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covella

Dahlias 'Jane' and 'Star Surprise'

covella
15 years ago

Dahlia report Sept 08

Caught once again by the cheap dealers. I bought some tubers this spring at my local garden center labeled Jane and Star Surprise. I can't find either of them listed anywhere so I'm not sure if they are real names or made up.

Anyway, the Jane is a dark, bright purple cactus that has the strongest stems - doesn't lean at all, and is loaded with flowers - Has 14 buds on right now.

The Star Surprise is great - only about 32" tall with super heavy stems and the prettiest lavender buds that open to a creamy center with lavendar tips. Every one who walks by does a double take and says how pretty it is.

I treated my tubers so badly last yr - I cut them off at 6", threw them in paper bags and piled the bags in a box in the garage. But my favorites survived this nasty maltreatment, and here again, they defy naming. I bought named tubers at a garden center and then couldn't find them anywhere again online so here's to the marketing geniuses that just staple things in bags and sell them to me.

Its actually been a good dahlia season. I had a few Jap beetles and caterpillars but thats it. I grow all my dahlias in giant containers on the deck which is where my sun hits. I'm still playing with soil mixes searching for the best one. Too much peat and wood chip and the leaves look chlorotic. The cool night time weather temporarily slowed the dahlias a bit but the last few days has everything coming back again.

Has anybody heard what kind of fall we're going to have - besides dry?

A

Comments (5)

  • sturgeonguy
    15 years ago

    No idea about fall, but you might want to try some of those crystals in your soil to absorb excess water. I found it worked really well getting my tubers started last year and this. Miracle Grow makes soil with it in there already, or you can buy them separate to add to soil. Just remember, always add them fully soaked, or in the case of Miracle Grow, give the soil a real good soaking before adding the tubers.

    Just a thought...

    Cheers,
    Russ

  • covella
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thats interesting Russ. I thought people used the crystals to slowly let water back out into the soil.
    Have you had them dry out and then tried to rehydrate? Do they expand again or does the water flow past them?
    a

  • sturgeonguy
    15 years ago

    Alyrics,

    If there's excess water they will absorb it. I don't believe they'll suck your soil dry or anything like that, but if there's standing water at the bottom of a pot and they're near it, they'll rehydrate and swell up as much as they can. Then they'll give the water back to the soil as it dries out, keeping it moist.

    I have dried them out and rehydrated them.

    Cheers,
    Russ

  • Poochella
    15 years ago

    ALYRICS-We should name your storage method "The Alyrics Treatment!" Wish I could get away with it, too. I don't much value the mass marketers who label things willy-nilly and foist them on the unsuspecting consumer. Sometimes you get good stock from the big box stores, sometimes not. Quality control isn't their strong suit.

    Do you use stakes in your large containers? I did quite a few in large pots last year, but avoided it this year because I don't care for the support system for a stake involved which was cross wires.

    Good point on the water absorbing crystals, Russ. I had quite a few on the soil surface looking like globs of clear jello, as I did not hydrate them first. They worked well otherwise.

  • covella
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    But thats just it, I didn't buy these from big box stores, these were from reputable garden centers. Very irritating. When I pay a $1.50 at Costco I have an expectation to just get something that grows. But if I'm paying $6 per tuber for a named item I'm sort of supposing I'm going to get what's on the picture - LOL.

    I just got lucky last year - had Dahlia JuJu - haha!
    If its colder this yr it prob won't work. I also got them out at the beginning of March and used your baggie method Poochella - dampened peat. It did give me some head start.
    A

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