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One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

Posted by sturgeonguy 5a ON (My Page) on
Wed, Sep 17, 08 at 13:31

Well, I have a lot to learn about how to preserve cut flowers. Since I rarely do vases, I've never troubled to look into how to keep them once they're cut. I think it definitely hurt me. Couple that with the fact that smaller Balls or Pompons definitely hold their shape better after being cut, I've learned a few things from this, my first show.

My 1st Place Semi-Cactus
Cabana Banana
1st Place Semi-Cactus
My 3rd Place Cactus
Lemon Tart
3rd Place Cactus

Single Bloom entries
My Victoria Ann is the tall pink-tipped white in the middle
No place in Single Blooms

1st Place Triple Bloom
1st Place Triple
2nd Place Triple Bloom
2nd Place
3rd Place Triple Bloom
3rd Place

My Triple Bloom entry
My Gladiator Triple Bloom entry

Cheers,
Russ


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

nice job! gladiator sure is a beaut.


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RE: One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

Congratulations Russ! I think your Victoria Ann looks lovely even from afar, and that glowing lavender with yellow "3rd Place" triple entry catches my eye too. Sorry about the windstorm limiting your choices. That's life in the garden for you.

Regarding cutting/keeping cut dahlias. The general drift is to cut into hot water (120-160º) with holding solution or preservative added. Cut stems on the diagonal avoiding a leaf node and put immediately into hot water solution. Let them rest in a dark, cool place for several hours. If the stems are large and hollow you can submerge the stem, poke several holes through to let any airbubbles escape as air blocks water absorption.

Don't know if you knew this or not, but others might like the basics for keeping dahlias as well as possible once cut. There are probably other means as well. Plantlady has a good rescusitation tale for a droopy dahlia at a show going into a hot cup of coffee for a little pick me up! Plantlady?


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RE: One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

Well we a glad we have more Dahlia royalty on the board. Congratulations Russ.


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RE: One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

Do you lug the hot water out to the garden?


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RE: One 1st and One 3rd!! Woohoo!

It isn't far to lug depending on which bed I'm working in. Again, gallon milk jugs save the day. Put a big towel over/around the jug and it stays quite hot for a long time. If I'm working in the lower yard, they go in the cart behind the tractor.


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