3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
I planted mine right after easter last year and had no problems wait for the ground to dry out first. You want to keep them dry and above freezing. Usually take a couple weeks to come out of the ground so late frosts shouldnt be a problem. You could go with may 1st if you want to play it safe.
I have grown both. They are both really cute. As I recall, Wannabee is rather on the short side. Asahi Choji is one I really like. It is quite striking...a not too big flower but a very floriferous plant with the striking red/white color. I prefer other types for cutting but it did add a sparkle to mixed bouquets.
If you are going to store these small tubers clumps until they can be planted, put them into a PLASTIC bag to preserve what moisture they have. You could add a bit of water but they should be OK in the plastic bag even at room temperature. Dahlias do not re-hydrate real well so best not to dry them out in the first place.
Its true they dont like to be dried out. I was assuming that they came in plastic bags (any I have seen at the big box stores were packaged that way). I have however had some luck with rehydrating dried out tubers. Soaking them in water for a few hours before planting them up helped, and most of them sprouted.
Dave - Once the tubers come up through the soil, (which will take a while if you plant them 6 inches deep), the more sun they get the better, However, last year mine did not get a lot of sun in the only window I had available, and they all did fine. Once it warms up, if you can move them outside (light shade at first) during the day, it will help.
Each dahlia eye is actually three eyes if you look really close. If the middle eye sprouts and then is broken off the other two eyes will take over and sprout. If those sprouts are both broken off, they too have three sprouts per eye and will sprout. Each successive sprout gets smaller and smaller, until they are too small to grow. On a large healthy tuber, it should throw up at least 5 or 6 sprouts that will grow a nice plant. Small tubers may only have one sprout that is big enough. Those little bags of tuber clumps have very small tubers. Treat them carefully. Buy full sized tubers from USA sources if you worry about these things.
On the Big List both Giraffe and Pink Giraffe are listed as being sold by three vendors. Of course, they may be sold out but you may be able to reserve some for next year. It appears that Tahoma Giraffe is not being sold by anybody. I grow it and may make sure it is available from a commercial source next year. It is just about as nice as the Giraffes and quite a bit easier to grow. Here is a link to a picture of Tahoma Giraffe:
http://www.aroundbeantown.com/hollyhilldahlias/files/Tahoma_GiraffeBiggs.jpg
And we've seen packaged tubers here in the Jewel grocery store. A bit early for zone 5 don't ya think? Unless you are going to plant them in your basement like we do. We've probably got 50 planted and will have several hundred plants from those. Watch our progress at www.ohwhata.com
Here is a link that might be useful: The Dahlia Garden in February
Hi livsauntieshel & all, Thank you for the tips livsauntieshel, very much appreciated. will use this post to apply what you have told me;
From Feb 26, 2011
will in future will use this embedding images. regards allan
I am answering this question generically as it has not had an answer. Dahlias like to be grown in raised beds and the soil that is used can be just about anything that is available. Raised beds drain better in wet weather and are slightly warmer than the soil level. Tall dahlias may be a bit more difficult to stake up as they are above you a bit as you work.
Yes you can put your tubers 6 inches down, but you might want to just add more soil as it grows so it doesn't have to struggle so much to break through.
Yes, one per pot. Most of the taller dahlias are bushy. I fully expect them to take up the entire pot or whiskey barrel if they grow as in the ground. The only one you might try extras of in a whiskey barrel would be the 2.5-3 footer "Blue Bell." (I'm assuming that's plant height, not stem length. The description is a little misleading.)
I was pleasantly surprised about the deer leaving the dahlias alone too! They sure ravaged many other things for the first time in 15 years though. Guess I should start discouraging them early this year.
Good luck with your planting.
Hi Ya�ll!
We have enough people to do a round robin (and hopefully will get more!)
Here are the details:
Please send me your list of tubers and the qty you are trading by March 1st.
It is really important that you do not drop out after I have the lists, fellow members will be counting on your wonderful offers!
I will compile a list of what is available and send it back out to all of you. Please let me know your top 4 tubers you would like the MOST and I will try MY BEST to accommodate those requests. You can add more than 4, like colors and types you prefer but I cannot promise anything.
I will ask you send me your tubers by March 15th so I can divvy them up and get them sent back out to you by the 20th. (If you send me 10, you will get at least 10 back!) If the weather is wicked cold during that time, I will push back this date and keep you all in the loop.
You will need to send enough postage to send your original box back to you (I am thinking the USPS small flat rate postage box is the best way to send these to me and back to you). You can enclose either cash, a postage meter strip or stamps for the trip back home to you.
If you have any questions please PM me or post me (thread specified below), I want this to be fun and exciting. This is an awesome way to grow our collections and meet fellow dahlia lovers.
Think Spring!
Keriann~
PS: please follow the thread on the �Plant Exchange� titled �Dahlias for Dahlias�
Lovely pictures Allan! They look so good to us who are looking out the window at a bit of leftover snow and ice that is trying to melt in the partly cloudy day.
I really like the picture of your dahlia bed. What do you use to attach the dahlia plants to the wooden stakes? I'm making a promise to my plants that I will stake them this year so they don't sprawl. I used a light weight plastic covered wire holder that wasn't heavy enough to keep the plant off the ground last summer. I need suggestions on staking this year, so I appreciate your info.
Linda
Thank you Steve & Linda for your comments. Am having problems with my browser at present, ie unable to log in using stored data????
Linda, I use what ever is available for tying plants to stakes, though flexible fibrous string is preferred.
This year am dis-budding flower stems, meaning severe cutting back once flowers are removed is necessary, hence tying the new growth using more twine is necessary on a regular basis.
Here is a link that might be useful: explanation for Disbudding dahlias
The real experts on this subject are Walt & Cory Wynne of Wyn's dahlias. They have been selling and breeding giant dahlias for some time. Perhaps one of them will respond to this question. I will send them an email to see if they will post an answer.
Hi Steve & all, Thank you all for the compliments on past images, Steve your correct, the ones I grow were suggested by this grower as being beautiful flowers even suitable for showing. The reason for posting these images was just to add a bit of color to some of you who are still in winter. Our season will soon finish in May then it will be your season.
Am not into competition showing of flowers, though just love the variations in form & color. The more plants one has, it appears the more problems one gets ie some of these images show powder mildew on the foliage (extreme humidity, heat & overcrowding is possibly the reason for this fungus?).
I just enjoy learning how to grow plants & putting images on the web is also a learning curve interns of web site linking?
Have added 13 more images from my visit yesterday to this garden, to this same gallery
the following image is another seedling again not show quality, though the start of the new images in this gallery;
From Mar 12, 2011 growers images
Here is a link that might be useful: more images added to same gallery
Good seedling but looks like it needs water????????? Steve in Baltimore County.