3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Unfortunately for me, mine may have rotted because like linnea56 up there, ANOTHER THING x INFINITY (almost) has happened along with my forgetfulness and they're still sitting on my (enclosed) back porch in the pots they grew in. I'm really afraid of what I'm going to find! Even more, I'm afraid of what may have decided to wander in and feast on them!
Is there a chaaaaance, they may be okay? anyone?
I don't recall seeing any very threatening temps in Chicago yet this year, unless I missed them. Being in an enclosed porch, in soil, I would guess there is a very good chance your tubers are fine and waiting for you to dig in.
You'll never know until you look.
I have something that is eating my Dahlias as well! This is during the day. It's blackish, crawls/walks slowly, but can fly pretty fast and makes a loud buzzing (flying) sound when it flies.
There were about 4-5 of them on one of my plants and insecticide doesn't seem to faze them at ALL... ARG! They have eaten so much into my plants that the limbs are breaking in addition to them simply eating the leaves.
I had erewigs also that were eating my flowers.
Then once I got that under control the Japanese beetles came to eat on the buffet as well. I sprayed them with my soap and water solution but then the bloom would turn brown. So, on go the gardening gloves so I could squish them.....I hate squishing them but I love the flowers more. LOL.
Thanks jroot...the winters here in Tualatin, OR are quite mild. If we get any snow, it won't stick :( This will be my first winter with anything delicate...I will err on the side of caution. Probably bring her in when I here reports of frost coming.
That is an azalea, a florist azalea that most people throw out after it's bloomed (not the hardy outdoor type). Perhaps not as floriferous as when "new", but in late fall, early winter, any and all blooms are welcome in the house. It spends the summer outside, and just before frost, it comes in, and by this time, buds are already developing.
Woodygardener, I took the liberty of saving your photo and marking it up too. I agree wholeheartedly with Jroot on his markings. Most people don't save the 'old (mother) tubers' from the past season, unless desperate to save the variety.
I think I see a couple obvious eyes: the largest on tuber 1, and the darkest point on the photo above it on the stem, which has no tuber yet, but, if left to grow, would likely spawn one. Doesn't do you any good now, but if it had a tuber with an eye, it would be salvagable and they grow just like other tubers, the next year. I'll post a shot of stem tubers below, but here is what I can see from the photo posted. Some really close up shots of questionable eyes/tubers would be easier to see or at least fathom a guess. If in doubt, save the clump whole after trimming, or hack it into approximate halves or quarters and remove 'junk' before storing. Then mother nature will help you divide in spring.
Your clump:
Green lines are where I'd cut/trim.
an example of stem tubers seen 1-2-3 high up above the main clump/tubers below. Bet you can see obvious eyes on tuber number 4, right of the stem tubers.
I would like to say thanks for the advice... This is where we are sitting a few weeks later and I am a little more optomistic.
The ones from my mother in law that where dehydrated are looking better. I think about 80% look like they are going to make it. I took the clumps, broke them up a bit, discarded the worst, then soaked the remainder in a sink with a cup of bleach for about 20 min. Then I rinsed them off and soaked them for a couple more hours with some No Damp. After, I patted them dry and packed them in a cardboard box filled with pine shavings. (Same type used for small animal cages). I just checked on them, and some have really rehydrated very nicely, there are no signs of mold or fungus, so I decided to just soak them for a few hours again today and repack them away back into the fridge. Seems that being able to breath but being moist is helping most of them to recover.
The others from Vesseys with really small tubers, I took 2 plants and planted them in two 2 gal pots filled with peat and put them in a south facing window. They seem to be doing really well with some new growth. The rest of the bulbs I prepared for storage similar to what I did with my mother in laws dyhydrated bulbs, only I put them into large ziplocks with wood shavings and up into the unheated attic. I just checked on them and they are doing really well. So... I'll leave them for now.
I think it is going to be a long winter!! Probably check on them every 2 weeks and then pot them up and grow under lights in January... Perhaps blue light?
Usually it's really hot weather that makes them go to center too soon but sometimes it means the cultivar has broken down & is beyond hope. We did have a really weird summer & had a few dahlias that had open centers that had never had them before. We also had a few with hard green centers that had never had them before-- like Zorro! What's with that?? This is usually caused by really hot weather when the buds are forming & cold nights--- dahlias don't care for extremes in temps. esp. all on the same day! By Sept. the green-centered ones had straightened up & redeemed themselves- I think some of it has to do with Farmer Walt out there threatening them with the compost pile :)
The open centered ones got tossed-- they didn't take Farmer Walt seriously & never did get any better. So - out they go-- room for more new ones!
If the ones you had that went to center didn't shape up in Sept. when the weather was not too hot you can take your revenge & leave them un-dug!
Thanks, Cory. Leave them I will. The questionables are still out there swilling in our 6 inches of rain they can just stay there for the next 50 inches. Plenty more dahlias to choose from for their spots in 09.
Farmer Walt walks softly but carries a big pitchfork! Good thing Zorro perked up for you.
Nice work. It makes the long winter a little shorter.
Unfortunately Viking, gravity always works and I would be found in some condition, somewhere, with a big grin on my face! The intrigue of the greenhouse also beckons: not so dangerous in there, I don't think.