3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
Well for the first time I saw the squirrel jump up on my dahlia and bent a branch down. Not sure if my idea will work but i will try and keep a dish of bread and sunflowers seed maybe if he eats the food he will leave my dahlia alone. He was eating the mullberries but now they are finished and the birdfeeder have safflower seed and the squirrels don't like that.
Lorna
No dahlias in there but I think the chipmunks or grey squirrels are chewing on the very bottom of the stems? Is that possible and what can be done before they eat them all down!? Also something really likes the taste of petunia leaves and some flowers... what could that be?
Are these beetles daytime or nighttime predators? The past two years my dahlias have been victimized by what I believe is called Brown Asiatic Beetles. They only come out of the ground at night to feed and mate. They are smaller than a Japanese Beetle and are copper colored. They leave a wet area where they suck on the leaves. I was going out several times at night with a flashlight and hand-picking (a thumb and forefinger are deadly weapons) but of course you can't stay out there all night. I finally lightly dusted the plants and the ground around them with diatomaceous earth and put a bug zapper light close by. After this I found very few on the plants but every morning there were dozens in the water tray of the zapper.They seem to be more attracted to the light than the plants. I no longer spray with any bug killers because in hot,humid weather the plants looked worse after spraying than they did after the beetles fed on them. Thank God they are only around for a few weeks.
Thanks ladies it is a noid from a package I got from sam's club. I bought the batch in March and started them under lights. The ones I got from Swan Island through the mail have buds on them but not blooms as yet. A couple are showing color so by the end of the week I should have some named verities to show.
Well, looks like no one wants to touch this one - probably because there are several things that could go wrong. Here's my 2 cents...
I generally stopped buying "garden center in a pot" dahlias because of exactly what you experienced. They tend to do well for a couple of weeks and then peter out. In fact, I bought one growing about 4 feet high loaded with blooms 2 years ago and my garden 'notes' from last year reminded me that it NEVER came up the following year. (But this year it did and was I ever surprised/glad!)
I think these beauties are grown in the ground and then forced into those 1-2 gal plastic pots for shipping and sale. I cannot imagine they appreciate that so I suspect once they are re-transplanted back into the ground, they go into transplant shock from one or both transplants. IF I buy an already blooming dahlia now, I simply leave it in the plastic pot until it is done, since I know replanting it will usually end its blooming.
But why they stop blooming and turn black is the real question. I used to get black buds when I used to over water dahlias. It is possible something is eating them but usually you will see who or what is doing it to the buds or stems. My personal thought is there is something in the soil of the large barrel they did not like but only you know what soil you planted them in and that may not explain anything if the other plants you mentioned are doing fine. What I can say is my dahlias take a dim view of sharing their space with ANY other plants, in part because the other plants often use water the dahlia needs. But again, only you know how much water they get, so this is only a thought.
As to what to do? Join the majority of us that simply have to 'wait til next year'! I have learned to always give my problem dahlias 3 years and if by then they are not what you thought they were, time for shovel pruning!
I guess they could be from seed, I just assumed cutting because they were already flowering. Either way I only have prior experience with tubers. I planted them almost 2 weeks ago. A few of them actually had nice tubers forming when I planted them. Basically they were just leftover dahlias that I didn't have the heart to throw out so I planted them quickly where I had space. I went on vacation last week and didn't have anyone to care for the pots (small 4" and 6" pots) while I was away so I stuck them in the ground. I actually have a few of my favorite ones from the bunch in large pots in a part shade situation and they are thriving.
Since they were just planted 2 weeks ago, I think it is just your weather and lack of water.
On another note, I got great tubers from "Figaro" and saved them for several years. I was told it wasn't worth the trouble, but since all I did was pull them up, throw them in a paper bag in a plastic bag and toss them in the garage, it was no trouble. But even if it had been trouble, it would have been worth it. Absolutely stunning plants from tubers rather than seed...might not make a difference in another area, but with our short growing season the plants were definitely fuller from tubers.
I grew Sky Angel last year and it never got bluer then a medium lavender. IT must like your heat! I am glad to know it really does get this blue for you. My son bought if for me so I have a special feeling for it! I hope your Strawberry Ice and Seattle improve over the summer. I have a Gitts Respect that is supposed to be red with orange tips and is opening bright yellow with red streaks, but we have hardly had a day over 65 degrees yet. I am sure it will color up over the summer. Summer just doesn't start here until July.
Thanks for compliments everyone! I started most of my dahlias in the house in March so they are much further ahead than they would have been.
I really like Akita too! That one was an impulse buy at Walmart and turned out really well. It has 3 more large buds and are all starting to open up.
I have a few others blooming too, I will try to get some pictures of them soon.
Linda
I like Akita also. I did not see it here though.I will have to order it for next year. Wife LOL