3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

Thank you, but other than the fact that this year it was not sunny enough to keep them happy, and that we've never seen so many slugs, this is actually an excellent place for dahlias. I always start mine indoors to avoid young shoots from being eaten by slugs (although this year they even ate large shoots) and so that I get at least a full month of bloom before frost (but unless we get a late first frost that won't happen this year). Other than that, they're a relatively carefree plant here.

I lost about 20 dahlia tubers, because the slugs ate the shots before they had time to leaf. I have slug problems in thge past but not this bad. I will never start a tuber in the ground again.

You are such an enabler. I wasn't going to buy any more dahlias, but I think I just have to have Rawhide, along with a couple of others you've shown us.

This is the first time I have grown Raw Hide. It came in the cut flower collection from Swan Island. I have it in a big greacian urn. It is blooming like crazy. You have my endorsement on this one.

I think you have found it.

It's so perfect, it looks fake!

Our weather has been cooler than usual, and wet, too. Just not great weather for most of my plants. The dahlias should have been in full bloom weeks ago, and instead it's a pitiful bloom here and there, and many of the newer ones, not started in the house in the spring, will not bloom before frost. And they don't even look large enough to have made a new tuber. What has bloomed, the slugs have destroyed. Most of the leaves on the 2 I posted yesterday are destroyed, but the plants are so tall that the slugs didn't make it to the blossoms...yet.

I feel your pain. The tubers I planted in the pots out side got decimated by slugs. The ones I started in the house did way better. I was able to spray enough to keep the slugs from hurting established plants. They ate the new shots right to the grown and they never recovered.

You make such gorgeous combinations...I look forward to your new post each day.

I am glad ever one is enjoying this. My wife has a nice collection of baskets. She really gets to see them. So this way she will get to look at them on her computer. Also she gets to see the flowers she bought the tubers for.

Awesome, but I think I hear your wife...she's not happy!

I took this one out while she was a sleep. LOL

I keep thinking I need to get Bodacious...

Thanks for looking and comenting every one. I used to have a couple of bodacious plants. I am starting over and hope to have more of this one for next year.

Here are some of my dahlias in my latest blog

Here is a link that might be useful: dahlia blooms

Steve when you go to the bottom of this page don't you get a brouse botton?

Gosh. This is the first year I've had tubers AND rooted cuttings, and it's been a HORRID year for growth. I potted up my tubers early too...I've had better luck with tubers this year in regards to plants AND FLOWERS, as I've had flowers on the plants started from tubers...the plants from cuttings are plugging along, no trace of flowers yet. We'll see.

I have ordered practically from almost everyone, and my recommendations go to Swan Dahlias, aka Dahlias.com, Accent Dahlias, Alpen Gardens, and Wynn's. All very realiable. Worst dahlias I have received came from Elhorn gardens in or near Santa Barbara, California. They sent me 1/2 of a bulb, and punny little ones. Will never buy from them again.