3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
1. It is very difficult to find eyes on them right now. - True. I ask the question - Where would I be if I were an eye? Usually if you get enough of what you call a 'hump' - you will end up with an eye.
2. "...in many cases, 2 or 3 tubers are connected to the same hump." - I will often just keep those two tubers together. It's better than keeping everything together.
3. "There are some tubers that dont seem to be connected to a hump at all..." Yes. the most frustrating part of a healthy tuber clump is that it is a big mess. The best thing is to start with the ones that are obvious. Then, it may reveal the ones that are less obvious. There are some tubers that are not on a 'hump' and they just might not get an eye.
Last year, I left some clumps all together, and other clumps I divided and wrapped tubers individually in saran wrap. The saran wrapped tubers were much healthier in the spring.
I agree that it is usefull to watch the videos; but I'll be honest - the videos sometimes annoy me because they make it look SO EASY. It's not. :)
Yes Honnat . . that's true. They do make it look easier than it is. But for them, it really is easy!!!!
This year, I got some new sharp pruners, and they make dividing so much easier! People recommend ones that you have to send away for, and I didn't have time to wait. So I found some that looked similar to what was advised and could walk out of a store with. They work a lot better than what I've used in the past!
I'm glad that someone else doesn't look for eyes. Last year I tried, but it took me forever to put up my tubers for the year. This year, I'm going for the (as you call them) humps where the eyes should be, then I'll wait to see what they look like in the spring. Or maybe do a closer review when I look through my stash during the winter, once my stash is amassed. I expect that most of what I've cut will have an eye.
I would agree with keriann. I had to laugh as I was picturing myself having the same issue. I try not to get too close; but then start digging so far away that I can't get anything. I'd like to take a trip and observe a big dahlia grower dig them up. There's got to be some tricks that I haven't figured out yet.
Some varieties they're really long, sone varieties are short, some are slender and petite. I can chart/memorize what a bloom looks like, but never had the desire to keep a database on the visual specifics of the tuber . . . wouldn't be a bad idea .. . . just not something most of us are motivated toward. Were there such a list, would anyone refer to it before putting their shovel into the earth? I probably would not.
I keep them all and see no correlation between tuber size and plant size. You may lose some when you over winter them so I always save more then needed in case I loose a few. Or you can use the extras in trades! I will say, the first 30 or so clumps I divide are precisely done and I keep them all... by the last 30 or so clumps, I am a bit more careless and run out of patience so less tubers saved :)
Keriann~
Good to hear an opinion of someone who has been able to see it in person. Pictures alone were enough to get me hooked!
I did see that Corralitos had a lower price, but I've never ordered cuttings before, just tubers. I know tubers vs. cuttings is a topic for a whole other thread, though :) I'll probably just stick to what I know I won't kill.
Thanks for the feedback on Harvey Koop....hearing you were blown away by it has bolstered my confidence in purchasing it!
I've seen rot like this before, but only when I've dug in the spring. I haven't dug mine yet, I'm still cutting them down. When I'm done cutting, I'll start back at the first and dig those that I want. I hope I don't see this! My weather issue was not a hot summer . . . .
I took out a large maple tree that was dying and turned it into my dahlia bed. I just added some more topsoil so I wasn't trying to dig in the tree roots that were still in the ground. My dahlias did really well in that area.
Good Luck
Linda
Ohhhh I want so many but sooooo little room. I have placed an order with Swan too but memory this morning isn't working and toooo lazy to go check my list if I even still have it. lol! I did go ahead and place an order with Jans and have several other places I would like to try a few from just trying to decide which ones since I am so pushed for space. WOW, 150 Liza, how gorgeous they must be when in bloom. I have that many roses and lilies and love them but was wanting some dahlias to change it up a bit. Enjoying looking everyones choices so far. Judy
Judy, I have no idea where I am going to plant all my new ones but I have all winter to decide what part of the lawn I am going to dig up now. I too, have lots of daylilys and I love them too. They provide lots of color before the dahlias start blooming so I really don't want to get rid of them. Every year my lawn gets smaller and smaller but who cares? I just have to mow it anyway lol.
Looks like everyone is a fan of Islander. I have never had that one but I LOVE the pictures I have seen.
Phyllis, Its too bad you didn't get to see Bonventure. I love the AA's and A's too and they did well for me this year. I am getting a bunch more for next year and I really hope I get to see them all bloom. If its heat and sun they need to grow then they should do well here and long as we don't get an early frost.
Lizalily, Wow I wish I had 150 varities! (I say that now until I have to dig them all up in the fall, then I will change my mind). I only have 27 varities but with the new ones I am getting thru trades and have bought I think I will have between 60-70 next year.
I too, would love to know what your favorite workhorses are. I love to cut them and bring them in the house or take to work.
Linda
Hi Cindy. I'd have responded directly to you but my big clumsy fingers somehow hit delete rather than respond in my yahoo email and they don't have a 'deleted' file to recover it from. I currently have cuttings started of
Native Habitat Double Peach
Pink Sauvolens
U-conn Treasure
Frosty Pink
Isabella
Flame
Charles Grimaldi
Brenda's Yellow
Ecuador Pink
Phanamanal
Strawberries n Cream
Milk n Honey
I just this week put cuttings into perlite from a trade of
Berkonigen, Candida Dbl White and Sam. I have fair luck w cuttings so might have one to share come spring of 1 or more of these.
Let me know what you'de like and your addy and I'll get them out.
We're having an unusually mild indian summer here but than can change in a flash in MN (even in the 'tropical' end).
Will
Gail, when you dust them with the sulphur do you put it in a bag and mix it with vermiculite and then add tubers and shake it around? Or are you just applying it straight?
Ted, I did manage to find some eyes after I cut away the rat tails and twisted roots and split it in half. Thanks for your advice. I have a few more to dig and hopefully they do not look like that.
Linda
When some one says to dry the the tubers, they mean to dry them to the point where they are not wet on the outside and the cut portions have healed and dried too. If you dig them when it is dry outside and the tubers are already dry it may only take one day. If you dig them after very wet weather it may take five or more days. The idea is to get them to the perfect combination of dry and cured but not dried out or too wet. And then you want to preserve that ideal moisture content throughout storage. If you put them into very dry vermiculite or wood shavings they will dry out too much. Many people are wrapping the tubers in plastic wrap when they are at the proper moisture level and the plastic keeps them at that proper moisture level. If you use vermiculite, wood shavings or peat moss it must be slightly moistened(very slightly!) and the mixture of vermiculite or whatever placed into a plastic bag of some sorts to preserve the correct moisture level. Tubers left out of a storage medium will shrivel. In some parts of the USA there is very little humidity, the tubers will dry quickly in exposed storage mediums. In more humid areas like the Northwest, that happens much less. So in one sentence: Dry the tubers to the point that they are dry to the touch and the cut portions have healed, then preserve that level of moisture throughout storage.