3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
The outdoor temps here dipped to right around 20F last night. Inside my unheated greenhouse it was a tender plant damaging 29F and a small freeze testing bowl of water froze a 1/4 inch thick. But happily under my protection zone of water jugs and blankets the temperature stayed at an acceptable 41F degrees. :) Many of my early start dahlias have leaves out already and would likely have been badly setback without the extra protection.
Thanks,
I have potted them up to see if they break dormancy.
I contacted the seller and she said Sadie is a dark purple and is sending me the peppermint colored one.
I do not care about named cultivars. I like Dinner Plate dahlias in unusual colors and shapes.
Oh yeah, I see you said you planted them back in January not right now. They probably froze and are now mush. You might as well dig them up and see for yourself what condition they are in. January is kind of early for Walmart to be selling dahlias but then again some people (like me) start them in pots indoors and then transplant them out around the last frost date to get a head start. The easiest and safest way to grow them is to plant the tuber outside after the last frost date but then you get flowers much later in the summer.
Be patient with the slow tubers. Put them somewhere warm planted in slightly moist loose potting mix if you want to encourage them to start sprouting now. Are you planning on propagating them from sprout cuttings? This isn't really a task for a beginner but if you want to try there is good info on the web.
There are two keys to getting dahlias to overwinter in the ground in a temperate climate regardless of where you live.
1.) You cannot allow the frost to penetrate to the depth of the tubers. Unlike frost hardy bulbs, daffodils for example, which can actually freeze solid without harm dahlia tubers cannot be allowed to freeze or they will turn to mush and die when they thaw.
2.) The dormant tubers should not be allowed to sit in wet soil. This causes them to rot.
So you should be able to get dahlias to overwinter in your climate if you can meet those two conditions. A heavy mulch of leaves is a good idea and I would also recommend covering the leaves with sheet plastic or a cold frame to keep the soil dry throughout the winter.
Thank you for the tips - I will try them out on a Walmart plant to see how I do. I am fortunate to be getting 2 Wyoming Weddings, and I'm going to plant one in the garden and one in a large pot (18" diameter) to see how they compare - then I'll lift them both in the traditional manner. After I see how the experimental "in ground" plant does next year, I may try it with others.
Thanks again for helping a newbie!
I would also suggest that you read: Success With Cuttings By Bill McClaren.
http://dahlias.net/seabox/McClaren.htm
There is also a lot of good info on the Colorado Dahlia Society web site.
http://www.dahlias.net/
http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/Propagation/Cuttings.htm
Here is a link that might be useful: Success With Cuttings
I raised some from seed one year but I didn't take any pictures because I didn't really like them. They were all small collarettes which isn't really my thing so I was unimpressed. I got my dahlia seeds from GeoSeed.
Here is a link that might be useful: Collarettes at Swan Island
If you are starting them inside, in pots, with plans to move them into the ground when it warms up, then planting them shallow to wake them up and get a head start is fine. You will plant them deeper (6") when you move them into the beds. If you are planning on keeping them in pots then you need to either plant them deeper, or plant them shallow in a deep pot and add soil as they grow.
So yes 2-3 " of soil is enough if they are only in there for 3-4 weeks
The only seed that is commonly available (that I am aware of) is for "bedding" Dahlias. Short 18-24" bushy plants with 2-3" flowers. They grow very well from seed, and bloom much earlier. They work really well in a mixed bed, but they certainly cant compete with the big "show" dahlias.
Since you have a variety of different plants to trade maybe you should try the Plant Exchange forum.
Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Exchange
Or a bright eye catching dahlia! :) My favorite bright colored dahlia last year was Dr. John E. Kaiser.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia DR JOHN E KAISER
Mistee,
You don't have enough dahlia varieties to tempt anyone to trade with you. If you would start out by buying 10 newer cultivars from a reputable dahlia specialist (i.e. Swan Island, Corralitos, etc.) and propagating by dividing the tubers in the off season then next spring you will have a much more attractive collection which you can trade to increase the variety of your own collection. By the way, later in the season (May) there are sometimes people who end up with too many tubers to plant and they may be willing to send the extras to you simply for the cost of postage.
Hi - Sorry , but I have done several trades already! Goodluck
to you , Mistee