3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias

For the past 5 or 6 years, we have been planting a cover crop on our garden after we dig the tubers. Here in Oregon, there is just enough warmth in the soil in late October and early November to get the cover crop started. I do a quick, one pass till with my tractor and spread the seeds(by hand) over the soil and rake them in with a garden rake. They sprout and by Christmas it is usually 2-3 inches tall. The cover crop seed mix is sold by our local farm co-op and is not very expensive. I plant 1/2 acre for about $35- in seed cost. The mix contains: Annual ryegrass, vetch, crimson clover, austrian peas(leaves are edible in the Spring!), buckwheat(does not over winter). The cover crop grows to a height of 4-5 feet by May 1st. My wife is 5 feet tall and in a typical year some of it is taller than her. We mow it down with a riding lawn mower and immediately till the soil. Dahlias are planted right away. I am going to cut sown the cover crop at 3 feet tall next year because it was so thick this year it was hard to cut down with the mower. No spray is used to kill the cover crop and since nothing has gone to seed, it all disappears. Legumes add some nitrogen to soil and soil is full of excellent organic material. Another benefit is weed reduction as they cannot compete with cover crop in the Spring.

Thanks for sharing this info, Ted. I'd like to try this. I'd really like to have all tubers up by early November, but that's a mere pipe dream here. Perhaps I'll try it on a couple beds and see how/if it germinates in December.

I would search this forum at the bottom of this page for 'dahlia storage'. There are a lot of great threads on here.

If you still have questions come back and post again.
Keriann~

I would keep it in the ground until it frosts, cut off the foliage, then a week later dig it up, wash it, dry it, and store it in peat moss in a cool place. Some people do fungicide. I didn't last year do fungicide last year, but may this year.
Good luck!

I believe you are saying that the tuber sprouted in the ground but is not growing because there are no feeder roots. Some tubers are slow to send out feeder roots and an old timer said to cut off about 1/2 inch off the end of the tuber and re-plant. That stimulates the plant to grow roots. Alternatively, there could be an insect that is eating the roots and you would have to treat the soil with some insecticide.

cut underground Steve S.

Got an inch of much needed rain here last nite. Thanks Be. Steve S.

Hi Newbie

My dahlias have been experiencing some crunchy leaves, often with holes associated too. I thought at least the crunchy part was about hot weather, because the first time I noticed it was after a 95 degree day. And not just crunchy leaves, some leaves turn plain droopy. But tonight, I noticed that the crunchy leaves, if you dig down in the foliage to the newest growth, the leaves are not quite unfolding Inside, I found bugs, little black ones. I sprayed in soapy water, which I don't know will kill the bug variety in question, since I don't know what the bug in question is. But it seems that I recall reading something about a bug that sucks the fluid from a plant? If so, that may explain the drooping or crunchy leaves, as it would be hard for a plant to hold up to a hot day with small parasites sucking fluid. Not sure this set of facts matches yours, but maybe we can both learn something from whatever input others have to share.

Happy to say that not all my plants are experiencing these problems. Some are doing very well, and I'm looking forward to blooms in the next couple weeks.

Phyllis