3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
That makes more sense - I think I didn't read your first post correctly. If it was my only tuber, I don't think I would split it down the middle. Thats an experiment you might want to try with something you have multiples of. It seems like it should work, but â¦â¦â¦â¦..
Do you regularly take successful stem cuttings from your dahlias? I have heard that they develop into full grown plants faster than tuber-grown (by a week or two) I would think in zone 6 you would still have time to take a cutting. If you pot it up and both eyes develop into stalks, you are probably going to snip one of them off anyway.
That's what I decided to do. I potted it up whole and I'll give it some time and then take cuttings. I may even get more eyes sprouting while I'm at it.
I divide my dahlias before I store them, then start all of them inside and take stem cuttings. I don't know if it's any faster; I only do it to get more plants. That way, I can give some away to friends who don't bother digging and saving.
Our soil temp doesn't reach 60 degrees until around August so it is not an essential rule. I plant mine out once the frosts are done. When it is time to plant tomatoes it is time to put your dahlias in the ground, what ever date that is in your area. I pre-start in pots to get them up to a good size first. Doing this they will start to bloom, many in July., nearly all in August and give me 3-4 months of glorious color.
I had a sheer heaven years ago that did nothing so I ditched it. Innocence never grew or bloomed either. Purplicious is a stunner - one of my favorites. It's a workhorse in my yard.
Clyde's Choice is a HUGE dahlia and it is my experience with the 10-14"s that they take a little longer to get settled in. I have the very similar Baarn Bounty and was disappointed the first year. Only 4-5 blooms and it seemed to take forever to sprout, grow and bloom. But in the last 2 years, it has increased to maybe a dozen blooms that are long lasting bloomers, even though the whole plant cycle is not nearly as long as say Sept. Morn or Purplicious.
mandolls, 1/2 my yard was torn up 6 years ago for a new septic system, and it still looks like a construction zone. I see quite a bit settled this winter, so I have more repairs to make to certain areas. I hope yours comes together faster for you.
Now, back to dahlias...the only one on your list I'm growing is Vassio Meggos. I never give up on a dahlia after only one year...I wouldn't have V.M. if I did--it did awful the first year, but wonderful the 2nd. We'll see this year.
Looks like it
2 seasons ago I let 3 clumps in the ground which I wanted to get rid of.
One sprouted in spring and when I dug it up, most tubers were rotting and it just sprouted from the rest.
If you want to keep it you could dig it up to ckeck the clump and divide it if necessary or snip off rotting tubers
Bye, Lin
Well I would have planted it already in its permanent spot, if you know it already, but since you have confirmed it's a good a root then I think you can move it now while it is still fairly infant.
I would not take a cutting of this shoot specifically. Wait until it has grown a bit, then take a cutting off its stems or even the top of the growth if you want to promote side branches.
By letting it grow and produce food for the plant, you will get many more branches and possibly even additional shoots without stressing out the one tuber that is trying to regrow based on its own stored energy.
thank you both, soil is at 9ðc in someplaces and around 13ðc in others, I planted (wilkos (local basic home diy store) ones that are basic colours for cacti one's for a pound, and they have not sprouted yet they was planted about month and half ago.)
I will let them grow more before taking cuttings.
the spot is going to be along that fence that gets Sun all day everyday even in winter (but I'll dig up for winter)
thabk you Leo
If they are not dry husks, or piles of mush - then they are probably good to go!
They need warmth and a little moisture to eye up and start to sprout. I put my tubers in domed trays, lightly covered with moist potting mix, and put them on top of the fluorescent lights that I start seedlings under - Once they start sprouting I put them in pots under lights.
I can't plant out until the beginning of June here and I like to get a bit of a head start. Your growing season is probably even shorter than mine.
Hi Matt ,
I live in the midlands of South Carolina.
I didn't dig up my Dahlias for the winter.
I just cover them with pine straw.Now that it is spring I am taking some up to check or divide them .
Yesterday I already plant some of my Dahlias .
I plan to cover my dahlias with clear plastic containers this week as our forecast is for a low one night is near 39 as well.
The Dahlias I left in the ground over the winter are now coming up , here is photo .
I know i should have divided this plant but I don't really like this kind.
Larisa.
can't help with the temperature thing
but Dahlias stay sturdy if they get full sun, and little additional watering if the soil is good enough.
I water mine only if their leaves droop and still hang in the evening
flower size:
if you want giant flower heads, don't top the plants. fewer stems produce larger flowers. Disbudding would help to give larger flowers.
But then you should probably stake each stem individually.
Another part of sturdiness is genetics, cut flower types produce long stems, so the plants are rather leggy than compact.
If you have several plants of the same cultivar, you could experiment and try topping and not topping them.
bye, Lin
This year I am sprouting them earlier - I got them all to eye up already and have them in pots, only two have poked up though the soil yet (planted about 3"deep)
Last year I don't think I even unwrapped them until mid April, so I am about 3 weeks earlier this year - I am hoping it won't be to early. The bigger they get the trickier it is to keep them happy and healthy inside. Last year, starting mid April, my plants were between 6" & 18" when I put them in the ground.
I also bought this bag which includes karma Chocolate and Glorie Van something. Of the 5 bulbs included for KC, only one has produced eyes so far. The Glorie ones are more vigorous. All of them have eyes. I am starting to understand that dahlias have different degrees of vigor. Last year, I bought some dahlias from Swan Island and some did very well and some did very poorly. I might have wrongly blamed Swan Island for sending me bad bulbs when it was the varieties/genes of the bulbs that was the problem.
This post was edited by kousa on Sat, Mar 29, 14 at 16:09
I think that growing dahlias (or any other plant) in containers will be counterproductive with regards to water conservation. A plant in the ground has a much larger root system and will fend for itself much better than a plant in a pot. Pots dry out rapidly and need constant watering.
Mulching is also very helpful for water conservation. Plastic mulch (Polyethylene sheeting) will conserve moisture the best. Use white plastic rather than black or clear if you are in a very hot climate. If you can put drip irrigation under the plastic that is the best. If you can expect some rain it would be good to contour your soil so that the water pools at the base of the plant especially if you are using plastic otherwise that precious rain will run off and not get absorbed into the ground.
I am in the Sierra Nevadas, so hot days are not an issue. Pine needles here provide natural mulch. I should have wrote that originally. I realize that when people read California and drought they think of the desert areas with high temperatures.
My main benefit to containers would to avoid carrying waste water down a pretty steep hill. I've been looking into it some more. Grey water systems are more affordable than I thought, and would hook up easily to the laundry outlet.
I grow some little dahlias from seed too, but I haven't tried the Figaro. This year I noticed a few of them with yellowing leaves. I don't know if it is a nutrient issue, or watering issue. I know some heat loving plants can't take up nutrients easily if it is colder than optimum, especially if it is cold and wet. I moved mine to my top light shelf which is my warmest spot, and am not watering until they are quite dry. They seem much happier. I fertilize with 1/4 strength fertilizer every time I water.
Looks like you have them in the same tray as broccoli ? Broccoli and dahlias have very different needs.
Kousa, sorry to hear about your freeze! I tried emailing but couldn't find an address for you, if you'd like, just click on my member info and you can drop me a line. So far my dahlias tubers look ok, if a little bit dried, they seem to make it ok though so I should have something to share. The only problem is I'll need to divide clumps... it shouldn't be a big deal, but I usually just replant, so this will be something new for me!
Frank
This weekend (Friday) I started hardening off my petunias, verbanas, and agastache (all in the shade) and leaving them out overnight because it's been mild but I'm hesitant about hardening off the dahlias until I know what conditions they're capable of tolerating. With heavy rain for tomorrow and highs only in the 50s later this week, I'm not even sure it's worth the effort to start hardening them off yet.
I wouldn't rush getting those plants outside. April is a wacky month. We can still get snow one day and 70ð three days later, or a frost. You never know...
As far as the dahlia's go, I hear they're from Mexico originally, so I would definitely keep them inside until it gets warmer.
This post was edited by digdougdig on Tue, Apr 15, 14 at 13:27