3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
When you replant in the spring and the sprouts start coming up, pinch off all but the largest sprout. When that single
spout is 12-18 inches tall, pinch off the center candle. This will cause the plant to be thicker, bushier, and have
thicker stems. You will have a 3-4 feet tall plant instead of
5-7 feet with thin stems.
Many people in warmer climate leave their Dahlias in the ground over the winter, digging them up every year or two (or three) in the spring to divide them. Any frost that you get would put them into dormancy and they would arise in the late spring like any perennial. I have not heard of anyone trying to keep them from going dormant over the winter.
So-so for me. Established plants seemed to slow way down; the others went into suspended animation till the nights turned cooler and then they bloomed their little hearts out. I'm still learning, and don't think I fertilized enough. I was also afraid of overwatering, so I probably could have given them an extra drink on those really hot days. I grow mine mostly in pots. Tuber production was excellent and digging was a breeze.
Surprisingly, my dahlias are still going even after 3 mornings where I woke to frost on the lawn and glass deck table. Apparently dahlias are more cold resistant than I realized! :) Some of the open flowers were damaged but the leaves weren't damaged much and new buds have continued to open. I've had temperatures down to 28F or 29F but I don't think it was for very long, maybe just a few hours early in the morning.
Most of mine are fried, but I happened to take cuttings to root indoors before the first frost, and today I put leaf bags on top of the outdoor dahlias which seems to be the most effective way to over-winter them around here.
Here's a blog on some of my dahlia blooms over the summer. I have since collected many more species.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia blog from over the summer
We have 2 or 3 cactus varieties that came from seed packets we got at home depot. Most seed packets you see in seed racks are usually dwarf types and they do well. I have a few beds of dwarfs but they don't give the blooms that the larger varieties do. Local florist like large blooms and they want long stems. We breed some and buy seed to expand our gardens.
I was hoping some breeders would connect with me and we could
exchange seed or I could buy some. It's not easy to breed dahlias a lot work is involved.
I like to let them go a bit past freshly closed. Tho it seems to slow down the flowering. I have found it best to time it about a month before the frost around here. (Early Sept. is when I stop deadheading and start letting selected ones go to seed). If you have the space I say you go girl....I have had some wonderful results and some that I have kept over seven years cause I liked them so well. They have even had sports that I enjoy also. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Hi Steve. guess that is not much of an answer but most dahlias have a tendency to show open centers and weak necks late in the season. Not all dahlias but many. Some say you can partially overcome this by foliar feeding late August or early September. Hope this has been some help to you. Steve in Baltimore County.
Any sprouts should be snipped off. You want to store them with no roots or sprouts. They will sprout again in the spring.
I have a similar situation with some of my tubers. We had a hard enough frost to kill the plants, but since then it has been quite a bit warmer so they are making another try.
I have some "eyes" or the start of new sprouts on the lower areas of stems, which I have never seen before in the fall. Those I will just cut off and toss.
Dahlias are very prone to mutation so generally the seeds are not saved, rather the underground tubers are saved and traded. The tubers can be divided to produce more clones of the same variety of dahlia. The seeds will very likely not have the same characteristics as the parent plant.
I realize this is an old post but I decided I would like to plant dahlias with my roses and have been researching the older posts. I also have never grown them and needed some background. I LOVE those soft yellow ones you have, would you happen to remmember the name of them? I am thinking to go wild and bold, or unique mostly but the soft yellow would sure fit with the rest. I think I am going to order some from Swan Island and the rest from Lynch for my first time. My roses are all diifferent but primarlily climbing. Thanks!
These seeds have disappeared from EBay. I would still like any opinions re: seeds. Thanks.
Aloha Max:
I love Dahlias and am constantly looking for different/new ones. I have purchased seed from various sources that represent themselves to be dwarf (which I am looking for to surround the big babies) and love the different color and markings you can come up with during the course of a seasons growth. I think it well worth the effort and price. Some of the Sports I have kept for many generations. You decide which you wish to dig and keep for future use. Keep in mind that what the seed says and what the seed does do not always match. Some of my "Dwarf" have been taller than I. I'm 6'8" One of my favorites came from seed. Looks like fire engine red painted on black velvet. If you have the space.......grow for it. Partner in grime.......mm