3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Jroot,

Really beautiful stuff. Its amazing how much further along yours are than mine given how close we are. I really think my lighting wasn't strong enough.

Shame about the packaging problems. I've been lucky I guess, all of mine have turned out to be what the pictures looked like so far.

I have pink poppies that grow from seed (from the pods of the poppies from last year). I was wondering if they were "peony poppies" or just plain old poppies. They're pretty, whatever they are, but they don't last very long.

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Cheers,
Russ

I have single poppies as well, that I call "plain old poppies". These ones are more like the peonies, of which I have a good number of varieties. And of course I have some of the perennial poppies in various shades also.

Thanks for your comments, Russ. I don't know whether the issue is the strength of the artificial light or not. Well maybe. I use it just to get them going, and when they are up a couple of inches, I get them outside to acclimatize them, and then give them full strength sun. That is where mine get their light before I plant. ... a lot more work, but it pays off. Now, if I were plantlady with several thousand, I just couldn't do it.

Did you get my email sent last night, Russ?

Just realized I didn't really answer your question, Anna.

My lakeside beds were planted out the last week of May. (Link to pics)

My roadside bed was planted out the last week of June. (Link to pics)

The only reason for the different dates was because I was selling cuttings up to the middle of June, so I didn't know what I would have left over for the roadside bed.

That being said, my lakeside beds are on the north side of the house, and while they get sun all day, they don't get as much as the roadside beds get. Also, my sprinkler system hasn't been working yet this year, so they haven't gotten as much water as I think they should have. That should be fixed next week.

Cheers,
Russ

I have watered the dahlias every day ( early in the morning) , unless there is a heavy rain. I think that it was the last few days of May that I planted, but I did start them earlier under florescent lamps, and had them outside in pots most of May, taking them back into the garage when cold threatened.

Thanks so much for confirming this for me.

and it's cute too. :o)
they make nice cut flowers.

Plantlady2008 ~ what do you fertilize with ? Seems that a couple who can manage that huge amount of Dahlias has so much knowlege. Any reading material you would recomend ? Or just tips to help us ametuers handle our Dahlias better ?

Thanks so much ~

Gina- When Walt plants he mixes about 1/2 cup of good old 10-20-20 farm fertilizer in the bottom of the hole- (the same stuff we've always used on the row crops of corn, beans or berries-- we have 62 acres with raspberries & blueberries on about 40 of them). Then he puts in a shovelfull of nice black riverbottom peat soil from down at the back of the farm & mixes that well. Then he puts in the tuber & covers with about 1" of soil. As the plant grows he fills in the hole & hills it up. Then he lays down the T-tape drip irrigation & covers that with soil & hills up some more. About the middle of July he side-dresses with 10-20-20 so the plants put out great blooms for the shows. That's it for the fertilizer for the year.
As for reading-- there's a great deal of info on the Colorado Dahlia Society site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Dahlia Society Site

Yum. Love it. Good work!

Thanks for that Russ.

Ray,

According to the writings I've read, a good forceful water spray should actually kill them, not simply dislodge them. They're ultra-tiny soft-bodied insects...as you spray, keeping imagining the sounds of *MUSH* while you chant; "Take that you little beggers!"...;-]

Cheers,
Russ

LOL!

Thanks for the chuckles, Russ. :)

-Ray

Thanks for your help and advice, everyone. I went out and dug up the tubers...lol.....there were no tubers in existence, not even the remnants of any. The green growth I THOUGHT was at least one dahlia sprouting turned out to be just a weed!

Yes, the tubers DID have eyes, and I tried hard to do what the instructions said. Not sure what I did wrong. I guess in the future I'll buy local tubers if I try dahlias again. I have to say, I've had difficulty with tulips and lilies rotting, even though I amend the soil very well and don't use high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Think I'll stick with "easy" flowers-roses, daylilies, lilies, siberian iris & other perennials/annuals. :0)

Phyl

Phyl,

Dahlias are indeed easy to grow. .... and very rewarding. However, we have had a weird spring. You mention that you lost some tulips and lilies as well from rot. This is likely what happened here. I had several dahlias that I lost also, but enough of a reserve which I had started indoors that I don't notice their loss now. It is something that sometimes happens. Don't let this slight setback turn you off of these amazing flowers.

Make sure that your soil is well drained. I have my best ones in a slightly raised bed. Originally I thought that I would raise the bed so the landscaping crew would not cut the flowers off while they cut the grass. I realize now that it was a really good idea.