3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
My success rate with Janz dahlias has not been good, including a dahlia that never showed indication of having an eye, a couple sprouted tubers that rotted underground, and several that just didn't thrive to bloom. The fault of her tubers? My methods? Taking tubers from a fully organic environment to one that isn't has an impact? I can't say why. Why is it that two tubers from the same clump in one garden thrive, and another you get puny blooms?
I will be sticking closely to the vendors that sell me tubers with a high rate of success. Personally, I have a high success rate with Accent and Swan Island. I'll try other vendors if I want one specific bloom, and maybe I'll find good tubers there also, as I'm sure there are other vendors tubers that will thrive for me. But those vendors whose tubers don't work well for me seem a waste of garden space. If Janz work well for you, then maybe your method/soil/weather are more similar to hers than mine. She is definitely a dahlia lover and is personable and willing to share what she knows about growing. And I too, enjoy her web site.
Hi Phyllis, I have never had a flower over 10" either but I don't disbud and I think that you probably have to do that to get them bigger. But thats ok with me because a 9 or 10" flower is pretty impressive. Sounds like you have some wonderful new varities this year. I think I am getting Neon Splendor in a trade this fall. I love the picture of that one! How did it do for you? Some of the new ones I got this year were Hot Tamale and Punkin Spice. Hot Tamale way out performed Punkin Spice. Punkin spice didn't bloom a lot and stems were weak. They were planted right next to each other.
My plants did get a little frosted last night. Some look pretty bad and others right next to them are fine. I'm a Hottie is still beautiful with about 20 blooms on it. It supposed to get down to 28 tonight so I am sure they will all be toast tomorrow.
I guess thats ok because it is supposed to warm back up into the 60's so I won't be freezing while I am digging them up. I am already looking forward to next year because between the trades I am getting and the ones I have ordered I will have about 35 new ones!
Judy, no my bananas don't produce fruit because the growing season here is too short. But they do get big and give that wonderful tropical look that I love.
Linda
I disbud earlier in the season, and I especially disbud the AA's and A's while there's hope of getting big ones. It seems that the big ones like more sun than they got this year. Our real sunshine didn't start until what . . . July? And the summer was so short. I'm used to AA blooms by late August, and often in the 11-12 inch range. Only Ivory Palaces obliged me in August, and those blooms were 10 inches. Oh well, maybe next year will be sunnier.
When I start digging about October 15th each year, the temperature is in the 60s. The tubers dug this early do just as well in storage as the ones dug later. Here we do not have killing frosts until mid November and waiting for a frost means digging in cold wet, weather. I am not into that. Many of you want to savor your last blooms before the frost and I can relate to that. But that means you will be digging in cold conditions.
I'm so sorry you had a freeze. grrrr.... I know its gonna happen but you still hate it. We might get one Saturday so I went out and cut what few I have. Now tell me what are you hoping will be showing by Monday or Tuesday? Oh wait, you dig yours up and I don't so thats the eyes, right? Think I answered my own question. Its almost my bedtime and my brain must have already went nighty night. Your pictures are so lovely!! Can I ask how close you plant your tubers? I am hoping to maybe plant some a little closer so I can have more of them. Judy
Hi Judy, yes I am wanting to see the eyes so I will be able to divide them easier. I plant my tubers pretty close together, maybe 15 inches apart. Mine were growing really close together and seemed to do just fine. No weeds grew under them. Swan Island says to plant 18-24 inches apart but I put them closer so I could fit them all in the garden. One mistake I made was putting shorter ones too close to tall ones. Next time I will put them somewhere else so they don't get overshadowed.
Linda
I love the Gardenman Scissors too, which I bought form Lobaughs.
The handles are a flexible vinyl that is easier on the hands, and the long pointed blades get into the tight spaces. Also, you can sharpen the blades when they get dull. I use mine for everything and have multiple pairs.
just a little advice about the earwigs (i had this same problem too) if you spray the flowers with soapy water every couple of days once the but starts to open a bit (i mean a very tiny bit, petals showing even a little) about every 2 or 3 days, then the earwigs will not eat them. Soapy water, there isn't much in the way of garden pests that it doesn't work to repel.
Every Dahlia vendor's website I visit has pictures of their flowers planted in rows. Seems like a great way to grow them especially if you'll be using them for cutting. Wish I had the space to have a nice, well-organized place to plant mine in easy-to-weed rows!
Dahlia seeds go through stages of development that can be seen in their color. They go from green, to white to gray to dark gray and finally black. The fatter seeds that have a "baby bump" in them are the most likely to sprout. However, if you get some seeds from some varieties that do not make very many seeds, keep them all as even some of least likely candidates will sprout. Dahlia breeders go through great effort to get seeds from some varieties and would never throw away a seed because that may be the only one to sprout. If a variety makes a bazillion seeds for you, certainly you can sort them into the darkest black, fat seeds and toss the rest.
Beautiful!, My favorite is the Trelyn Rhiannon, I may have to hunt that one down.
And I too am loving the extended season we are having up north. I'm not sure if I have ever had this many Dahlias this late before. As I sit here writing, I can see 13 vases of Dahlias in my house. Looks like we are going to get a real frost next week though. Oh well spring is only 7 months away (isn't that depressing?)
Hi, Your flowers are beautiful, I especially love Otto's Thrill. I would be interested in trading with you this fall. I have already arranged a trade with another GW member for this fall. If your interested, send me an email (email is on my member page) and your list of dahlias and I will send you mine and you can decide which ones you would like to trade, assuming they make plenty of tubers. I have 27 varieties and most all of them have done really well this year and the plants are huge so I expect I should have a lot of tubers to trade.
Thanks,
Linda
My goodness you have some great looking dahlias. Those first two are so happy looking!! Seattle and the unknown are beautiful but I absolutely love the color of Otto. Gorgeous!! Mine are starting to put on a show too, at least the ones that are still standing. Ordered a few more for next spring so we shall see how they do. Take care, Judy
Hi, I asked this same question about a month ago. My post is on the 2nd page of this forum. I open a separate browser and go to photobucket and upload your pictures on there. You can also resize them there if you don't want them to be really big. Under each picture you will see a small box and if you click on the HTML code that will copy your picture, then go back to your post on the garden web and hit the ctrl V and that should paste the html code in your post. Make sure you paste it at the beginning of a new line. I also like to hit enter a few time between pictures so there is space between them.
When you preview your message, you should see the pictures then. I hope this is not too confusing, If you have any teenagers around, they can probably show you how to do it. I had to have my son help me the first time.
Goodluck
Linda
Favorite AA?? Not sure about that - I do like Spartacus and Vassio Meggos; but those are technically A dahlias (although I've seen Vassio Meggos win largest in show).
Linda, I love hot tamale too. Such a great color and form - it really does glow. I haven't found a photo that does it justice. It is best seen in person. I posted mine last year here:
Here is a link that might be useful: my 2010 bloom photos
Honnat, I agree with you about Hot Tamale, the color just doesn't come out right in pictures. It is just so pretty in person. I just picked 5 of them and brought them in the house.
I ordered a few more big ones from Swan Island today since I won a gift certificate in the photo contest they have. I am getting Vassio Meggos, Mango Madness, Snowbound and Shockwave. Can't wait to see them next year!
I love the pictures on your post from last year, do you have any new ones for this year?
Linda
My guess is that they're starting to dry out. Get them into storage as soon as possible.
For storage, I shake them in a plastic bag of sulfur so that the tubers are completely covered. I then wrap the bag loosely and put them in the root cellar for the winter.
You could do a search on "storing for winter" to see what method might work best for you.
Gail