3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I think the one of the pros is that the plant won't be subject to rot and is readily growing, unlike a tuber which will take time to sprout and grow. But they'll all catch up sooner or later :)
I think I've read that a plant grown from a cutting, which is what you're getting, will not produce as many tubers the following fall. Unless you value extra tubers, then you have nothing to lose buying a growing plant. Except money. Of course, you can easily lose tubers to rot early in the season as well (tons of experience there LOL) so I don't know if the pros outweigh the cons here or not.
Plantlady or others with cutting experience, what is your take on the tuber count from cuttings- started dahlias?
6 of one & 1/2 dozen of the other. You can get damp-off with cuttings as easily as you can rot a tuber! I did some cuttings last year but we didn't get as many tubers from those plants as we got from plants grown from tubers-- however- the plants were just as nice in the garden as the tuber-grown ones. I do know that I would be really careful & order from someone like Kevin Larkin at Corralitos who I hear does a good job- & not from someplace like Spring Hill for instance-- ordered some other kinds of plants from a couple of those places in my younger & not so well informed days & the plants were about 2" tall & all dried out- blah!
Mist them well with a spritz of water. A few times in a few days if needed. I haven't found anything to plump up the really spongy ones though. You might have better luck putting them in some medium and spritzing that periodically until spring, rather than just in a bag. I don't know. But I do know that feeling of getting tired handling tubers.
Congratulations Sharon on both your career path and on getting your tubers up and divided. Smokey is a big brute isn't it? I bet some of mine have weighed a pound easily, but that is the exception.
You have some beauties there- now to look forward to spring. So far, I've only lost 2 skinny Spartacus tubers and am checking others regularly.
Congratulations again!
Thanks for the encouragement.
Yes Smokey was big like a potato. I wish I had more than one. My other Smokey is in a pot that froze solid.
I look forward to seeing some of these bloom next year. I planted them too late this year so half of them only had a single bloom or didn't bloom at all. I didn't get to see Bella S, Moor Place or Bishop's Children. All those tubers from Bishop's Children were a shock since I planted it from seed. Gerrie Hoek produced the most blooms and tubers. The most tying up too. I think next time Gerrie Hoek should be planted in a large cage.
Sharon.
Here is Cherry orange I found at Betty's Amazing Dahlias
http://www.bettysamazingdahlias.com/cherry_orange.htm
and cherry drop from the same place
http://www.bettysamazingdahlias.com/cherry_drop.htm
Hope those links work, if not just go to her catalog, it's all alphabetized. As a matter of fact, just use the link below! LOL
Here is a link that might be useful: dahlia list here
I guess I do mine similar, but lazier. I check them in late March to make sure they aren't already growing since they are in my attic that will warm up by that time. In my zone5a I look at 5/20 or so being the day they can go in the ground outside, so if I start them 6-7 weeks early inside that's 4/1 roughly. I put them all in planters on my porch in a 50% potting soil and 50% peat mixture - for me is very loose and easier to pull the plants apart to plant outside. My porch is probably 10-20 degrees warmer than outside for that time of year, so they grow slow.
Cannas , that one for me is easy. But first a short story. 2 summers ago I stopped to admire a canna garden while I was out of town. I thought the gardener needed to betold of the appreciation for such beauty.
Turned out to be a 60ish looking fellow (actually 90), and he then proceeded to "dig me up a few". My Father taught me well to respect and so I offered to do the labor.
Dad also taught me never to push the issue!
So, there I am with 3 big black garbage bags 1/3 filled with cannas, that had been cut off about 6 inches from the ground and the "easy" dirt shook off.
He said "take them, just like THAT, and put them into a cold spot (40'-50')(in my case our old coal cellar)and leave them alone. About March, he said, tear a small hole in each bag and peek in, if they are growing, make the hole a bit bigger, if not, leave them alone. He also said, if they are mushy leave the hole open for air.
I lost one or two each bag (little ones) and that was that.
I thought it was way to easy but, I'll be danged, it works!
As for my dahlias, I have beeen so busy with family duty (older parents in law) so I had no time to do much more than put the clumps in vermiculite layers, in my coolers.
As near as I could determine, American Meadows is the retail division of Netherland Bulb Company. This company has an excellent reputation. They supply healthy and huge bulbs and dahlia tubers. Having the honor of putting together a collection for the Biltmore Estate is quite a wonderful honor.
This company, of course, doesn't supply all the plants for the Biltmore Estate as stated. If you have an opportunity to visit the gardens at Biltmore, you will find it to be a truly beautiful place with the mountain in the background. It is truly inspiring.
I do not think you will be disappointed with your order.
Thanks flowerfarmer. I had never heard of this company, but I always trust the garden watchdog site's ratings. I would love to visit Biltmore. I have friends who visited a few years ago and they couldn't say enough good things about it. (and they're not even gardeners!)
CRDahlia thanks for the list. I'll check out the links.
I was really looking for Carribbean Fantasy because I LOVED mine this year and if it doesn't make it through the winter I definitely wanted a back-up! I thought the 50% off prices were really good.
I think the name was unusual, but the list did not trigger anything. But thank you so much for the address.
I can't be sure about "frringed star", - it seems to have finer fringed petals. Mine was, I think, more like Park Princess. It was the best performer that I have grown - tho that is only 50 or 60 over a long period.
I had no idea that they could be so sturdy. And I was sure they required deadheading to continue blooming. A similar red would be good - the faded blooms would also blend into dark foliage. I am not totally lazy, but in the summer heat, it is wonderful to find "self-cleaners" or those that continue to bloom without help.
Your tubers, as they are called, sound like they are way too dried out. Usually it just takes a few hours or overnight to get them dry to the touch and ready for storing. You could try to rehydrate them a bit in a soak of water, then let the skins dry and store in any number of ways above freezing and below 50 preferably.
It won't hurt to try to save them, but they sound pretty far gone. There is no way to rehydrate them to their former fleshy selves. But if you get them to sprout next Spring, you should see your plants once again.
Good luck!
Hmmm. I have not checked mine at all since I wrapped and placed them in a cardboard box and tucked them under the stairs away from the warmer part of the basement. I'd better check them tonight. Maybe I'll move them to the attic instead.
Happy Holidays and Happy Winter Solstice, everyone.
Just opened my cooler for the inspection. Made one discovery____ I wrapped in saran, then bagged all like tubers in cut down plastic grocery bags after I ran out of clear bags for the final packing. Rats, you have to untie and open the grocery bags while all you have to do is look through at those in clear bags. Next year I will be sure to have enough clear bags on hand for the job. Much quicker.
Pitched out one tuber which had a piece of old stem that was rotting and one with a soft spot on the side. Why leave it there when you have 5 or 6 others like it. I saved almost everything when I cut up!!!
I am going to use about 20 pots for the first time ever this next summer. They are from trees/shrubs from a very wonderful neighbor with a sharing type of attitude. In other words, "Please take this garbage off my hands." One man's trash is another's treasure! I would guess they measure 18 inches in diameter, 14 inches deep and I'm guessing they will house some 3 footers next spring.
I like the jungle look too!
In your zone, knowing it's been single digits there in IL, I'd get them in the fridge, protect from too much drying. Saran wrap would do it. Plastic wrap will not protect anything in freezing temps: it's the room temperature that counts.
I should take a photo of my snowy garage roof. The only thing that has melting snow showing on the roof is the 6-8 ft spread that covers the dahlia storage room, with space heater running when needed. It is a smooth 40 degrees in there right now despite 24 degrees this a.m., space heater was running when I got home from work. Not unlike a refrigerator with pretty constant temps.
Given your zone, I'd go for the fridge crisper for tubers, divided or clumped; but protect them from dehydrating by wrapping.
Do not water them and do not put them in plastic at this point...if you do not have time to divide them, you may store them in peat moss and/or vermiculite and place them in a big brown sack or cardboard box..they need to breathe...there are some excellent web site with information on dividing and storing...everyone seems to have a different way to care for their tubers...don't water and store them in pastic though,they will rot...
www.dahlias.net
sfdahlia.org
Have fun!