3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
hehe. I've got at least 8 of them, I think I'VE been mass marketed.
A friend of mine took a look and wasn't sure if he liked it, he wasn't too keen on the color combo I guess. I like the blend of pink and yellow. Splash a little rum on it and you've got an exotic drink... no wait, it's not Friday yet...and the cactus(?) form is cool, but is it really a cactus? I guess a lacinated flower is a different group of dahlias than cactus.
I don't know, I like it anyway. Hopefully next year I can get a few complementary colors to go with it.
Lacinated is a different form than cactus- -- it used to be called fimbriated cactus- The only time it counts is if you're entering them in a show & then they have to go in the lacinated section not the cactus section. So-- who cares as long as you love 'em?!
Too much fertilizer and not enough sun perhaps??? It would be worth that price to me if the plants was already increasing under the soil AND if it was a named cultivar because then I could do some trading this Fall or next Spring. But since I am not familiar with 'Fred Meyer" I can't attest to the reliability of them as it relates to trueness of cultivars. My 2 cents.
The most I paid this year for a Named Dahlia tuber was $5.00. That was on-line from Danielles Dahlias-I've had good results buying from them. Most were priced well under that.
Poochella - you're too funny! I feel tall but unfortunately the skinny part escapes me. Guess I'm a snaccoon too.
I bought mostly 15" to 20" dahlias to start with. And they are getting full afternoon sun from about 12:30 to 2:30 or 3. They often wilt a bit and then recover later, even though they are not dry. I have to confess after seeing the prices, and having watched caladiums do so poorly here in containers (soil temps not high enough last couple years), I bought my dahlias for $8.49/9 tubers at Costco in February. They have names and they've bloomed true to the pictures but I'm sure these are run of the mill dahlias. Then again you never know, Costco does surprise sometimes. Anyway, they have flopped a bit out of the containers but have remained about 15" to 24" high and thick and green. I gots lots of green. I wants more flowers. I thought Bulbtone and tomato fertilizer would be the right thing to do. I will not fertilize again - I think they've had enough. What I was wondering is whether August will bring the blooms - are they just not quite in season yet? It's sure been HOT enough for tubers, just not sure they are getting the right sun requirements.
The ones that have really taken off are 2 small singles, a ruby red with yellow center and a very white with yellow center. I've cut a lot of them and they are behaving just like CCDahlias said they would - putting out more buds and blooms. I have enormous pots of Verbena Bonariensis towering over their heads and I rather like the combination. Very lush. The ones that are hanging back are Mum-type purples. I suppose I could go look up the names and I bet some dahlias are more prolific than others. If somebody can answer that I'll go hunt up the names.
But I was wondering, if dahlias are originally from Mexico, I wonder what part? Most of Mexico is beastly hot and sunny in the daytime, and often dry as well - think bougainvillea. I suppose around Mexico City where the elevations are higher they might moderate the temps. I would think a tuber would rot in the high humidity jungle areas along the Gulf Coasts. Well if anyone knows, I thought that might give a clue as to what environment to duplicate.
Hi Kimbaq,
I will try to get a photo for you tomorrow, but here is a pretty good discussion (see link, scroll to page 7) on trimming laterals and cutting a flower. If I read correctly, the article says cut a stem of 2-3 feet!
Could be my tired eyes, but what I normally get are ~12-24 inches depending on variety of plant and that's plenty long for most bouquets of mine.
Here is a link that might be useful: Read page 7 for cutting
Hi. This is my first year with Dahlias. I read all sorts of things about disbudding for one large bloom, which I tried on 2 of them. They look terrible and never bloomed. The other ones I disbudded only a couple sprouts and they have many tall beautiful flowers. For me, more is better! And it's true...the more flowers you cut off the more you get!
Okay, the disbudding I understand, but what do you mean by "alternate sides laterals". If someone has a pic to show what it is that be great. Thank for the help
Here is a link that might be useful: my little dahlia blooms
I had EXACTLY the same problem. The center stem was mush, and smelled bad, too, right?
Since this is my first year with dahlias, I wasn't sure what to do, so my first step was to cut that stem out.
The next day, I went back and cut back the entire plant to the base, and culled it from the dahlia bed entirely. I replanted it in a very large pot, away from all other dahlias.
Yesterday, I noticed a small shoot coming up. I'm hoping the tuber is still good, as I didn't see any problem with it when I culled it.
Glad to know I'm not the only one. I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong. Do you have any ideas as to what causes this?
Sassy Stems
I have no idea what it was, but it's bagged and in the garbage can. My guess: bacterial stem rot, or verticillium affliction. I didn't notice a terrible odor because I was weeping (at the loss of Pinelands Pet)and my nose was stuffy LOL! Kidding. It would take something tragic like Ivory Palaces to go before I really cried over a dahlia. Did get a little misty eyed over Bracken Ballerina succombing to rot though, darn it.
I like your idea of keeping that tuber away from the others! Will be replanting mine tonight in a pot.
Here is a link that might be useful: dahlia disease chart
(because we had a cool spring) and I still do not have flowers only small buds.
My guess is that's the reason why. A good stretch of warm/hot weather will do wonders. We've been through a long stretch of heat and sun, and the previously dawdling dahlias have just gone wild. Still only 6 opened, but bud formation and growth has been explosive.
I would give them time and hope for a heatwave.
I've had some like that too-rot. And now its extremely hot. Another factor is if you replace some...I mean that some didn't work out, so you dug 'em up and put in another. Then it would take awhile for the new one to get going. I've had both cases. I'm also using a pot to shade the new one. I've been pleasantly surprised that as much abuse as some have taken-getting broke off, etc that its still hanging in there!
Keep "the faith!"
Wow, Willow that is beautiful but not anything like Lupin Peltier I know or anything I have grown. Did I send you one from the PSDA? It would not be inconceivable that someone mislabelled their tuber- they are donated by members. If it was my tuber, I have no explanation and plead 100% innocent (just like OJ, LOL.)
Here's mine from last year.
That makes two so far that look different in color and this one is way different in form. I would guess tuber mix up, although I have one from Connell's that is shown to be a white-tipped, small purple cactus and to date it's looks like white and purple mixed all over each petal.
I have no idea what's gone on here, but I can't wait til yours bloom so I can compare colors etc! The good news is I have two Lupine Peltiers (I think) and will gladly resend one next year.
That was the one you sent me from PSDA, I don't get it! It must me a tuber mix up as that was the second blossom off that plant and the first looked the same as the one above. My mystery plant because it sure doesn't look like LP. Hmmmmmmmm???
Thanks for the reply and I will take you up on the resend of LP
Willow
It's been a real hodpodge of fertilizing here. Starting out with the usual compost in the hole, then 10-10-10 fertilizer that I didn't think was doing well enough so I just blasted many of my plants with a dose Osmocote. In between those was MorBloom 0-10-10.
I can't tell if it's been our very slow-to-arrive summer weather, or if it was the sluggish fertlizer, but many of my plants are shorter than usual. Other NW dahlia gardeners are reporting the same problem.