New to Dahlias- Need guidance...

After discovering this forum, I am now bonkers over dahlias :)... The thing is, I have zero knowledge and ONE dahlia plant (that i didn't even know was a dahlia!:). It is thriving tho. What I need help on is choosing a "few" more dahlias to start my collection. Granted that it's already summer and I'm in Z8-9, can I still successfully start my collection? And which dahlias should I "have to have"? Thanks!

Welcome! Both to the forum and to the addiction that is dahlia growing. I wish I had extras to send you, but I planted a little nuttily (is that a word?) this year and put them all in, where ever I had room. When it comes to still planting, I am a zone 9-ish (depending on who you ask) and I just planted 5 new tubers 2 days ago. So I usually do well till December-January till mine start dying back. Literally, I have had blooms well through November-December some years.

As far as varieties, I will leave that to a lot of the pros that come here. There are so many here that have oodles of info and years of experience. I am fairly new to the obsession myself. There may be ones that do better/worse thru the years, different weather patterns, etc. I honestly can grow almost any variety in my zone, though I do have issues with some border/dwarf varieties. I would say pick the ones you love (my #1 favorite is waterlily, though I do love them all) and run with it.

If you are really worried, maybe try them in large pots, so you can shelter them better from the elements if you get an early winter/rains, etc.

Regardless-have fun. They are beautiful and addictive, aren't they? I had never worked with them, till I bought a few bargain bin ones from an Aldi store and thus it began...

Thanks for the warm welcome, queequeg!

Uh-oh! I just got a packet of the Burpee dwarf variety! They're still in my makeshift (flourescent lamp+egg cartons) "birthing" station though...
Methinks you and I almost have the same Zone (8ish-9ish), not too hot summers ('cept for a few 'waves here and there) and not so cold winters... The only problem I've had so far with my one and only dahlia plant is "staking"! Them flowers sho git ginormous! :) and purdy!

Haha-post a picture, if you can, so we can see your purdy bloomer. Weird, I'm listed as a zone 10 here, but I thought I was a 9. Don't let my lack of luck with the small ones deter you. I think my problem is more of a soil/heat combo. That and, I'll just be honest here, I don't give them as much TLC. There, I said it.

Oh, wanted to add. If you do want to buy some tubers for planting now, you may want to check ebay. It's hard to find them now as most suppliers are no longer shipping for this season. But, I'm sure someone here also knows of some sites still shipping.

This message was edited Jul 6, 2009 5:42 PM

Yes, welcome Chezca. Welcome to the mad, mad world of dahlia fiends. I think you should start your new collection at once and get them in the ground, including your seeds so they have time to make tubers. It's not too late, and being in your warmer zone, you may not get a lot of blooms this season, but you'll have tubers for next year. So I say go for it!

Don't know of any active sellers this late, Ebay might work, or some of the larger online plant stores not focused on dahlias alone. Arrowhead Dahlias is highly regarded by customers and they don't say they aren't still taking orders for 2009.
http://www.arrowheaddahlias.com/

Sea Tac Gardens doesn't say they're done for the year either. Nice folks too.
http://seatacgardens.com/site1/09plist.htm

There might be more: check the Big List and bookmark it: a very happy place to shop over winter.
http://dahlias.net/dbiglist.htm

There are over 50,000 varieties to choose from. Eeney Meeney ....
What do you want the dahlias for? Garden spectacles? Cutflowers, landscape plants? What colors and sizes do you prefer? Those are questions that will narrow down the task of choosing, but half the fun is trying new ones.

Ok, is this normal:
I got me a seed starting kit (eco-sumthin) just this Friday (3rd) and started my dwarf Dahlia seeds as soon as I got home. Yesterday (Monday), I come home from work and "check out" my handiwork and there's already plantlings shooting up! I mean they're green! with leaves! SOoooo cute! Do they really sprout this fast?!?!? It's only been like three whole days (from friday)! I hope I'm growin no frankendahlias :) but the bigger the better, eh? :)

Thanks for all the links, poochella!

Queequeg, here's the photo (enjoy!). It has been a week since this photo so now there's three big flowers a-bloom and you can imagine the rest... (until I post a new pic later today)...

Welcome Chezka. Yes dahlias are easy/peasy warm germinators so they sprout fast.

Yummy-looks good enough to eat! Is that Kelvin Floodlight? Love the gi-mungous dark foliage!

I think it is, queequeg. Tell-you-what, I hope this dahlia addiction ain't dangerous! :) Coz my friend says I sound like a moron talking to more of my seedlings that just sprouted up almost overnight! :) and says only an idiot would keep checking the makeshift "birthing chamber" for new growth every fifteen minutes!

Well of course you must talk to your seedlings Chezca. Who doesn't? I sing to mine too ;)

How long before I can bring my sprouts out of our garage and in the garden? I made a mistake yesterday when I took one of the trays and brought it out (forgot about it while i went to work). When I got home, my sproutlings looked a sickly brownish/greyish/greenish hue and drooping! Have I killed my young'uns?!?!?!?!?

for zone 8, do you plant in part shade or full scorching sun?

I can't help you on your seedlings Chezca, but I bet you'll need to harden them off slowly, a little more blazing California sun daily til you transplant.

Lili the word "scorching" indicates you might be better off planting in morning sun and mid-afternoon shade, if you can swing it. Have you visited the Dahlia Society of GA? Tons of info for all, but especially for you in the south, especially in their monthly newsletters. Check them out.
http://www.dahliasocietyofgeorgia.com/index.htm

thanks 4 the link.

You are welcome and I hope your dahlias find a good location there.