3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Ashli, unless you are planning on planting dwarf and miniature dahlias that can be used as ground cover I don´t think that dahlias are a good companion for roses, they can get quite large and tall ( like that 10 ft tall 3 feet wide monster that grows every summer in my garden ) shading everything and anything around it, miniatures and dwarfs don´t grow that tall and wide. But still they are beautiful enough to be considered.
There's more pictures & info on cutting up on the Colorado dahlia Society site starting on the page below.
Good luck!!
Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Dahlia Society
That's strange, Flowerfarmer- our Ag. agent told us if we grew Glads on our farm anywhere, we couldn't get the phytosanitory certificates to ship all over the world because they couldn't certify that there weren't thrips present. So.. we don't grow glads & we do get certified every year.
You most certainly can rinse the dahlia tubers and let them dry naturally. It will not harm them, just make sure they are dry when you put them away to avoid mould and fungus problems. No space heaters are necessary or recommended. Some people like to dust the tubers with a fungicide.
Gladioli should not be planted near sweet peas, either; thrips and aphis being the main troubles!
Cats39- I forgot to tell you to look at our "Dahlia Shows" album to see how dahlias are displayed in an ADS show. There's seven pages of entries from various shows around the Pacific NW. The pictures should give you a lot of hints as to what the judges are looking for in a show dahlia. If you click on an individual picture it will come up bigger & you can get a really close look at it.
Hi Huey_ga,
I've been taking particular notice of your posts/advice since I'm in the Atlanta area too. So now I have a couple of questions for you (or anyone else who'd like to answer). This will be my 2nd yr trying to grow dahlias (1st season was marginally successful but I learned a lot). I used containers last year but thinking of using a raised plant bed. Before I construct the bed, any suggestions? In particular, will it be alright to put in area with mostly mid-late afternoon sun? Also, I'd like to maybe start tubers early (as others have described in the forum) so could I go ahead and start now?
Advice is always appreciated!
I would imagine in the Atlanta area, such sun as received in the late afternoon would be to the dahlia's liking...seeing as how in more southern zones, you are expressly suggested to shade plants subjected to such hot sun.
As long as the plant does receive ample sun....and I leave to your thinking...the dahlia might do very well.
They do love the sun though....so you cant expect them to bloom profusely if they are not given sufficient sun...albeit hot.
I would think the same applies to any location in the southern climes....early morning....or east exposure, late afternoon..sothern or western exposure.
Then again, a northern exposure might be ideal all day long.
I wouldn't put them back in the ground until the ground warms up and new roots can start..May. They could rot since the roots and dirt have been disturbed.
Wrap them in the new Glad product Press & Seal. I have used it in wrapping all my cut dahlias this winter, each one individualy. Just twist the ends and the tuber is airtight. Some will still rot but it works much better than Saran wrap.
If you don't want to do that just put them in plastic grocery bags and loosly twist the top (if that makes sense)so a small amount of air exchange takes place. If that won't work then close the bags tightly and open them about once a week to get some air exchange. You want some air exchange but not too much if you can't make them air tight. The medium is important so they have enough mositure close to them to keep them from shriveling so coarse virmiculite is the way to go. Perlite does well too but if one rots the rot seems to transfer to other tubers easily in perlite.
My inclination would be to say let your cut wounds from dividing dry to the touch, hit them with some antifungal or Lysol and replant half, store half in the method of your choice. A bag and sawdust work well for many.
Protect the planted ones from any excess moisture we might still have here and you might be pleasantly surprised in April or May. Keep the slugs away!
Huey, I hated that Glad Press and Seal! I thought it might be the cats' meow for tuber wrapping, but no way. It was too sticky, too tedious for many tubers per season, too hard to see through. But I will say that the very few tubers I wrapped in it, held up well. So did the ones in aluminum foil!
Hi Jim:
You asked a question regarding why I put the tubers slightly half-out in the growing medium. My answer is no particular purpose except that having the lower part in the medium gives the roots something in which to grow. Having the top part exposed to the light seems to encourage the tubers to sprout, and I can readily see where the new sprouts are, and which tubers are duds.
I think we are both accomplishing the same thing using slightly different methods. Mine works for me, and I believe I got the idea from viewing photos of several dahlia societies' experts.
Starting in March sounds like a good idea. The problem which you mention where the plant grows too fast is common when we start early. I also use flourescent lights with 2 - 40 watt bulbs to get them started and then I introduce them to more natural light.
Do I feel that slightly half-covering slows this type of growth down? No.
Do I think there is anything else you can do to try and prevent this quick type of growth before they see daylight? No, except to start a little later. If my plants get too tall and lanky, I pinch the centre stock as others have described, and form a bushier plant. Hence more flowers. But they need proper staking then for sure.
I agree that our season is to short as it is. That is why I usually start early, and have blooms well in advance of many other growers. This year, I won't start early, as I am out of the country for a while, and won't have someone to watch them on a daily basis. I'd rather have late plant than have my plants die from lack of water at this critical stage.
You wouldn't have to remove them to take cuttings. The cuttings should be about 3" long or so when you cut them. If you have the tubers in the boxes with their necks sticking out of the mix the sprouts are easy to get at. You only need to have about half the tuber buried.
Just be sure you have the tubers labeled & that you then label the pot you put the cutting in.
We use a potting mix to start so I'm not sure about your mix but as long as it's not too dry it should be OK I think.
The temp is good.
Look at the Colorado Dahlia Society site for tips on cutting- this is the page.
Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Dahlia Society
Hi, I am on Vashon Island so probably about the same zone as you, 8b. I have been leaving my dahlias in the ground over winter for 7 year now, with none lost from freezing. I do put a straw mulch over them when the temp is dropping below 25 but just dug up some that I had left in an old garden and not mulched this winter and they were fine. My soil does drain well, however. I loose a lot more if I dig them up!
I am in Silverdale, WA and I have had a Dahlia come back twice on its own without being dug up as well.