3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Thank you plantlady2 and sedum37. Hope they will grow in the spring, that is my major concern..
Steve,
Hi Steve, I use "Bulb Dust" by Bonide prior to packing in vermiculite into plastic bags. Contains: Cedar Oil, Garlic Power, Dried Blood, Bone Meal and Sulfur. This eliminates bugs, rodents and helps them not to rot. Should be able to find at "www.bonide.com". It even helps after planting with the bugs and rodents eating your tubers. I use it every fall. Hope this helps you!!
Sue
Nikki, I just travelled back to the midwest US greeted by 28 degrees, 30 mph winds and snow flurries. You Canadians keep those arctic air masses to yourselves would you???? LOL! I had to help my mom cut down some of the last of her perennials and had forgot just how piercing the cold winds in the north could be. 50 degrees seems like a real heatwave now.
Body count LOL! I hope to end the year with all ten digits attached to my hand. I've always got nips from the shears or scissors on my fingertips but today I caught part of my forefinger skin way down by the first knuckle in the pinching pruning shears, not even the blade, but it drew blood real well. Clearly, I need a butler to help me with this carving task.
I am asuming you want smallish ones for bouquets- not AA's so I'll go with some of my favorites that bloom non-stop all season & all with long enough stems to have nice cut flowers. However, you have to be aware that you have to disbud any dahlias a certain amount to get a nice cut-flower stem. You just pop off the 2 side buds of each central stem & you'll get a good sized stem on just about any dahlia.
White- Arctic Frost; Pink- Chimmacum Katie or Valley Porcupine- this one is so cute & lasts a full week+ as a cut flower; dark - almost black- Shadow Cat or Rip City; hot pink- Camano Electra or Pretty in Pink. (And of course- there's the old standby- Chilson's Pride that will put out a ton of blooms- it's pink with a white center - we don't grow it any more but it is a good cut flower.) I cut at least 40 blooms a day off of these plants & the color combo is GREAT- we have a couple of plants of each one at our son's place-- way away from the AA seed parents!
Suzanan: I use the Karma series for cutting. They are specially bred for cutting, long sturdy stems. I planted 50 mixed ones last year and I am still n the process of dividing them. The plants continuously produces all summer and fall. These were a HOT seller at our Farmers Market. Good luck. HEIDI
Poochella,
Your many words of wisdom in this forum are taken to heart. I very much appreciate your experience and suggestions (esp. your post with the dividing pics).
I planted in pots as soon as I could after receiving my shipment this year (late April/early May) but I'll certainly start my divided tubers next spring much earlier.
As a general question, has anyone ever tried layering spring bulbs and dahlia tubers? I might experiment next spring with a pot or two.
Thank you all for suggestions and your expertise! I think I'll just leave the tubers in ground this season as they are starting to bloom. Crazy weather here as in most of the country. We're still in the mid 80's & all my gardens think it's spring. I've even got daffodils poking up!
Try going to the link included below. The Colorado Dahlia Society article is a highly illustrated step-by-step presentation that will probably answer a lot of your questions. And, maybe raise a lot more.
Here is a link that might be useful: OVER WINTERING DAHLIAS
Go to the Colorado Dahlia Society Site & look at the Suppliers list. It goes from A to W & will keep you busy all winter deciding what to get. If you have a particular dahlia in mind to buy you can usually find it at the Colorado site on the Big List.
Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Dahlia Society
I am by no means an expert in the field of Dahlias but can share a story with you. Two years ago I had a poor performer Dahlia which I dug up and stored because the tubers looked strong. Last year I changed its location and increased the fertilizer and it did a little better. This summer I changed both the soil mixture and location and my Dahlia is very strong and the many blooms are beautiful. Maybe I just got lucky but I think all Dahlias deserve a second chance.
Since you know how to store them, I suggest you do only that. When spring comes, put them in a warmer location and allow them to start to sprout. Once they start to get eyes, you will see how to cut and divide the tubers. The eyes come where the neck attaches to the crown and not on the tuber body. The eyes make it easier to see where to cut. Be sure to keep part of the crown attached to the tuber neck. Dust with sulfur powder to cauterize the wound and prevent rot.