3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
CCvacation,
I have dug all my dahlia tuber from ground and kept them in the garage. Now i have planted them in pots.
I don't see any growth. Do you want me feed them now only, or after seeing little growth?
I live in zone 7. Can i leave the bulbs in the ground during winter?
Thank you,
Tubers need no fertilizer in the beginning as the tubers themselves store fertilizer. If you did not see any eyes starting to sprout when you put them in the pots, it is very possible your storage method killed the tubers. Water plus temps of about 70 degrees for a week or two so should get them to sprout if they are going to do so.
Tubers can be left in the ground in any zone where the soil does not freeze to a depth of about 3 inches. Killing temps are usually in the low 20s for more than 2 or 3 days in a row. Mulch like tree leaves can keep them from freezing in much cooler temps.
Thank both of you for your help. A question or two. Should I put anything in the plastic bags other than the tubers? Seal them? Use a plastic bag for each?
I will make sure the three I soaked overnight are dry. Don't want mold. Any further help will be great. In about a month I'll begin to try to get some eyes showing. I have lights setup in that section of my basement where I grow other seedlings that I start in a warm room. Maxyck
Last fall I wrapped my dahlia tubers in newspapers and put them in paper bags. I checked them in January and they looked okay. Yesterday I checked three of the tubers (I have 16) and they seemed dried up. I put the three in water overnight. They appeared a bit better this morning. I have them drying off before I wrap them again. I have to take a look at the remainder. Should I do what I did or something else. Any help would be appreciated. Maxyck
Maxyck, I don't think that wrapping tubers in newspaper is such a good idea. As you have observed they will lose too much moisture.
There is excellent information about digging, dividing and storing dahlias on the web at the following link:
http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/TuberStor/TuberStor1.htm
Another storage method that I have used successfully is to dig the entire clump and pack it into a 5 gallon bucket surrounded by regular garden soil. It is fine for the soil to have a little bit of moisture but you certainly don't want it to be water logged. I store the bucket somewhere where the temperature will stay cold but not freezing during the winter. You can divide the clump in the spring or replant the whole thing.
There are many single dahlias available for purchase. Look for ones called "Single Dahlias" or "Novalties" and buy them in different colors. I love mixing them through my flower beds, and bees LOVE them. Where as bees are having a tough time of it now, I like seeing them so happy on my single dahlias. TO me, these look like butterflies dancing in the wind among my roses and lilies and other flowers. I'm thinking of planting some with my beans and tomatoes to encourage my friends the bees.
Yes. I think this might be d. Coccinea.. I specially ordered single bedding dahlias, and the disappointing wine coloured ones I ordered are this type. In any case, I plan to divide the orange one come October, and spread it all over the garden. With any luck, the spell will stay unbroken, and I'll have a spectacular show of this weird orange next season.
Nice Steve - I have never dried spring flowers to use later - I like that idea, and I didn't know yarrow could be dried at all. I especially like those poppy seed pods and the reddish grass tassels in your arrangement.
In my vase - I think the Dahlias in the center are McAllister's Pride and Touche and there is a Ginger Willo pom. There are lavender and white Tower Asters, a few Zinnia, Black Dragon Coleus, Angle Wing Begonia, a spike of Liatrus, some of a similar sedum to yours, (but before it turned red), and nasturtium vine. I had a lot of nasturtium growing last year, and really liked using it in arrangements. It held up much better than I expected it to.
I know this one is a bit of a crazy mish mash of flowers. I think the reason I am drawn to it is that I had never used so many different textures all together before.
Here is another one with nasturtium, not a very balanced arrangements, but I love the linear nasturtium. The red Dahlia is Dana Iris, the purples are NOIDs, there is a green envy Zinnia in the back and some of the same sedum.
I find the idea of using vines like Nasturtium for greenery rather intriguing. I've seen ivy used in arrangements too though usually they are low lying table arrangements with the ivy trainling a long the table. I've used Vinca occaionally and it hold up very well. Another vine I haven't tried but seems like it would work well is sweet potato, either edible or ornamental would work. I know the vines root easily in water so they would have a very good vase life likely putting out roots and growing in the water.
The gold Achillea filipendulina yarrow cultivars like Coronation Gold, Cloth of God, Parker's, etc., dry very easily and hold their shape and color well. Just cut them at their prime and hang them upside down in a warm dry location. The other types of yarrow are much more prone to wilting though they could probably be dried in silica gel.
I've recently learned of Hilltop Gardens located in North Carolina. They specialize in dahlias and may have more heat tolerant varieties than other vendors. Symi77, I can see how some part shade would help keep your dahlias cooler but don't the tree roots draw too much moisture away from the dahlias?
I have not had good results from Touché. For me they rarely came out fully double so after trying it for several seasons I have now trashed it. My climate is also hot and dry in summer which tends to make dahlias open up in the center. Some varieties are more susceptible to this problem than others. You may want to consider varieties that are listed as being more heat tolerant. Check out the link below.
Here is a link that might be useful: Heat Tolerant Dahlias
Looks like Thrips damage to me. They bite the plant in the summer than leave a virus which only appears many months later in some cases esp. bulbs and tubers. Try cutting back all the foliage and keep the tubers cold for several months if you don't already live in a cold winter area. As soon as new leaves appear in spring spray with Neem to stop the critturs coming back. Good luck - ian.
We get this type of occurence (possibly the same pest), every year with various perennials and shrubs, such as Philadelphus, Phlox and Rudbeckia.
We never see what causes it, but at a certain stage of growth (or time of the year), the leaves get twisted and distorted. After some time, new growth appears, which is unaffected, but we never get around to actually spraying the plants.
I know Home Depot and Lowes carry dahlia tubers. If you have a Costco card, Costco also carries dahlias at a great price.
I just talked to a small dahlia vendor about shipping in cold weather, and they said they're shipping dahlias to Alaska end of March, not anticipating any problems.
Another large dahlia vendor I called about delaying my March 3rd order due to below zero temps said that their peat-moss packing keeps them from freezing, and out of thousands sent last year during the cold months, only one grower called for replacements because of frozen tubers. That vendor replaced at no charge, so it's worth a shot if you want better choices.