3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I have mine growing quite close (6" - 9 "), and they don't rot. I am wondering if your bed is getting adequate drainage. Mine are slightly raised so I know they get the drainage they need. On the other hand, I have to water every day. Another thought might be the soil make-up. Is there too much clay, and not enough organics?
Wow alyrics, you're planting Thomas Edison in a pot? How big is the pot(diameter wise)? I have a friend who wants to grow T.E. in a pot also but we don't know how big of a pot it has to be. Also, please let me know if it's thriving well in the pot. Any info would be most helpful...
Tracy
linht......yes, my Zorros are darker....the flash may have gone off when I took the photo causing them to look lighter. I've cut one off the bush and put it in a vase
It measures 10 inches across, just like the other two.
I'm only growing 3 up at a time to get them large.
DB
They're lovely! I order from Breck's also and I question their description on bloom widths because my Kelvin Floodlight is always about 10 - 12 inches but the catalog says it's about 9 inches. And Garden Wonder is suppose to be 6 inches but mine are always around 4 - 5 inches. Oh well, at least they bloom I guess.
I use to have a big problem with animals big and small using my garden as a buffet. The Liquid Fence has helped amazingly. It actually does keep the squirrels out because I still see them chillin' in my neighbors' yards but they NEVER come in to mine anymore. I spray it about every other day and that seems to work well. I know it smells like "rear end" but it works wonders.
When you take plants outside that have been inside, you want to move them gradually into full sun. Taking them directly from inside to your full-sun spot will severely damage, if not outright kill them. I always move them to my front porch, where they get only east sun, for 7-10 days. Or I put them under a tree in dappled shade for that amount of time.
Have you sprayed with any kind of bug spray? I thought of you this afternoon. Yesterday I found 1 dahlia out of all of them that was absolutely covered with little black aphids. I sprayed with an insectidical soap which appears to have killed them. However it also burned the plant and a lot of the leaf area is brown and curling in just 1 day.
If you got any kind of drift of a spray onto the plants that could have had something to do with the leaves. But, - I wish I could send you this privately because I don't want you to feel bad - looking at the gorgeous dahlia in your above photo - look how dark green your leaves are - I think that one is also getting a bit too much nitrogen. Some people think that too much nitrogen will cause the tuber to rot over the winter, so if you intended to keep them you might just drop back to bone meal or something very low N, that also feeds roots and flowers.
You might just use iron phosphate - Sluggo is a brand or Garden Supply has their own - which will kill slugs. Maybe it will even give the extra nutrients you need. All of my dahlias are green and pretty good looking, except 2 that were planted together looking chlorotic. I just fertilized with Mighty Plant and Messenger tonight and will see if that helps.
Thanks again poochella! I'm so glad you know the variety I have! I'll take your advice and plant them where they get early sun and afternoon shade. They're definitely getting too big for the container they're in, so I guess it's time to plant them outdoors, maybe tonight.
I appreciate all your help :)
Dee
Papaya232,
How long ago did you transplant your dahlias? 3 feet high is a little large, but I've done it before and they nearly always come out of it and within a few weeks look the same as the ones I didn't transplant. Because I grow so many, I have a row of ones I can transplant in case something doesn't grow right in the main garden. My sister transplanted blooming dahlias a few years ago in the heat of summer because of her daughter's wedding.
Teresa
Are they getting sun? Dahlias must have sun. Your comment about skinny stems makes me think that there is a lack of sun and they plants are reaching for light.
I'm with jroot on that one......it seems that there is a lack of good sun where you are growing and the plants are leggy.
DB