3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
dpinker, If you want low maintenace plants, I would stay away from roses. You have to spray roses,trim,spray, mulch. I spend a whole lot more time taking care of my roses here in the north than I do my dahlia's. If you want dahlias, don't dig them up just replant them every year. They are really cheap at Lowes or walmart.
Dahlia's are really low maintance if you don't dig them up.Plant them, stake them, and let them grow!
Dahlias take their own sweet time opening- we've tried just about everything to get immature blooms to open for shows & they never co-operate. Hot water won't speed them up- we even tried a heat lamp one year but the darned thing was just a "Wednesday Bloom" & just wouldn't do it! (A Wed. bloom is all the gorgeous ones that are perfect in the middle of the week when all the shows are, of course on the weekend!)
Jroot- a gift card is like a gift certificate shaped like a credit card to those stores mentioned. when the giver purchases it, you denote the value of the card- all electronic. Very popular as gifts so you don't have to do that personal shopping thing. There was a law passed in WA recently that prevents the stores from taking the gift card money back if the recipient doesn't use it in X amount of time. I shudder when I think of how many $$'s we've wasted letting them expire here.
I swear I answered this post, but apparently not.
The link is to a long, all inclusive discussion on digging tubers. Unfortunately it is tough to find specific advice for warm weather climates such as yours. Also unfortunate is that the author doesn't recognize the value of a paragraph for easy reading!
I would do a search for Southern CA dahlia societies and email them directly with your questions on climate-related requirements that would provide additional tips beyond the general practices used by many dahlia growers.
cut and paste this for good info as well:
http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/TuberStor/TuberStor1.htm
Good luck!
Here is a link that might be useful: digging tubers/dividing clumps.
several to choose from in California.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia Associations list
Thank you Dahlia Maniacs from your newest recruit! LOL.
heidic I cut one of the flowers from the last picture four days ago and it looks the same as when I cut it.
Poochella if you check the other thread I've got here it has more info on the little yellow flowers. They're solidaster Lemore and I've got a link in the other thread.
Poochella, Try your local hardware store, that's where I found it. It really is surveyor's tape but it comes clear and in dark green.
Oh, by the way, Your're a gardener, no matter what your hands will always be a calloused mess unfit for any beauty contest, LOL
Thanks Poochella. I'd be curious to hear what others say. Also, about the clear tape: Willow is right. I think the hardware store is a good place to try. I get mine at a local nursery that is kind of a "high end" nursery place. I also tried a google search on white plant ribbon or white plant tape and surveyor's ribbon, but I couldn't find anything. I did find a lot of hits on the velcro plant ties, which you can adjust, but I really like the clear ribbon... Hope you can find it!
I've attached an additional copper tag to the main stock of each plant. Hubby knows to wait 6 to 8 days after frost kills the plant, then to dig carefully. I doubt as dry as it has been if much soil will cling to the tubers when he digs. Lay out to dry several hours; then just put the contents of each clump into a plastic grocery bag. Hopefully I will be home within 10 days of his needing to dig. Any other advice I could leave with him?? Oh, yes, put all in a cooler in the cold storage room.
Great going Willow! That Gargantuan would be handy in a bouquet of oranges/yellows/reds I have going. Love the vase- what are the gorgeous tall lav/white flowers? They look like something very useful for bouquets.
Glad you got the rain you so needed. We got a solid inch this week and for the first time in months I am not watering this week YAY.
You could probably leave them in the ground in your zone, but read up on other posts/links about digging and dividing if you want to expand your number of plants.
You could get a stake of some kind and place it a foot away from the base of the plant, firmly into the ground. Then use some pantyhose, tights, T shirt strips or some other flexible tie that won't cut the stalks/stems, to wrap around and keep the plant branches more upright, secured to the stake.
If you cut off the dead flowers where the stems emerged from the plant, it should stimulate more growth and you could get more blooms. Look for new little green growth on either side of the stem you're cutting off and avoid damaging them. Or look for them at the next junction down the stem. They can go on to produce two new flowers, at least. Some dahlias will just fatigue and start to fade away, lose leaves as they shut down for the season. I don't know how they behave in Texas.
Good luck and congratulations on your blooms so far.