3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I have just about finished dividing my Dahlias. Leaving them to dry a perhaps a couple of days, spreak out on a table in the garage.
I usually put my cuttings in a big container of vermiculite, and that seems to work.
Sometimes though, in my case, as I am not back from FLorida, until early May I have put them directly into black plastic pots, individually, then fill the pot with bagged potting soil. The nice light stuff.
In that way, by the time I am back, shoots are coming up on some. The problem is, that this takes a lot of space and more work. Does seem to be a good solution for me.
I am going to try wrapping some individually though, in Sarah wrap.
All to late, that great suggestion, of friends over for working together and sharing. Sharing bottles of wine, that is. Sounds such a great idea.
There is always next year.
Thanks again Poochella.
Carribbean Fantasy is only the second dahlia I've grown (other than all the ones from seed). The other one I grew at my old house in pretty much the same conditions as CF. It was a big pink cactus (I think it was called Park Princess). It got really tall and wide, but I only got a few blooms out of it and had some buds that just stayed in the bud stage forever. With CF it is LOADED with buds and blooms. It's been blooming like crazy since the beginning of September.
Is CF just a bloom machine of a cultivar? Are there certain ones that bloom better than others?
I don't know CF personally, but yes; some bloom more prolifically than others. Some are stingy, slow monsters when it comes to blooming, and some just spit out new buds overnight. I am finding it very tough to cut down the dahlias still blooming. Forced myself to cut another 6-7 tonight. BOO! It will be hard to decide who goes next as each day passes.
Jim, you'll just have to get a digital camera and post some pictures next year. I am glad that you have had a great year. The dahlias are so colourful, and such magnificent flowers that I love them all ( well most of them. I do have some preferences. LOL )
Hi i cannot send to the U.S.A because of the border if I tryed you would not get because of costoms which I hate. There are alot of dahlia in the U.S.A. I have another name for this dahlia which is show and tell you can go throw the dahlia socity and bye it for 3 dollars. do you have any pictures of your dahlia can I please have the address to go and see them. I love looking at pictures of dahlia. Where have you brought most of your dahlias?
Are you using your own seed or did you buy seed? If it's your own seed you may not have let the seeds ripen on the plant long enough to be viable. I plant all our seeds in full flats in Miracle Grow potting soil, in the spring. They are watered from the top & have heat on the bottom.
Look at your seed. If it looks somewhat a flattened earwig- dark in color & quite heavy & full then it is ripe & should germinate. You can also try "bouncing" it on the table- if it bounces it'll probably germinate- I know it sounds crazy but an old dahlia grower gave us this hint & we tried it for a few & sure enough- the unripe ones don't bounce!! Needless to say I don't bounce all our seeds- but it was good for a laugh when I told the husband what he had to do with the thousands of seeds he picks every year!
Although I have been growing Dahlias for years I haven't done so seriously I love so many kinds of plants and in the last three years we have moved twice. That is a big set back for gardening
Haven't read much about division and plastic wrapping. I shall take some time to look this subject up further
Thanks all
Bernie: all your research efforts are paying off! Give your wife another bouquet and a hug! I sense Saran momentum gathering here. I was sold after one season and am wondering what on earth I will do with the 4 cubic feet of vermiculite sitting in my garage.
Poochella,
Emporer is a late season bloomer. This year the first bloom was September 22 about 2 weeks later than last year due to the weather. I also have Thomas Edison and it blooms earlier than Emporer. Last year we had an early October frost so I didn't have much time to enjoy Emporer. I was determined to have a better year with it so I planted it in a prime spot so it didn't have to compete for sunlight and gave it a lot of TLC. I think my efforts paid off. It was a very good year for Emporer.
I bring many vases of my dahlias to my store for my customers to enjoy. Their reactions are priceless. The day I brought a large vase with the Emporer dahlias one customer went over and touched them and in a loud, high- pitched voice said, "Oh, they're real!" Boy, was she surprised. She thought they were artificial. That made my day.
Oh my gosh- I checked your member page. You grow a key lime? I just can't picture having such a wonderful fruit in my yard.
You are in that tricky warm zone and there is a lack of hot climate dahlia posters here. We need to rally the troops and beg some of the Southern dahlia growers to offer their input on how best to handle digging there.
Congratulations on finding tubers. I have two cuttings that I'm eager to dig up. Only one bloomed. The other was a sprout leftover int he garden from last year, in my way for a new tuber in May, but I couldn't kill it! So I plunked the broken off sprout into the ground and off it went: no rooting hormone, no potting soil, no nothin'--- it's now 2 ft tall and I can't wait to excavate to see what I find.
Wow!I had no Idea that you could just yank out a shoot and it will grow!My key lime is still Quite smallish because I just got it last year.My grandma uses the lime's leave for cooking and I like to make drinks out of their fruit.Can you grow key lime in where you live?
Can someone email me the hyperlink to Photobucket?
Thanks
tcgreene7@aol.com
Here you go.
Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket