3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Pyrgal, did you wash/dry those tubers well, and do some sort of antifungal dip or dusting before wrapping them? I wouldn't expect the Saran wrap method to work on untreated, dirty tubers. Too many critters get corralled in tight confines for a few months with the tubers, and heartbreak is sure to follow.
Another thing to stress is to remove as many roots, but particularly stems as possible- just wrap the single well-trimmed tubers. Stem material breaks down into mush very quickly and that promotes rot. At least it has for me in the past.
If you don't take that one or two extra steps at tuber prep before plastic wrapping, I'd use vermiculite too. You just have to watch the moisture level a bit closer.
My wrapped tubers look exactly like the day I put them in storage: plump, firm, dusted in sulphur with eyes visible.
Our daughter-in-law grew them in Phoenix for years- in pots on the patio. The first year we were down there for Christmas & planted them while we were there. They grew 6" in a week! They were blooming by March & when the really hot weather hit she cut them back down but left them in the pots & kept watering. After awhile they put out another bunch of growth & they bloomed again until almost Christmas. They were more like a perennial in that I don't think she ever did dug them up again - just cut them back when they got too leggy or the weather was too hot- & stood back & they just GREW!
I've never grown them so I can't guarantee this is right but I think they're sold as a border dahlia- about 12-18" tall- which is shorter than the Bishop & I think I've heard that the blooms are smaller- very prolific in the blooming dept. Of course the height & bushiness will depend on your own garden & cultivation methods, too.
I have done a little research and all of the named Caproz introductions are prefixed with the word CAPROZ. Armed with this information you can go to the address included below which will bring up a dahlia variety locator. You can then search the locator file to find commercial sources offering any of these Caproz varieties.
The locator file is still pretty much a 2006 sourcing file, but during the month of January it will be updated with 2007 information on an almost daily basis.
Don McAllister
Colorado Dahlia Society
www.dahlias.net
Here is a link that might be useful: The BigList Dahlia Locator
Hi Liza, We managed to stay warm and fed if not esthetically pleasing in appearance during the 5+ days without electricity. We lost 3-4 trees well away from the house or driveway, so no big deal. Next year's firewood. From the sounds of it, Mercer Island and Woodinville bore the brunt. (Christine R- are you back online yet?) I hear Vashon got hit pretty hard too and I'm glad you are relatively unscathed.
The tuber room was under careful scrutiny the first two nights without power: temps down to 26 here but the room remained at freezing or above. Believe me, I was ready to pack them all into our chilly basement, if needed; but they are fine. Not so my jam-packed chest freezer and second fridge full of food! What a hateful job to unload all the rotten stuff. I refuse to get a generator, preferring to rough it for the very few times we lose power for an extended period. (Ask me this again after I pack up the rotten fish, meat, poultry in the garage...) We refroze it to hopefully make it a more palatable task :(
Glad you're okay- just a little reminder from Mother Nature that we aren't as in control as we'd like to think.
Enjoy your holiday and the glistening lights, if you still have them!
The sale at American Meadows is an "advance" sale...it's 50% off right now, and as the time draws closer to spring - the savings progressively drop until they reach their regular prices. So, the earlier you place your order ~ the greater the discount. Also, you pay when you submit your order, which will ship in the spring at the appropriate time for planting in your zone.
Here is a link that might be useful: American Meadows Advance Spring Bulb Sale
This looks like it would work as a dahlia knife. I like a thin bladed fruit secateurs as my favorite tool to divide. While you're at the website, see the No Blot pencils adjacent to the knives.... Those would make great stocking stuffers for a dahlia divider.
Cut and paste this link to see model B3000-
http://www.barnel.com/fruit.html
Very similar to what I like, except a thumb latch vs the leather strap holding the shears closed, is preferable.
Just a thought. Tis the Season!
Here is a link that might be useful: dahlia tools
Karin,
One of the easiest ways to post photos is to use an online photo storage service. I like Photobucket. It's in English, but perhaps Germany offers a similar service. You upload your digital photos to a photo album you create, it automatically gives each photo a URL, and a TAG which are then easily copied/pasted to appear here as a photo.
But first, I am going to check your website and see if I can post one here. I hope that's okay. If I can, then you can too, directly from your website using just a little computer code. Below is the link to Photobucket. There is no cost to use it, a reasonable annual fee if you store a lot of photos.
Trying Toenchen's "Carolina Wagemans" from your website- seite 2.
It works! Such a beautiful color. Very nice!
To post your photos from your website:
Open two browsers; one window open to your Gardenweb post with the cursor set after this code *img src=
(Instead of the * type The other browser window is open to your individual photo you wish to post. Do one photo at a time.
Open the photo you want to post here. Right click on your photo, select PROPERTIES and your URL/address for that photo will appear in a gray box. Highlight and copy that entire URL.
Come back to the Gardenweb post, and PASTE your photo's URL/address right after the = Immediately after the URL/address, leaving no space, type >
Preview your post and the photo should appear. Then hit Submit. You can send multiple photos per post.
Trying another from your website: Engelhardt's Jubliaeum
Aha! Another dahlia beauty from your website. You have to have your photos uploaded to either your dahlia website, or a photo storage online o give it a URL, as far as I know. So the forumla is *img src=url-address of your jpg on a website; end with a > and begin with a I hope you can understand this! And I hope to see many more photos from you soon.
Poochella
Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket
Next to the garage, it might be benefitting from radiated heat and could very well survive your winter. Don't know your locatation except zone 7. You could cut off the growth and protect the remaining stalk, if hollow, from moisture that might enter. Mulch over the area about 18 inches diameter x 6 inches deep with straw, compost, leaves, ferns- whatever you have to protect the tubers from excess cold and moisture.
If you do get deep prolonged freezing spells, you'd be better off digging up the clump (see any number of posts on digging and storing tubers) or read all about it at the link below.
Dahlias range from little shorties a 12-18 inches tall, to giants well over 6 ft. Many of mine here reach 5 ft even though the label says 4 ft tall. A couple topped 8 ft- (the overachievers.)
Here is a link that might be useful: Digging Dahlias
Thank you. I guess I just wasn't very used to a plant doing so well in the clay we have around here, especially a plant doing well in our yard. The other Dahlia I planted that survived only grew about 2 ft tall, guess I should move it over next to the garage!
WOWSER!!! Those are the most beautiful dahlias I have ever seen. Can you tell me where or who is the best dahlia suppliers? Thanks.
Well thank you all. I have been busy since last posting fighting off power outages,winds, unending rains, fussing over the tubers in freezing weather with no power to fire up the space heater if needed... but they did well!
I really like that Kari Dancer LOL.
A new dahlia convert is a good thing, Jannabean. I only wish I'd have discovered these plants about 20 years ago. They are simply the best! So many colors, shapes, and sizes and long bloom time. You do have to be patient and take a little care with them, but basically they are the best bang for the effort in my garden, by far.
Calpat, sometimes I use the macro feature, most times not. I can't see well enough to make a difference: the camera does the work. Sad but true. good thing there are cameras that can see better than me!
Cameragirl, (I bet YOU can see!) These are just a teeny percentile, a smidgeon, of what dahlias are out there waiting to be grown. I cannot tell you the best supplier, there are too many good ones around. I would read around the web; the "Garden Watchdog" is a great resource for gardeners as a guideline for others' experience with various vendors, but certainly not complete.
There was word put out 'to watch out for dahlia sellers in the Northwest (USA)' this year because of the recent flooding of November which took out plenty of acres of dahlia tubers. I just want to emphasize that this affected a FEW growers located in very close proximity to river flood plains, not all NW Growers by any means.
If in doubt, ask before you order. Any honest grower will be happy to tell a prospective customer the truth.
Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Watchdog