3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I don't plant all of the same color together but I do try to plant complimentary colors together. I have to sit down and figure out where I am going to plant them all, as I have a lot more than I did last year. I did go thur my list and mark off the ones that are 3 1/2 feet or shorter and will put them in another garden where they won't be overshadowed by the taller ones. I will hopefully be planting them in a couple of weeks. Most of mine are already growing in pots and the hot weather last week really helped them grow a lot!
Linda
Replant into a bigger pot. It won't miss a beat! You can also pinch back the top now to make it bushier. I've been doing this all morning with my prestarted dahlias in my greenhouse. Take off some of the lower leaves and set it deeper in the bigger pot. It will give the stem more support.
I would prefer that they weren't so far along, but some tubers had begun to mold, so I took them all out to put a stop to that; from there it just kind of took off to seeing which ones had good eyes, and then they sprouted, and then I planted...sometimes I just can't help myself!
Libby, I am in zone 6 and I started mine at the beginning of April in baggies, in the house (Poochella gives a good description either here or over on cubits.org/dahlias). I have taken cuttings of quite a few already and will start putting them in pots on my deck next week to harden off. They'll remain there till it's safe to put them in the ground. I am keeping most in pots this year, as my soil is so awful- but will sink the pots and mulch around them to retain as much moisture as possible. I did this on a smaller scale last year with good results, and it made digging the tubers a whole lot easier after the frost got them. A couple of late bloomers got moved to the garage when frost threatened, and were able to be enjoyed for a couple of extra weeks.
The thing about not watering them applies more to those of us with boggy soil. THey do not like to sit in constantly damp soil, but they do survive our rainy climate here just fine, as long as they have good drainiage. I find mine do just fine unless they freeze. NOw that you know they do not want to be constantly wet you will change how you water them and they should thrive. As long as you do not have little slugs or snails eating on them as they sprout, they just reliably sprout and come up and grow. Terribly hot weather may delay their flowers but they usually recover from that. I enjoy mine in mixed flower beds too. After I plant my hundred and 20 or so, I plant left over tubers of my favorites in among my roses and lilies where they put on quite a show of continuous color. Have fun with them!
Which ones are you trying out?
Thank you for the help! I planted them this afternoon. I am very excited, & know I will be hooked if they grow well. It was hard enough making the decision on which 4 to get, then Jan's Country Garden sent an extra.
I picked Carl Chilson, Chilson's Pride, Fuzzy Wuzzy, & Touch of Class, & they sent Sweet Dreams as the bonus. I wanted smaller blooms for bouquets.
Thank you both for the input. I appreciate it!
Mine have been growing for a couple of weeks under lights. I've rooted some cuttings and will put the larger plants in pots on the deck soon. It's easy to cover or bring them in if frost threatens. When I set them out permanently they'll have a nice head start!
Hello all. I have been doing what you all are describing for several years with fairly good results. The flowers have seemed fine if I plopped them in the ground on April 30th, but I wonder if they would be all right if you just stuck them in now. There are lots of climatic variations in this region, so you have to be careful.
This year, I am starting the flowers later because I got sick of all the pots and have bought a very sturdy $99 greenhouse from Home Depot, which I hope will get the flowers growing more quickly. I noticed that the tubers started at greenhouses matured much more quickly than the ones that I planted in the ground in late April/early May.
Good luck.
Highlander, I too would be interested in trading with you for one tuber each of the seven you listed.
Here's what I have to trade:
Maarn
Touche
L'ancresse
Taboo
Bliss
Victoria Ann
Mystique
Onesta
Arabian Night
Peaches 'n Cream
Email me direct through my member page,
Thanks!
- Steve
I can't imagine any dahlias prefering my "garden". We moved to a new development a few years back (before I discovered dahlias) and the soil is hard clay mixed with any rocks and gravel that were left over when they backfilled. The shrubs look sick and it's almost impossible to dig deeper than a few inches. I do use larger pots and partially bury them to increase stability. I like being able to move them if size becomes an issue or if I need a filler. I start them indoors, move them to the deck where they can be covered if frost threatens and place them in the beds about the time I would normally put the tubers in the ground. They seem happy. I've had good results so far, and plan to continue.
We live in a great area for farming. Problem is it is out on the north fork. Where I live is a giant ant hill full of sand. This island was created my the glaciers. So whatever got pushed here is what you got. If you go through old issues of National Geographic, where ever in the past there was a volcano the soil is great for farming. So if soil is the only factor you are considering for your dahlias potting soil is the only choice for me at this place.
I cut off close to a third of some of mine last year and they did just fine. It was my first time cutting them down, so I was nervous about it. I wouldnt worry about centering them in the pot, you are going to be taking them out of it anyway to plant them.
I just nestled them into the soil for the first few days after cutting them , and then buried them deeper after the ends had a chance to dry out a bit.
The potting soil I'm using has no fertilizer in it. This is why I was wondering if I used some liquid 10-15-10, occasionally. Thanks for your response! Max
Definitely fertilize then and your choice sounds fine.