3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Hard to tell from the image. Does it feel different then other tubers, like foam used to seal up holes?
If so, that can be caused by bacteria in the soil, and I have not had reoccurrences in the areas I have dug clumps from in the following spring. If that was my clump, I'd be tempted to use any tubers on the other side of the clump, and throw away (not compost) the other half.
Disease identification can be a tricky thing, causing equally experienced growers to disagree vehemently on the cause and best course of action.
When I did one plant per bucket they did get about that tall, but I didn't pinch them off so the space looked sparce so I was thinking of putting 2 in a bucket this year. I do have a slow release bulb fertilizer that I used and it seemed to help keep them happy.
So, is it the water that's more of a concern or the space? I can make sure they don't dry up. I live very close to where I work, so I could water them before work, at lunch and then again after work if I had to. I have seen online where people have planted 3 or 4 dahlias around one steak, but that was in the ground. If its water that's the bigger issue, I can take care of that, if its space, I can just plant one tuber per bucket. What do you think?
More the watering and fertilizer, as both I and other growers have sucessfully grown full-sized plants in four inch containers planted complete in the ground. It results in a small clump of tubers.
My experience with planting in pots outside the earth was half the size with quarter the number of blooms, so I don't grow in pots anymore. But I am fortunate in that I also have the ability to plant in-ground as I please.
I would not try to divide tuber at this stage. You can take cuttings to start another plant. It looks like you have a good shoot to do that. If you don't want to do that leave the strongest shoot and break off the rest. If you grow more than 1 the plants are weaker. One tuber has to divide it's energy to support all those plants thus giving inferior flowers.
A couple thoughts for you...
You describe the tubers as "small congested clumps of (pot-grown) tubers," which makes me think that it might be difficult for even an expert to successfully divide them. Many growers would just keep the pot tuber planted intact in a potting mix, take cuttings until enough plants are created, then plant out the clump as-is.
If you really want to divide it and are thrown off by the roots, it is a safe bet to divide directly down the middle of last year's stem, being sure to avoid slicing the necks or bodies of the tubers, and 'wiggling' the two halves apart. You might lose a tuber or two, but there should be eyes on both halves if you do it this way.
I don't personally know any growers that use straight peat moss for prestarting tubers. I would be concerned that it might hold too much moisture next to the tuber and invite rot. Some combination of peat, vermiculite, perlite and/or 'sharp' builders sand provides better drainage to the peat. (Growers in the UK especially feel it is important that sand be in the mix, although I have never used it and don't quite understand what benefit it has to the tubers or cuttings. I have asked a couple UK master growers, and they respond 'drainage' and that it always works for them)
Hope this helps... Good luck, and let us know how it works out for you!
Cheers,
CiCi
I've not had any experience with taking cuttings, so I'll go for planting the whole pot tuber/s intact. Last year I planted some Bishop of Llandaff in open ground. By the end of the season when I dug them up, the clumps of tubers resembled an Octopus in shape. All stuck out sideways, and not like the vertical bunches one sees in packets for sale.
You could have stored them by cutting off those other stems, also.
I usually left my bulbs in-ground or in-pot for the winter, but about 2 years ago, we had a pretty late ice storm. A few days after the storm was over, I could see that my amaryllis bulbs took a beating. Some made it and most didn't. I waited at least 2 months to see the normal growth in the pots for the dahlias and lily bulbs, but they didn't. When I finally checked by digging up that dirt, there was no sign of the tubers and bulbs. They had been disintegrated. Even the larger amaryllis bulbs which looked OK above ground but weren't growing, had squishy bulb parts beneath the soil.
The funny thing is, that same spring, I found some dahlia tubers that had been in the house, which I got on clearance in the previous late summer. I apparently had forgotten about them. I potted them up and they actually grew and put out some great blooms. This year, they have returned, with growth better than last year.
Thanks once again for your help cicivacation !! I don't know why I wasn't seeing the shipping rate and email address at first..but went back and found it..even talked to the lady...the were very nice..and sent a substantial order. Wonderful prices! :)
My favorite for getting answers about growing is...
Dahlia Information on Growing and Exhibiting
https://www.facebook.com/groups/363854624030
If you do a FB search, there's about four main ones with many regional forums. My favorite one above doesn't want pictures posted unless they are part of a question or it is informational. There are other forums that don't mind pretty pictures without the variety name, though you'll still be bugged to list them.
Thank you! I have been thinking about it all weekend.
My husband is planning to build a raised garden and transplanting his veggies, and put in more. We are planning to get comfortable here, too. The only way I want to move is when my mom returns from caring for my grandmother in NY, which could be a couple of years. Our yard is small but most of it is on the east side of the house. The best sun spots are in the back. Is there a point where it is too late to transplant? Also, are there any variety of dahlias that do well in a pot?
Again, thank you so much for all this help!
I think they look great for indoor seedlings. I use 6 T5 tubes over 4 flats of trays. Sorry, I dont know more about the lumes ect. Your plants look nice and stocky though, I would not be concerned. Maybe get the light closer if they stretch out a bit too reach it?
It is hard to say what size container you will need as growth is dependent on SO many variables. See how they look each week... They will probably need to be transplanted but you never know!
Good luck!
Wow! What a change! This first season will be quite a learning curve for you.
Filtered vs unfiltered sun- Depends... I'd plant some in both places to learn what works best in your climate, and in your personal gardening space. Soil can differ in separate locations in a yard, too, so experimenting is a good idea the first year before you expand the dahlia beds.
I'm thinking that you are so much closer to the equator that the sun's output might be deceptively 'hotter' in terms of UV and burning, even if the temps aren't way up there... But I don't know. (One Australian grower with extremely hot temps has had success with spraying his dahlias before they bud up with a clay-based sunscreen to keep them from scorching, along with pulse-watering at the roots to maintain a constant level of moisture at the roots.
Most growers I know like to water at soil level, using t-tape or leaky hoses. Some use sprinklers early on, but have to set them under the plants when grown to make sure water gets to the roots. In their active growing cycle, dahlias require ample watering on a consistent basis, like tomatoes.
Some growers here purposely spray their plants in the morning to assist with pest control, but I have no idea what pests you would be dealing with down there. I'm assuming you have a humid climate? Mildew might be an issue if it is always humid.
Hope some of this will help... Please keep us updated on your dahlia adventures! Love to learn what you find works best in Costa Rico!
Thanks for the information Cici.. I really appreciate it! At least now I have something to start with!
It definitely is a change from where we use to live and I will have to learn all over again but I think it will be fun at the same time as there are so many colorful and beautiful plants here. I’m looking forward to finally being able to plant something other than Impatients and Hostas! LOL
We are in the mountains at elevation 3500 feet so it’s not particularly humid and the mid-day temps are between 75-85 degrees. Nighttime temps are 65 degrees. But as you said, the morning sun does feel very hot at times, even though the temperature is only about 70 degrees. So this may cause an issue for me. :(
The place I decided for planting faces to the east and gets full morning sun, and afternoon sun is filtered through some trees that currently do not have many leaves (it is summer/dry season here) so I think this will work for now. Not sure how it will go when the winter/rainy season comes as the trees will bud out and not sure if the dahlias will get enough afternoon sun at that point. This is our first year in this house so not even sure how our yard changes during the seasons. Everything is going to be a learning experience for me!
I have 3 planted so far, and will visit the garden center again to pick up a few more to finish out the bed. Keep your fingers crossed!
Hi silverrowan, some of my personal favorites in low(er) varieties - all ones I've grown myself, are Park Princess (pink cactus), Yellow Happiness (sunny yellow, nice form), There is a red waterlily form called Japanese that stays low and has lovely flowers. A beautiful pastel blend is zingaro. Le Baron gets about 1m tall for me - needs staking but is bushy and blooms like mad. Velda Inez - nice lavender/white blend. Firepot is an amazing sunset blend that is stunning. Bishop of Llandaff or Japanese Bishop (or bishop's children) are all in the range and have dark foliage, as does Fascination.
Nonette is a low orange variegated with red that is very nice.
As you know, you MUST dig the lower varieties - I guess in Toronto you have to dig them all! I don't know how many of these varieties you can find in Canada.
If you like the REALLY low mounded ones just "for show", the gallery dahlias are only about a foot tall and wide. The ones I mentioned above all have stems that you can cut.
hey vince, I have been saving 20-30 tubers a year for the past 2-3 years and I wash them, remove roots, let them dry a bit as people suggest and i use rubbermaid totes, place a layer of tubers in the bottom and cover with play sand, add another layer of tubers and cover with sand and so on. I only loose one or two a year with this method. They stay in my basement thats average basement temp hi 50's low 60's?? Not even sure haha. Good luck
Not off base in the slightest! Everything you said was super helpful. I probably get concerned about my dahlias more than I need to so it's just good to have peace of mind and know whether I should be snipping out weak sprouts and let new ones form or not (as now is the time for me to be planting out and I want them as far ahead as possible.)
I am a new dahlia grower indeed, this will be my second year and I am getting up around 300 plants now (including some huge cuttings I have had growing for a while). I have lots of space so am hoping to double the load next year so any information people are able to give me in greatly appreciated.
I think given your tips I will leave them alone and see what happens :) If they seem not to grow over the next few weeks I will let them start over!
Thanks so much for getting back to me and for all of the valuable and interesting facts!
Have a great growing season :)
Cody
Cody, just a thought... It might be better for your immature cuttings (that have rooted but are very small) to plant them IN THEIR POT into the ground. Make sure they get the premium spots that will be watered well, as they can't take in as much water through the pot from the surrounding soil. Even a 4 inch pot IN the ground will allow the plant to reach full size, and bloom while protecting it somewhat from the ravishes of pests. Even better, digging it out is a breeze at the end of the season, and you can leave it (dry) in the pot during storage. Next season these pot roots will give you lots of cuttings.
Try a few for kicks, and see what you think next spring. I'll be doing quite a few of these this way, especially on those varieties hard to keep overwinter.