3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I have never worked with Oasis wedges, but a couple of things come to mind. These are my own thoughts, and others may have different ideas.
#How long are your cuttings? You should not have to have over 2" of stem below the bottom leaves. You can have more, but 2" is sufficient.
#If they have a lot of leaves, I would take off all but three or four leaves, and bury them up to the bottom leaves. Be sure that there are some nodes where you removed leaves on the stem that you are burying--this is where the roots will come from.
#Spraying AND covering them ( use a newspaper if nothing else) certainly would help.(I'm assuming you have them in sunlight.)
#If your cuttings are small, try covering them with a "clear" plastic cup. Makes the situation similar to a greenhouse, but be careful if they are in the sun because it could roast the cuttings. Give them lot of light, but not direct sun.
#Try my suggetions on some of them, and do the rest if things are to your satisfaction.
Hope you have good success.
I've started cuttings in Oasis for several years. What was your purpose for soaking the cuttings in water before putting them in the Oasis? Was the Oasis totally soaked before you inserted them? The water should come up about to about 2/3 of the Oasis. Most likely the wilt comes from having no dome or not misting them. The leaves need the humidity. Gordy Leroux (originator of Kenora dahlias) got me started and he doesn't use a dome, but does mist regularly. I use a dome and rarely mist. Are they under lights? They need to be, but that shouldn't cause them to wilt after 30 hours. After I take the cutting, I put in the Oasis immediately. My cuttings take about 14 days to root. Were they in direct sun? That could also cause them to wilt.
Teresa
i agree.the work is well worth it. it only takes me one afternoon to dig up my dahlias,and put them away for the next spring.last year i had about 30.this year i hope to have about 60.i cut them all summer long.and i also have canna's.i love them also.when i started both these flowers.the neighbors loved them.now i've shared with them and get to see even more beauties. happy gardening backyardmom
You can also grow them in a pot. Just put in a pot to fit size of tuber (root end can be cut off with no problem), put soil in and put the whole thing in the ground. After the frost has knocked them down, cut off the stalk, pop out of the ground and store in an area where they won't freeze. Then in the spring, once they have sprouted, separate, put one in the pot, share the others with friends and start all over again.
Teresa
here's a link that might helphttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/images/competition/300x193_dahlia.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/competitions/dahlia.shtml&h=193&w=300&sz=10&tbnid=mPKlyZnGD2eomM:&tbnh=71&tbnw=111&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Bdahlia%2Bseed%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN
You won't get the same dahlia from seed as you grew from tubers. The only way to get the same dahlia is to keep the tubers. The dahlia has too many gene combinations to come true from seed.
If you want to see what a dahlia seed looks like go to our "Seedlings" Album at this site. It also shows the pods & how we open them to get the seeds.
Here is a link that might be useful: Wynne's Seedling Album
You're in a pretty cold area. I think I've read to pot up 6 weeks before planting time in your garden. Here's a link with some good information closer to your area.
(see the 3rd question, about setting out started dahlias.)
http://www.midislanddahlia.com/Learning/FAQ_pre.html
Below is why there is no FAQ here: it's all very well covered at this website below. AND it looks like they're adding more subjects all the time. Check the "Care and Culture" section for great info and photos.
Here is a link that might be useful: Look Here
Try internet searching for "container dahlias" or "gallery dahlias" Those are usually shorter varieties. Some are visible at the link.
Also in big box stores Lowe's Home Depot etc, look for the "Impression" dahlias. I love my Impression Fantastico, short though it is.
Here is a link that might be useful: Shorter dahlias
Oh you smooth talker..... I take full credit for pushing the camera button and that's all I do, believe me. I think the ability to post multiple photos per post is limited/allowed by the particular forum itself. Here, you can post many in a row. (I don't know the limit.) Elsewhere, it's one and one only, per post. Photobucket is very easy and useful online, in case you want to look at that as a photo storage provider.
When I am limited to one photo per post, I find it easiest to then go on in the same post to include links to more photos for people to view i.e. photobucket URLs. like this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/New%20Dahlias%202005/aerialviewbigbed.jpg
That's the easiest way around the one photo limit I've found. What I want to look at is your and others' photos! So please promise to post some when able.
Hope that helps.
Nikki-- My all time fav. is Moonlight Sonata - you can see it in our "Dahlias from all over album" on page 2 or in the "Dahlia Shows" album. But then there's Wyn's King Salmon & Wyn's Farmer John & Spike & Zorro & ... how can you pick a favorite when there's over 10,000 varieties???
(Have you ever grown Nikki K?? Bright red, lacinated & called Nikki- what more could you ask for??
Here is a link that might be useful: Wynne's Dahlia Albums
Ohhhh My! Very nice collection you have there! I could have WAY too much fun there! lol LOVE the Aztec Gold. That one in particular I'm anxious to grow...and Papageno as well.....the rest are gorgeous too....but...oh how to pic a fav!?! I'll have to see at the end of this season and see what mother nature helps to produce lol
Nikki~
(oh and if I could get my hands on a Nikki K would be too sweet! lol)
A lot of the AA's are later to bloom but we get around that by starting them indoors to give them a boost.
If you want the truely BIG blooms, you have to keep the AA plant down to 4-6 blooms so you won't get as long a show as you get with the little ones that you can just keep on cutting & they put out more & more. Some of the AA & A's will put out more blooms if you let them but they won't be as big- on the other hand, we won Best AA & Best Triple AA in 4 shows in a row with some Zorro's - all off of only 2 plants!
Just when you think you've got them figured out they do something to show you who's boss!!
I can't wait to get my Zorro! I'm soo pumped! Then again I'm pretty pumped about ALL my new arrivals in spring lol. I know I want to have all my larger ones in the back row, and really most of my new ones are amongst the B and BB class! So it should be really interesting this year :) I'll for sure be posting pics ;)
Nikki~
You should harden them off if you're going to make them have nights at 40* but then they should be OK as long as they don't freeze.