3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
In my experience some are very slow to show eyes, some will sprout roots but never develop an eye (blind tuber,) and 3 out of 4 of Ron's that didn't have eyes, really DID have eyes that went on to grow.
Some are really hard to tell, you mark a spot that you think is an eye and nothing happens there, but one emerges in a place you wouldn't have suspected.
I still have a bunch in shallow potting soil waiting to show me an eye. Some are growing roots but I'm about ready to proclaim them compost.
I ordered from Corralitos Gardens earlier this spring. The plants are beautiful and are beginning to show buds.
It's my first time with Dahlias as well. I envy you your space..you can just get "one of everything". I agonized for a week over my choices as I was limited by space to only 6 plants.
Good Luck
If the plant is young I don't see why you can't just leave it as is, although the brown stems might not be attractive in the spring. Of course as fast as dahlias multiply you might want to divid after 1st year. Leaving stms on might be good though to know where it is so you wouldn't dig there. I have read somewhere in our zones where we have to dig each year that you cut back the foliage but don't leave it in the ground too long because water can seep thru the stems & rot the tuber. That would make it seem better to leave stems on.
Sorry about that..I read my post again. I meant to say that I was going to slash off the part labelled 'toast' (which I did) and not the unlabelled brown blob which is still intact. I will be putting it into a pot in the evening.. Will keep you all posted.
hehe dunno where to get a bob cat but mom always uses dried blood to keep the rabbits off her plants in the garden. Since rabbits are herbivors they dont like the smell or taste of dried blood so they let them alone. try it i dont know how if it does affect the plant. :o)
carrie
Blood meal is a good source of nitrogen, I just put around my Hosta and some other stuff. My dog sure is interested in the smell, but she is pretty good about staying out of the garden beds. The neighbor's canines are not....
I purchased it in the hope that it will repel those rotten rabbits and (in my dreams) deer. But I also am going to use "Liquid Fence".
In its native Mexico, Dahlia coccinea can occur as pure yellow flowers through orange and red to blackish scarlet blooms. Orange-red is probably the most common color. Occasionally, when different color plants cross, the offspring are parti-colored, or with rays that are bi-colored (e.g., orange and yellow). Dahlia coccinea will also form interspecific (= between species) hybrids with just about any other species with the same number of chromosomes. These include the species with lavender or purple flowers. The result is often a muddy tangerine color if the other parent was light lavender crossed with an orange-red. The darker the purple parent, the more likely the red will not mask it. The reason I mention this is because their US description says "Dahlia coccinea species mixed," which does not make a lot of sense. D. coccinea is itself a distinct species. Maybe they had separate species at one time but all got crossed in their fields. Anyway, as you say, it is always fun to see what turns out.
Forget the dahlias for a minute: Your dogs are just gorgeous! Ruby looks so bright eyed and ready to go! And the light one looks absolutely lovely and content.
Back to the subject- do you think it will freeze anymore in your location? I would hope you could put them out any time now, and if a freezing night hits again just put a box or bag or burlap cloak over the plants.
Hi GG, Could be any number of critters. In my garden, I have found that earwigs ( they leave behind dark droppings ) are the culprits. I inspect the plants often, and yesterday I found some kind of wormy caterpillar too...I innoculated all the plants and soil with "SoilSoup" an aerated compost tea, and then I sprayed one day with "Orange TKO" and the next with Greenlights Bug spray made with thyme, clove and sesame oils...It seems to control bugs, but I suppose I'll have a few holes in the leaves, as oppsoed to dead earthworms and other beneficials...Oh I also use "Envirepel" to help control bugs...I like to switch my sprays...also, you can roll up newspaper loosely and wrap with a rubber band, moisten it and lay it in the garden at dusk, then in the morning remove the paper roll...it might probably have lots of earwigs in it...trials and tribulations...happy growing~*~
Heck, I'm in zone 7 and I might add a very soggy zone 7 this year. I planted all tubers by May 10th and about one third are showing signs of life. 4 have rotted that I know of, one disappeared POOF like Houdini- as I dug into its planting spot to check for rot ( we've had way too much rain) and there was no tuber to even check! NADA, ZIP, ZILCH. So my cry is "H.G. Chad E- where on Earth are you?"
I am hoping warmer and dry weather this week will bring them out of their shells. Have no fear Myst 4ever. You don't need to watch them hourly or daily. Give them a couple weeks to settle in and then shoot up.
You might have a slow (really slow) sprouter, but if you have others ready to bloom already I'll bet instead you have tubers with no eyes.
Can you dig it up, rinse it off and look carefully on last year's stem base right near the tuber necks for any sign of a swelling bud in pink or green? That would be an 'eye' and the place where this year's growth will emerge. If you see nothing, you might a bare spot in your garden, but it won't hurt anything to replant it and wait.
I think it's odd if you had this tuber/clump bloom last year, that there isn't at least one eye on it this season.
Be sure to let the place you cut it, or broke it open dry well before replanting if you do.
I plant mine on a slope, mainly because my entire property is on a slope. If the slope is really steep, I place a rock on the lower side, just to keep the soil in place. In fact part of mine is so "slopey", I am going to have to put in 16 stairs to go from the front of the house to the back. I placed the dahlia alternating with brugmansia going down the slope this year. Should be interesting to see.
I have mine in a large wooden container which my husband built out of recycled wooden palettes and it's done great for two years going on three now. I have a Dinnerplate Deep Red one very large. It had ants on it last year and it didn't bother it any. It's still very healthy and should bloom any day now. Hope this helps some.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Sunshine98 on GW
....but the afternoon sun is the hotest sun of the day, and the possibility is that they are hot house grown. I'd put them in a spot that got the early morning sun, or in partial shade until the plant has a chance to get used to the UV. Then you could put them into your favoured sun location. I burned a few myself this spring. Good luck.
Could be the wet weather too, I imagine they will recover. I bought one of those in a pot last summer, stuck it right out in the garden in full sun. We got lots of rain last year too, so between the rain & sun, it took a while for it to look good. It did pull through & looked great though, & produced some respectable tubers by fall. I planted them this spring, they are up & I am hoping will do better than last year.
Well although it's not consistently warm or sunny yet, it has warmed up and my dahlias are coming along in their pots. The one I was worried about has recovered nicely. I can't wait to see what happens when we get some proper heat (whoosh! growth!), and to see them bloom! Thanks for the reassurance earlier.
cnid
Glad it pulled through for you Cnid.