3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
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.
I don't take cuttings myself but I know one grower who takes a specified number of cuttings then plants the tuber. One can then take stem cuttings and root them off the growing plant if you want. I would think that taking endless cuttings from a tuber would exhaust it of stored energy after a while.
Interesting. I didnt even know your could grow Dahlias from cuttings. Liza lily's suggestion of taking stem cutting makes sense. Right now, if I wanted to, I could snip 6-8 growing tip cuttings off of each of my plants. I may try a few in the fall just to experiment.
I suspect you are not getting any answers because you are looking for a definitive answer for something not easy to define.
Meaning (and this is my 2 cents worth) - dahlias are both finicky and yet they are adaptive to their known environment. That is only how I can explain my garden full of flowers when we have summers where you may not see the sun for months. Granted, sun can filter thru fog anyway but my dahlias that have been in the yard a year or more tend to get better with age and have adapted to the fact that the ground is almost permanently moist from fog, the dahlias get so wet the larger ones tend to fall over and the sun (on good days) shines only about 5-6 hours.
I have found that when they get a good dose of sun daily (like this spectacular year) they tend to wilt after blooming. So I have deduced they have adapted to their conditions and have learned to prosper even during 60 straight foggy days, like last year.
This year, I planted 6 dahlias in the shadiest part of the yard and so far 5 have sprouted, one is almost blooming and one is MIA so far. This part of the yard gets about 4 hours of direct sun on a good day and they seem to be doing fine anyway.
In a nutshell, despite what growers tell you, I think dahlias can do fine without 8 hours of sunlight. My yard in August can prove it.
Thank you so much for this gift - really, for what you sent me vs. what I sent you in postage... All I can say is that I am humbly in your debt.
I have planted about half of the tubers. I was outside until 9:30 pm planting rows and rows. I should get the rest planted tomorrow evening. I will now be axiously awaiting emergence.
Thank you once again! Hopefully, I'll be able to take some pictures of your dahlias around September. :)
LOL The hibiscus is in a pot and it has been grafted to a 18 inch stem. The dahlia is about three feet.
Just another noid from Sam's club. I am convinced that the big yellow one is Kevin Floodlight. The dutch have shipped so many of those to the US that the country is sinking on one side do to the storage on their docks.