3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Hi I tried this last year i planted a tall dahlia in a 14 in dim pot and I found that I only got about 5 blooms out of it and it grew about 3 feet the ones in the greund grew about 6 ft and had alot more boooms try both and see what you get bye for now Anna lisa
I am so glad I waited until well after May 1!
Today I gently dug a couple that hadn't showed above ground today - and found that one had rotted. Drat. I have one more of the Monets, however. It's in a warmer, drier spot, thank goodness, but i've learned to watch for just the right micro-climate...which appears to really mean NO heavy, COLD WET SOIL, for long anyway.
This year it seems that it will not stay at 70 degrees for more than a few minutes. And when it does, sure as heck, I've left a flat of seedlings somewhere with a bit too much sun, and they fry. So I set others in shade to harden off, and the Slugs have a fest! Ack. So it goes in the great NW. Gotta get back out & do more planting, and re-seed what the slugs ate.
Staring at colorful blooms keeps me from getting as much work done as planned. It's like a drug. Can't wait for the Dahlia blooms to take over. Many are showing strong foliage, so I know it's gona be great. Happy Spring!
pdxJules
(who spent an hour yesterday teaching the neighbor girls about bulbs, & deadheading, and how some flowers come back every year, and for some we can help by getting the seed in the ground...and how bees help pollinate flowers, and what seeds look like inside the pods. They are planting their first tomato plants today, yay!)
Wow, you're right!
I lifted the plant and the center tuber was a rotten mush! I removed as much as I could and then (with considerable trepidation, I might add) applied some Lysol before replanting it with some additional sand.
Then I also followed flowerfarmer and spaced it farther away from the other one and now both face south with one no longer overshadowing the other.
I had to stake the poor thing. The plant has two stalks - if one dies I'll still be happy. (I'm not even sure if you're supposed to let two stalks grow from one bunch of tubers)
Thanks for your advice - I'll report back if I see improvement.
C.
Good for you Chris ont! Have no trepidation about lysol, other than inhaling it yourself. I think Flowerfarmer's advice was right on too: more space and better sun between plants would be beneficial, but if you've got a soggy tuber going bad, it's best to get rid of it.
Hope you go on to have many blooms from your plants.
To much water will cause this problem. make sure the water is only applied to the soil and not on the leaves and buds themselves. Deadhead all the buds and and let the soil dry out and they should rebloom for you. I have dahlia's in large pots and I only water when the soil is dry below 3 inches or when the dahlia's themselves start to wilt. Good luck!
Willow
Hey GrannyMarsh,
Thanks for responding, Yes there was an eye when I planted it , Even the stem from last year , I was told it was a 2 year old tuber .
Anyway I went out today to see and lo and behold it is starting to come up !! Yea ! I probably won't see flowers till August or later that is if the earwigs don't eat it all !
Hi Carol,
Some varieties just have shorter stems than others. What dahlia is it? Or how tall is it destined to be according to the tag?
If you have a border dahlia it will behave more like a mum, lots of blooms on short sprays of stems and I don't think there's anything you can do.
If all goes well they'll get to be 2.5-3 ft tall. Looks like lots of bright colored flowers from the link. Give them a try!
Here is a link that might be useful: Bishops Children
Phyl
Hopefully your tubers won't turn to mush. I thought that had happened to mine too, but after reading alot about Dahlia's on the net it seems ground temps are important as well. All the tubers (about 10) have finally sprouted. I think next year I will give them a head start by planting in containers. I had done that in the past with alot of success.
Joe
I had three dahlia bulbs that were not showing any growth, while the rest of them were. I carefully dug up the bulbs to look at them. I had planted one upside down because the eye was not visible when I planted it, so it was taking the long way around the bulb to get through the soil. The other two were growing, but very slowly. I removed much of the dirt so they could get more sun, and I will mound the dirt back around them when they have grown a few inches above the soil.
Anyone interested in dispelling fertilizing myths should read this article below. This experimenter proves that:
"Weak stems are not the result of too much nitrogen. In fact stems can be strengthen by fertilizing with additional nitrogen."
My experience has been the same. I use cow manure compost and a fertilize additionally once a week. I get thick strong stems.
Here is a link that might be useful: Mid-Island Dahlia society
Thanks for the link.
Happy gardening
Laura