3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Thanks, pdshop! I will look into it! :0) Phyl

How curious Phylrae. Does NY want to protect their earwig population???? It's certified for organic use.

I know I stopped at several nurseries last year who were not going to order Sluggo Plus until their stock of regular Sluggo was sold, so my cynical side wonders if the Agway guy was just wanting to clear their shelves of product before ordering a new product. Total mystery.

Couldn't find any mention of Sluggo Plus on the NY State Dept of Environmental Conservation banned pesticides etc, but I did find Sluggo Plus, quite allowable, on the list at the link.

I don't know why it would be banned, but get it at Amazon and see if they can ship it to you. Don't call me for bail money when the Sluggo Plus Police come a-knockin' though LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: scroll down to Sluggo Plus

I love that cloth. Where did you get it. What a wonderful way to not have slugs. Beautiful place. It is raining here so the slugs are probably feasting away. I just envy sitting at that window. I guess I can't be your single gal as I have cats!

There's a link to the cloth manufacturer below. Quest Plastics 'Select' - Silver. 5 year guarantee. They have 4 grades, this is the second lowest and called 'Nursery Grade'. Higher grades have a 20 year, or 'infinite' guarantee, but are considerably more expensive (C$5, $9, $14, $30) Comes as a 3' x 50' roll. Stuff to hold it down is extra.

I bought it at Canadian Tire.

BTW, my dogs and I get along with cats...;-]

Cheers,
Russ

Yes, the 8-24-8 would be a good formulation for dahlias, I would think. Quite low on the nitrogen side, with a good emphasis for growing the tuber.

I think my problem with fertilzers is that I spend the winter reading all sorts of stuff about growing dahlias and than go on line and see all sorts of things that say they are the one and only thing for dahlias and buy eveerything and throw it in the garden. It will be interesting if I get away with it this year. Next year tomato spikes

I think there great! Thanks for the post!!

I am looking forward to Pennsgift blooming. Will probably need rebar for that one.

I can't tell you why it's happening, but when the shoot dies the tuber should send up a new one shortly. so, as far as that goes, all is not lost. Last year I had problems with wilting/death that was related to a rotting tuber, but the plant was a lot further along than what you are describing. Has it been really wet and cool? Rotting tubers could cause your problem I think. If you think that could be a problem, you could carefully dig one up just to check things out.

HTH
Katy

Well, there's two types of "brown" in my experience. There's the dark brown that to me means the plant is rotting, or the light brown which means its drying out.

Given your soil is clay, I'd say its probably the former, where the dark brown is almost black sometimes and rather than getting brittle, the leaves are wilting at the same time.

If this is the case, then my guess would be there is likely too much moisture at the ground surface (from the tuber to the air.) Of course the tuber could be rotting too.

I would definitely take the soil off the top of the tuber so you can check this out, whether the tubers rotting or not. It shouldn't be soft at all.

If I'm right, then you'll need to amend the soil some more to ensure the water drains away from the tuber.

Cheers,
Russ

It is an interesting picture, but what is it? Surely, not a dahlia.

Using Photobucket, copy and past the link in the HTML code

OR use the direct link code in the Optional Link URL

Here is a link that might be useful:

better hope it doesn't signal the mother ship.

You can certainly cut the plant back at the stem practically anywhere you want as long as its close to where some branches are (just like you did when you topped.) However, its a shame to lose the growth just because they're not standing up on their own. When you topped they should have gotten thicker anyway, and should continue to do so.

I'd look to one of the solutions I mentioned.

Cheers,
Russ

Russ:

I thought that when I topped mine, they would branch out and get bushy, but they have not. And, to top it all off, I forgot about the hardening off thing. I may just take a suggestion from another forum person, I believe her user name is plantlady. She suggested if the dahlias are too leggy, when you plant them, just plant them deeper, removing the bottom leaves like you would tomato plants. If I can get them planted in the next few days, that might work. If we get more rain before I get them in the ground, I will just have to cut them back as you suggested.

I envy your lovely garden area. I could see some of the trees in the background in the photos you posted. I hope you will post more photos when your dahlias are blooming.

I'm sorry that I didn't remember that it was you, Poochella, who had told me about Sluggo Plus.
I have another question now. I remember seeing/touching my ONE & ONLY slug when I lived in Texas (in about 1987) and I was totally grossed out. Somehow it got inside my apt. north of Houston...and I walked downstairs barefoot to step on this slimy gross thing under my kitchen table! (I didn't even have a garden OR houseplants back then!)

Since I have never encountered another one, and I have grown 2 dahlias now (one from a tuber two years ago & one from seed last year-large bush, BTW), would that suggest that maybe they don't come around these parts?
My mom used to grow marigolds when I was a kid, and I used to have to help weed her garden....I never saw a one.

Thanks for the explanation about where they arrive...I was expecting something chomping underground maybe.
Guess I should still get the SP? For earwigs at l east (they must not be a flying insect, but a crawler too?)

:0) Phyl

If you haven't seen a slug in your area you are really living right! The little ones ride in on animal fur so I'll find one on the floor here and there.

Have you seen earwigs? They are so damaging to flower petals and tough little creeps to catch. If you do have them, I would go to the expense of Sluggo Plus as none of the other methods that I've tried anyway seem to catch them: inverted pots atop dahlia stakes, hose lengths on the garden bed floor, rolls of newspaper etc. Never caught one.

It's up to you. A spritz of ammonia will kill the stray slug you might encounter, and their eggs and is very cheap.