3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
It's not a virus if just the lower leaves have the yellow veining. It's actually normal for the lower leaves to yellow. A good rule of thumb is to remove the bottom 12 inches of leaves on the dalia plant. This promotes air circulation around the plant.
Keep misting them in the heat of the afternoon. I do that with mine too. It's normal for the leaves to wilt in the heat. Powdery mildew is only a problem if you mist too late in the day and the water on the leaves doesn't evaporate and stays on the leaves.
PL, often I see my variegated dahlias either revert to solid, or they may have a section of solid color with the rest variegated. Check out Prince Valiant in my photo album...
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2103341635
Christine
There's a dahlia listed at High Desert dahlias in Wa state called Wittam- could be what you're looking for - it's white- perhaps the person who helped you didn't know the correct spelling. Have a look-- they're not taking orders now but you can probably order from them sometime in the late winter/early spring.
Here is a link that might be useful: High Desert Dahlias
There is one called Walter Hardisty
it is very like Spartacus, but in pure white, don´t know if you can get it in US, but in Europe, it is wellknown.
http://www.dahliasuppliers.com/accent/images/Walter%20Hardisty_1.jpg
I live in Canada, and it so happens that the people that I ordered my tubers from this spring, happens to have Walter Hardisty! It's really pretty!!! My husband will love it also (cause it's a biggen ;)He's a fan of the Dinner plates :)
Thanks a bunch!
Nikki~
Any other requests are always welcome :D
You can see the striped duet here
I also purchased dalhia bulbs on ebay, mine came from an indivudual seller. Like yours they have yet to bloom. I have cared for them just like all the other dahlia I have. The dalhias from HD and Costco are doing great with lots of blooms. It is quite disappointing to spent the all the time and effort to get these results. This will be the last purchase on ebay for plant material I will make.
I'm still trying to figure out dahlias. I'm in the Sierra foothills and it's frequently 100+ and very dry during the summer. In shade they have a few blooms so I planted in sun this year--even fewer blooms that just started in August. Perhaps I don't have them deep enough for the heat, perhaps they need morning sun and afternoon shade (which I don't really have), perhaps I'm feeding them incorrectly or not watering them enough. I see a few people successfully growing dahlias here but I don't know their secrets. My dahlias come from a variety of sources, though e-bay is not one of them.
Here are a couple more in bloom now.
Pink Daybreak
Sparticus (this pic does it no justice....it's simply stunning...rich velvety red)
Wine and Roses (very pretty little flower)
More for sure will be to follow...I just can't wait, I have my Papageno just starting to bloom...and I'm on the edge..
Nikki~
Has it been planted more than one year? If there's a huge clump of tubers competing for food in a small area you'll have lesser blooms.
Do you disbud- removing the two or more little side buds and leaving only the central one to get all the nutrients and get as large as possible? You can remove the new growth at the leaf nodes one leaf section below the buds too.
I don't know about disbranching, but someone will. I think it's done for the same reason- get the maximum nourishment to that one bloom.
The trouble is with dahlia....you plant A tuber...one.
In a few short months, what you have now is more than one.
You have maybe a clump of size and lifting it I'm sure would cause the plant and flowers to wilt badly.
Unless you can lift a sizable root ball and deposit into the its new home, I'm afraid your plants might suffer.
But hey....when there's need....
Take it out of the pot & plant it in the garden- just like you would any annual or perennial-- or you could plant the whole pot in the garden so you don't disturb the roots at this time of the growing cycle-- dead-head it, clean it up & & feed it & it'll come back & bloom for you until frost-- most dahlias are just starting to be at their best at this time of year & put on a spectacular showing in Sept. & on into Oct-- until frost. Then look at the forum again as I'm sure there will be plenty of advice on storing at that time.