3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Dahlia's have to have well drained soil and at least 6 hours of sun. We have have had pretty heavy rains here in NY. I would try to rough up the soil around the plants to help dry out the soil and pray for some sun. Remove all the brown buds and the lower leaves to get some air flow . I hope that you don't have tuber riot, keep an eye on them and if they are still wilted after a few days of sun ,you may have to do some digging and remove the mushy tuber sections, spray the good piece with lysol and replant them. Good Luck
Don't worry about the blackened leaf edges. You can remove them when the plant gets bigger and has other leaves. I've got one plant with such horrible slug damage: they ate it down to the center vein on a large leaf too! But it's coming along fine. Keep up the slug bait. I've been at it weekly or more after a rain and the results are great!
The new sprout bitten off is a tough one to figure. Is it still showing a stem? Leaves? This happened to one of mine, something bit all foliage off just a two inch tall sprig. Thereafter, the plant went nowhere so I dug up the tuber. That bitten sprig was dying- going nowhere- but the tuber was already kicking out a substitute eye. With the bitten one cut off at the tuber, I left the new shoot and replanted. It has now rebroken ground and doing well.
Maybe you can describe the amount of bite damage a bit more, that might help bring on some advice or experience.
Most of the larger (taller) dahlias will all develop hollow stalks/branches. You've done nothing wrong and a lot right, from the sounds of it. They are prone to be brittle especially supporting heavy flowers. That's why staking or supporting is a smart thing to do, and even then heavy winds or rains can snap them.
Wish I could be helpful, but usually by this time, most of us already have our tubers planted. There is usually a flurry of trading going on in the Fall and early Spring. Buying/ordering tubers is usually best accomplished in very early spring before they sell out of the ones you most desire. Say, in February or so. They get shipped at the appropriate times by the growers.
Poochella....so sorry for your loss...i am another that has been thru it...several years ago ..hubby found a large roll of concrete wire at a yard sale.....he made cages for his tomatoes with it..he made dahlia cages for me with what was left.....i do stake mine at first...then when they get a bit taller i put the cages around them...better protection than just stakes alone.....but....if he hadnt found this cheap deal.....i would probably use metal stakes..
i did search through this forum and saw the different posts about seeds...and i understand that they won't be true to parents. the seeds that i planted were supposed to be diablo seed from a very reliable source, and it certainly looks like a diablo plant to me. what surprised me was that the germination rate was so low, and i wondered if there is something about hybrid dahlia seeds that makes them harder to get to germinate. anyway, these leaves are just a lovely dark green with black cast. and i thought i'd try propagating a stem cutting under a cheap misting system that i have rigged up. any suggestions on that method?
by the way, had you pulled your planters in over the winter? or did that tuber winter over outdoors?
thank you for your response!
The planter hung on the front railing of the porch, under eaves and thus got no water. The soil was bone dry when I cleaned it out for this year. Even though we have freezing spells in winter, it gets warm air from the nearby dryer vent, so I suppose the dry, non-freezing spot was good enough to keep a tuber.
I would just guess something got to the tuber: either rot or disease or varmint. In zone 9 you should be up if not blooming by now.
If you know where the plant should be, why not carefully dust off the overlying soil and feel for a sprig of green? If you find nothing you can carefully dig where you think the tubers might be and see what's going on underground. Otherwise, you might be waiting all year for and have a big hole in your garden for nothing. I'd say investigate!
Depends on the variety totutoise. Most dahlias take 70-90 days to bloom. If you check the MId Island Dahlia Society website, many of them don't look to plant until late May, into June anyway. You'd only be behind a couple weeks.
Here is a link that might be useful: Mid Island Dahlia Society NY
Finally a pic for you!
I've decided I'm quite happy with the pansies. The colors are refreshing during the long period of green growth. I even like the slightly leggy over the side of the container look this time of year.
I guess I answered my own question.
Also a pic of the sago (I can't resist):
Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
It appears that your dahlias are looking healthy, tubers being produced might get crowded but cross that bridge later. Keep them fertilized with a low nitrogen fertilizer because the soil nutrients may get depleted quickly living in the pots. Keep us updated with your progress.
Sounds like powdery mildew. Are you watering from the base/roots only and allowing plenty of airflow between plants or adjacent walls etc? There's a simple solution you can spray on to treat it. The good news is, it's only unsightly and not a killer; if it is indeed powdery mildew.
Here is a link that might be useful: various organic treatments