3,226 Garden Web Discussions | Dahlias
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
Here are the 3 that are blooming right now...the yellow one was mislabeled so if anyone knows what it is let me know :-) and I have to say the boogie woogie is fantastic!
[IMG]http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj60/fivefootmenace/flowers105.jpg[/IMG]
I'm sooo jealous. I'm just starting to see some buds here in New Hampshire, but still have a ways to go before blooms. Last year we had an all rain early summer problem. This year no rain! Ran the well temporarily dry the other day trying to water everything. Hoping for a good thunderstorm today!
The question about what kind of dahlias they are is significant. Dahlias grow to differing heights. Are they dwarf? Are they the type to grow 4-5 feet?
I find that planting them in the ground produces the best flowers, unless they are in a truly very large planter.
I would wait for it to get a bit taller. You can clip off the lower leaves which will force it up. Then as you fill up ( in stages ) the pot, it will develop more roots and tubers where the leaf nodes are. I have a few in pots, but I don't want the soil to get too hot, so I double pot them with a larger pot on the outside, preferably a lighter colour. With the air space between the pots, the inner pot doesn't get so hot. Sometimes, I fill the space with soil as well for extra insulation or ballast in case of winds.
Good luck. Please keep us informed as to your progress, especially in the fall. I am curious to see how many tubers you get.
I babied about 17 Dahlias this spring, starting about 2 months prior to our last frost date, hoping to give them a head start. They grew to about 18-24 inches in height by the time they where ready to be planted. Then, while planting a group of 5 at the back of the garden, I broke one of them badly, indeed, I was left with NOTHING above the ground when planted!! I was sick about it!!
Now, this group is starting to flower, and my broken darling is indeed, right there with them all, standing just as tall and proud as the rest!!
I am still glad I did the headstart, if only to preserve the tubers, as things where heating up and I had no cool place to keep them for another few months. But, it demonstrated loud and clear, that any benifit to starting too early, other then to try and get cuttings, is moot.
I am sure your baby will be fine. I agree though that capping the top is probably best... Keep and eye on it, and pinch back any rot you see develop.
Just a follow up: First, the broken off one, while it still looks strange, the new growth is coming along nicely. I'm encouraged.
And tonight, the broken top that I used a little rooting compound on and stuck in some potting soil in a little peat pot? The leaves have maintained a healthy appearance and I'm starting to see the new growth coming! I was encouraged enough to plant the compostable pot. I may end up with an extra Show N Tell. So maybe I got some lemonade from a batch of lemons. Thanks for the encouragement!
A quick response....
Height could be all of the above: variety, sun, soil, water ect. 'Dinnerplates' is a category of dahlia, not a specific variety and they will all grow differently, bloom at differenet times, grow faster/slower ect....
You should plant them at least 1/2 of their height apart so a 4' dahlia should be planted at least 2 feet away from their 'neighbor'. I would just keep them where they are this season as long as they are 12" apart, if not, I would dig them up, as big as tuber-ball you can and water them well before and after the move.
I pinch mine all season. I pinch early to promote branching and stocky plants and later to promote larger blooms. So you can pinch anytime, but too much pinching will delay buds if you do not pinch properly. Search this forum for pinching tips, there are many great threads on here relating to that.
I hope that helps
No need to worry, they are tough and you will get a great show even though you are a bit late starting them.
Keriann~
Oops. Sorry. It's called "Florida Tomato Weave."
Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Weave
I got my 130 into the ground last week too. I pre-start them in gallon pots so most were a good foot or more tall, except some I got later in the springtime. I even ended up with enough space to pop in the ones that I rescued from the big winter freeze but lost the names to, so I hope I hsve some nice surprise visits from "old friends". Already have blooms on Ebony Witch and Star Child. They go into my personal garden where I grow the ones that I do not cut.
No, no harm from not separating them because they are so young.
We divide them to get more plants, share with others, keep their tuber mass managable to handle and to keep them blooming. When they get big (5-10+eyes) they tend to fizzle out on blooming and become sad because they have no room to grow.
Congrats on your new dahlias!
Keriann~
PS: dont forget to stake them, or mark were you can stake them, so you do not pierce a tuber later.
Got an inch of much needed rain here last nite. Thanks Be. Steve S.