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| Hi--
I have a difficult spot in my garden--it is the strip between our privacy fence and the driveway. Because that is where the snow gets piled every winter, I do not think perennials, roses or vines will work there--too much risk of root rot, etc. I have always loved dahlias and am thinking about planting them in that area, interspersed with other annuals such as cosmos, etc. But--I am a busy lady and want to make sure this is a hobby that I can manage. One of my major concerns is about overwintering the tubers. We have an unheated basement where it stays between 55-60 or so (maybe a little higher) during the winter. Will that be sufficient cold to allow the tubers to go dormant? How do people in northern climates overwinter their dahlias? I would think the garage would be too cold, especially if we get one of those classic below zero stretches here in WI. Here is the area I am thinking about for the dahlias and other annuals.
Finally, if you know of some great websites for dahila beginners, please send me there. Thank you! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by superpony123 7 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 20, 09 at 13:19
| I don't think you'll see any success planting dahlias there. They need FULL sun, and lots of space. I don't know what size dahlias you *want* to plant, but you'd only be able to fit the very very small varieties in there. Even so, they would not grow well, I don't think. Plus, your basement is actually too warm for dahlia tubers. They would dehydrate and become useless very quickly. they need a fairly colder environment. Do not put them in the fridge, either. This is a common mistake some people make--it seems like a good idea, except that when fruits and veggies are in the same fridge, they will expel gases and such that can be very harmful to most bulbs and tubers. |
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- Posted by philosopher Zone 5a WI (My Page) on Mon, Jul 20, 09 at 13:27
| The area actually gets a lot of reflected sun off of the driveway, and this picture was taken early in the day. At midday there is hardly any shadow on that strip. I may experiment with 3 or 4 plants next year to see how it goes and then go from there. How do other northern gardeners overwinter their dahlias? Is there a good website for northern dahlia gardeners? Thanks in advance! |
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| I'd just like to offer up that I have to fight for 5-6 hours of sun in several beds and have grown dahlias there just fine for years. I think the idea of trying several is well-worth the effort, especially if you like them. A friend of mine in MI specifically bought a small dorm size fridge just for tuber storage using the Saran Wrap method and she gets excellent results. I don't know if the saran wrap would protect from the ethylene gas superpony speaks of or not, but others have stored a few wrapped tubers in the regular fridge and had no problem. Your basement would be too warm; garage in WI winter without an area to be kept from freezing- too cold. Maybe someone you know with a warmer garage or fruit cellar would allow you to store a box? There are many really good websites for scoop on dahlias Google 'US dahlia societies' or US dahlia associations and that will give you enough reading for a year. Good luck! I think you should make sure you have decent soil, good drainage and give them a whirl. Your fence will be much more handsome with a dozen dahlias adorning it! |
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- Posted by philosopher Zone 5a WI (My Page) on Mon, Jul 20, 09 at 18:42
| We have a regular sized refrigerator that we use on the 2nd floor to store our beer/soda/milk, etc.--no produce. So I could probably store the tubers there, correct? Thanks for all of the replies and the growing info. I will definitely see if there is a local dahlia society in Wisconsin. Thank you again--Kathy |
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- Posted by superpony123 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 20, 09 at 20:51
| The second floor fridge sounds like a good option. They won't freeze, but they will be cold enough that they won't dehydrate. I feel silly now that I didn't even ask what time of day it was in this picture. Yes, you should get plenty of light now that I think of it, especially with the driveway reflecting some sun. Plus, I've actually had some smaller dahlias in a bed in my front yard before where they did quite well, even when they didn't get full sun. I do not think a larger type would do well without full sun, though. But there are tons of small dahlias in every shape and color that would look very nice there. |
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| I'm new to the dahlia world this year, too, but as far as perennials and snow, you should be able to plant perennials in that spot next to your driveway. I have large beds that run both along my driveway as well as the length of the street and they do fine with our 12+ feet of snow per year. Actually, snow is a great insulator against the frigid temps. Considering the space, though, if you do plant perennials, it looks like it could be hot and dry (from the concrete)...I'd pick drought tolerant plants which dahlias are not. They require a lot of water during the summer. |
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- Posted by philosopher Zone 5a WI (My Page) on Wed, Jul 22, 09 at 15:49
| Hi lorainevc--Thanks for your comments. I am not concerned about planting perennials there, but I don't think I really want to do perennials there. My entire front yard (no lawn) is perennials, so I want to do something else there. I was considering clematis interwoven through climbing roses as seomthing different, but I am concerned about putting those plants in that location. The problem is that it gets a lot of snow piled onto it, but I do not think that the ground fully freezes because of the protected location. It is a very very soggy location over the winter. That is why I am concerned about root rot, especially for more delicate plants like roses and vines. The water requirements are not an issue, b/c I have a soaker hose set up through that patch. Thanks again--Keep the ideas coming! Kathy |
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| Does cement leach something into adjacent soil so that it might alter the pH? Just a fleeting thought that I'm too tired to research. |
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| Newer cement tends to increase the pH. If compost is added, it could aid in keeping the pH lower, as well as watering with coffee. That helps immensely with dahlias by repelling slugs (their number one enemy in my yard). Of course a soil test could also be done, or the OP could easily just plant them to see if they work, if there's no success she could always test the soil to determine if the failure was caused by the location or the soil. |
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