is 'Yellow Eye?' If it's shorter, maybe you could do one Hawaii and two yellow eye in a triangle.
Do a search on growing dahlias in pots and you'll find more links that may help.
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Dahlias in Pots from ADS site
Good information is at the link below. Plantlady and crdahlia can offer up more firsthand info, among others. Do a google search of dahlia cuttings for many more links available.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlias.net link
Thanks; I forgot about that site.
It has been a week since I planted up many of my sister tubers to these plants, they are starting to sprout! I am so excited! I am going to have to grow them on indoors for about another 4 months, no easy task, however they where so small last year I was sure I could not keep them viable for too much longer in storage...
So... i may end up just using the sprout method with many of the extra sprouts.... I want to have a huge greenhouse next year, but alas, I only have a south facing picture window this year!!
I have a suspicion you're going to convert your neighborhood from Ford Escorts to Cadillacs one day soon Viking. I hope your dahlias grow as planned. I had to pull a couple rotters out when checking tubers and was suprised to find sprouts already: in total darkness, in the chilly tuber room. They are amazing!
Cosmos can be lovely and reseed freely here too. Marigolds: I think a big silent siren sounds and every slug from a mile radius slithers over to eat them down to the stems overnight. I had to give up on those years ago unless planting in a rail-rider planter high on a deck.
Continued luck with your early starts.
Glad to here that Marigolds attract slugs. I will plant some just a little bit away from my dahlias. May be this year I won't have to go out in the middle of the night with a flashlight and a spray bottle. The neighbors must think I am some kind of nut running around with a flaslight in the middle of the night. Of course they would never say any thing to me because they all get bouquets.
I haven't paid $24.95 for a dahlia for some time, and won't this year either, because I haven't found any that I absolutely have to have to pay that price. However, I have in the past, once I learned how to take cuttings. Once I found I could get 5, 6 or more plants from one tuber, it became much easier to justify that price.
Teresa
Wynnes AA & A dahlias don't flop- they breed them with broomstick strong stems! They also have about 20 BB & B sized dahlias.
I ordered from Swan Island once- 10 tubers-- 6 of them didn't eye up & 2 weren't what I ordered- the remaining 2 the blooms were of poor quality & bad form so....never again!
Ferncliff is Ok but they're in Canada so there's the extra expense of the phyto certificate.
Dan's is OK & Connell's is Ok... sometimes.
Check the Big List on the Colorado Dahlia society website and you will find a great selection of reputable suppliers to buy from.
Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Dahlia Society
Unless I've been fooled by my senses, the Dalia Blue Bell is quite close to a Royal Blue. I must admit that in nature, very few flowers are really blue, all of them will be closer to lavender or purple or even black; so when it comes to look for blue flowers we shall be a bit tolerant on this approach. Words from a Brit that is still working on a blue theme garden!
In Britain, Thompson & Morgan have them in Catalogue. Once they flower I'll let you know how blue they are.
First I live on Long Island so I can only say what I would do here. I first grew Arabian nights back in 1985. We loved it. We grow black satin now because it looks like our old Arabian night. If you love the real dark red almost black color that dahlia is for you. I would plant it in a planter with at least a 12 inch opening. Because you are in Texas you might think about getting an umbrella to cover it. Make sure you water every day. Maybe twice a day if the soil dries out.
I was on Marco Island and I don't think Dahlias would grow there for long. It gets very hot and muggy in the summer.
This is going to be very interesting in the Spring. I am ordering tubers because I don't trust that mine will pull through the winter. IF they do, than I am going to be planting dahlias along the roadside. OR, I could give them to the garden club.
I think I will try and find a source for that one. Steve in Baltimore County.
Personally I like the name poochella better.