Sorry for the duplicate postings.....was having computer
problems just as I was submitting this.
DB

Wow - is all I can say. Just beautiful. It would be hard to choose a fav out of this group but - well no, I can't pick a fav.

DB,
Good God I'm full of questions. I noticed you have some grown in pots. So how do you know which variety can be put in a pot and which ones cannot? Most of my plants, except the dwarf ones, are very bushy (2 - 3 feet wide). I don't know how I would've fit them in a pot.

Tracy

Tracy:
I plant some in pots because I've run out of room in my raised beds. I now have 25 growing in pots. If the plant is too bushy, then disbranch, meaning cut off some of the side branches.
Ed

Beautiful, the photography is excellent. I am glad you are sharing your wonderful dahlias with us. I only have two plants and they are dinnerplates, but I'm certainly looking forward to planting more next spring. I will use pots now that I know they will survive.

DB - what soil mix are you using?

I've always grown them in pots as the deer would demolish them if I took them off the deck. Just need to make sure the soil drains well/but holds enough moisture. My first 2 years I bought professional Pro-Mix but decided that is too peaty - it needs something to help it drain. This year I mixed 1/3 Pro-Mix, 1/3rd 2 yr old composted wood chips, 1/3 Sweet Peet(compost made of cow manure and chip bedding) and a little perlite in, along with some styrofoam popcorn from packing. I use 65 gallon containers,
planted 3 to a pot and put them on rolling trays. So they are almost in a soil-less mix. I took a chance and did them all in this but they are doing great.

I'm planted with a double layer of Bulbtone and then I'm using Messenger and Mighty Plant starting now as they are just budding. I didn't get mine in till the 2nd week of June.

These photos take my breath away! Gorgeous!

Beautiful, beautiful. Love them all. enjoy!

Carol

They're all beautiful, but I'm most drawn to Laredo. Great photos!

All I can say is WOW!

Besides the beauty of your workings (which I'm sure for you and your DW is not work but endless pleasure), the clarity of your pics are outstanding. Do you use a digital or convential 35mm and what is the make and model?

Cats39:
Thanks for the kind words......my wife is the photog in the family. She's exclusively digital now and uses a
Nikon D50 with various lenses. It's a great camera
as you can see.
DB

Stunning photos DB and wife too! You've got some of my favorites there but mine don't even look that good in real life! Thanks for sharing your blooms.

I love Pam Howden. how big is it? where do I get it for next year?? what fertilizer do you use on your dahlias?? thanks for the photos.

Thomas:
I use a water soluble fertilizer like bloom booster
on my dahlias when they start getting pea size buds
on them. It's usually a 10-52-10, but a 10-30-10 will work too.
Pam Howden is a waterlily and it's about 5 inches across.

DB

Sure look great. I vote for Pinelands Pam.