3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Kewl.

Thanks every one.

Great pictures! Sorry I wasn't much of a bulb buddy, Dale. All sorts of health issues came up - I barely got my dahlias planted - but they are coming along nicely, and I had my first real bloom yesterday - a lovely collarette called Fantastico. I hope to post a picture soon. I say "real bloom", because the small bedding types have been blooming for over a month now.
Anna

thanks for looking and thanks for the posts! no problem anna. glad you're feeling better. Take Care All!

I had them just eating my dahlias up. Sprayed with Sevin and haven't seen them on my dahlias in over a week. Spray Sevin at dusk to minimize poisoning the bees.
Insecticidal soap won't work cause they are hard (really hard) bodied insects.
Hate these lil buggers!

i did the same. haven't seen them for a bit. gonna spray again in a couple of weeks. also sprayed late in the day to protect the bees. hate those little buggers too!

Beautiful perfect bloom linht! I got Spike for the first time this year and it is one of the most robust plants in the dahlia bed so far. I aspire to get just one bloom like yours.

Jroot has it right: cut them and enjoy them! Rain is hard as far as waterspots on petals, in my experience. Try to cut them before the downpour, if you're interested in cutting.

Thanks, poochella. I do like Spike because it's such a consistent, robust grower. I've no doubt your Spike blooms will be excellent. I look forward to seeing all pics this season from you, Jroot and of course, Mr. Dahliaboy, Ed, where ever he is these days.

I managed to get better pictures of both flowers, with rain drops...;-]

FYI, for anyone trying to get good tight shots but finding they're blurry, you may not need a macro lens. I found out that my minimum focus distance was 20" (in the camera manual.) So I make sure I take a non-zoomed picture at that distance. Then I go into my photo editing software and just crop everything but the flower out, and bingo, it looks like it was taken with a macro lens (I think, anyway.)

Cheers,
Russ

Very Pretty!

Yeah, I was thinking, he's probably in Canada...can't I ship him one of my 100+ left overs?

Cheers,
Russ

While the subject is growing Dahlias, I thought I would put
my 2C in on fertilizer. Seems as though there is always
questions about what to fertilize with and everybody seems
to have their own secret/miracle stuff. Right? Last year
I used something called Dry-Bar Cave Bat Guano with a NPK
ratio of 3-10-1. To me, it really brings out the colors
of the blooms and seems to promote a lot of branching.
More stems and more flowers. As I said, it worked for me.

I have been growing Dahlias for over twenty years now. So I hope that qulifies me to give a little advice. Try starting the big dahlias a little early. If you can cover them out side about a month before you would ordinarly.

I have been growing dahlias for only 5 years, but I always start them inside late April throughout May, where they are outside but in a protected screened-in porch.

I also endorse Sluggo - it saved my dahlias from complete destruction by slugs when the bulbs were just pushing up through the ground. In one 24 hour period, my dahlias were reduced to stubs, and I had to dig them up, replant and cross my fingers that they'd come back. After one treatment of the Sluggo, the slugs disappeared overnight. The bulbs are doing well, and it looks like I'll have blooms. As a backup, I also put out dishes of beer, and yes ... it worked exceptionally well. I'm sure you won't need to use the backup, but I was so desperate to save my dahlias that I was willing to try everything. Coffee grounds, beer, Sluggo. Best of luck!

Slugs just ate all my zinnia seedlings 2 weeks ago, so I bought the same thing (I think it is a different brand, it is called "Slug Bait" but the active ingredient is the same: iron phosphate + bait. It is very effective.

You can get it from Home Depot of Lowes.

Beside the "Slug Bait" on the rack, there were also Slug Killer." I think that one is stronger but is more dangerous as the label says "not to be used around children."

I don't have children, but I like something milder, so I chose the Slug Bait. I found it VERY effective.

Hi jroot

Your Dahlias are beautiful!

I'd like to post pics of my guys but i haven't figured out how to configure my pictures to the size that you post. My pics are either too small to see or 2 big for some forum members. Would you mind sharing your 'sizing' expertise with me :)

Thanks!

Hello Dale,

I store the pictures that I want to post in Photobucket.

In order to post on Garden Web, in a small size that is expandable:

1) log in to your photobucket site

2) select the shots you wish to reproduce

3) on the bottom, right of the PAGE, you will see "Generate HTML and IMG code. Press that. When you press the Generate HTML and IMG code, you will be redirected to another page, where you can copy the code.

4) Copy the top HTML Clickable for Ebay, Live Journal, My Space, etc.

5) Paste the copied code into the Garden Web page where you wish to post.

6) Proceed as per usual with the preview, etc.

Actually, you can select several pictures at a time and generate the codes at the same time.

I hope this helps.
John

Now that I look at it again it looks more like Pinelands Princess! So hard to tell from a picture when there's so many that look alike.

I found the box it came in... WOW huh! its "Haarly Jane"

-phil

Yes JROOT , my wife is very sick. So I had to do something to even get her to want to get out of bed. It is too hot during the day now, but at night she comes out to sit.

I am sorry viking. Hope your flower room makes your wife feel even a little bit better.