For those curious re:growing dahlias in South, in "Winter"

The last few months, we've had a few people asking about growing dahlias down South, during southern winter.
I dug most of my tubers up a few months ago, to take stock and see what all I had. I put some in pots, just to see what would happen. Here's Elsie Huston, which I had all but given up on! She was puny all summer, with no blooms and very little growth. So, I moved her from the beds to a planter. As you can see, I've even been kind of neglectful of her, what with lack of tying (which I am going to do right now-windy cond. due today!) and the weeds growing in her bottom and she's still going like a champ!LOL
I have a few others, which I will leave in pots to see how they survive winter. It has gotten into the low 50's here once or twice (in Zone 10a). If it gets near 40's or 30's, I will cover the pot and plant bottom with blankets and the plants themselves with greenhouse plastic. I will keep you posted. Now to go tie her off and pull those weeds...

I'm going to find DonnieB. She has put some in FL and I think she has sproutlings ^_^

Here I am, DahliaNut!!! Hi QQ! I brought down some of my prettiful red dahlias from New Hampshire to try down here. I put 2 large tubers in the ground in my brug garden and a couple tubers in a trellis planter to see how they do. One has broken ground in the brug bed and one in the trellis planter. It got down to 43 last night here and I didn't cover them because I was clueless that it was going to get that cold. They are in a protected corner, and they looked ok this morning. I'll keep you posted, and I can use any helpful info you care to share. Here's a shot of my reds in their NH setting.

Here's the happy flower. About 8" across-6' plant. Of course, the camera doesn't capture the vibrant purpley, pink, magenta-ness, but you get the idea. I really love this little flower and am very pleased to see it, no matter how late! Oh, and sorry it's a touch blurry-it was a little windy.

Sounds good Donniebrook-keep me posted on growth/blooms, etc.

This message was edited Dec 10, 2009 10:16 PM

That's a beaut! Sure could use the weather you have up here, had trouble getting an unfrozen hose for cleaning off the last bunch o' tubers.

That's beautiful, QQ!
Louise

I still had some to dig up. About 10 plants. But I think it is too late for them. I tried today and the soil was very hard with frost. I ask my hubbie tomorrow but I am afraid I lost them. I got the prettiest out first. They are save and sound in my shed, but I wanted to get these out too... To bad. Gives me a reason to buy some new next year! LOL

Carrie QQ, When did that lovely Elsie Huston bloom? Just when you posted it? Congrats on the new arrival! And DBrook congrats on your sproutlings down in sunny FL. You guys can keep us dreaming through the winter.

We just had a week of low temps 11-14 at night, with below freezing days. I also have about 20 clumps still out there Leeuwtje, and ran into frozen ground when I tried to dig them one day. I'm not giving up. They were mulched well. There are about eight I'd like to get out of there and see if maybe the deepest tubers of the clump were safe from freezing. If not, it won't be the end of the world, but still.... they're dahlias, and every effort should be made to spare them a cold water-logged winter in the ground.

I discovered last year Annie that an ice scraper from your car can be a great mulch remover to get at the dahlias. I put a plastic tarp over my last bed to dig, I think it helped, though the edges had about 1-2 inch of frozen ground. I got under it and pried it up nicely.

Great idea Tod. I couldn't even get 1/4" into this ground with both feet on the shovel, but with much warmer temps and lots of rain, I'm sure it's thawed. Digging is on my list for tomorrow, rain or no rain.

Thank you, Poochella! The ones in the trellis planter are doing really well, despite not being watered while we were in Denver for 5 days. I'll get some shots at some point here. I can't wait to see some blooms. How low do the temps need to get for me to cover them here? Anyone know? In NH they do really well when it drops down pretty chilly in the fall, so I'm thinking they may be ok for most of the winter here. I think I lost the ones I put in the ground. I don't see any signs of any leaves coming up.

Based on the weather reports for FL these past days you might have had plenty of water. For the ones planted in the ground that don't come up, I can only wait so long before they get dug up and investigated for rotting or otherwise lollygagging in our wet, cool Springs. Usually, it's a rotting tuber with too much water and too few roots, or no growth eye to give you a plant.

Keep the growing ones from freezing temps and they will be alright. Just a sheet thrown over a stake or plant, or a cloche of some sort for newly emerging sprouts and that should do it. I was really happy to dig my final tubers yesterday after a week of deep freeze and find only a very few upper tubers on the clumps with any sort of frost damage. All others survived the recent chilly temps just fine. Hurray! I am ready for the usual winter break- make my plans for 2010, tidy up the gardens, store the stakes, keep the stakes far away from my eyes ;) check on tubers, and plan for the great March unveiling.

Beaming in from Santa Fe NM ^_^ I thawed a hose and watered to get some tubers out when surprised by a deep freeze Leeuwtje. Lost the tubers closest to the surface but the ones underneath were still good. LUVLY poofy bloom Queeq! Also APB Dahlia Alert on the Austrialian Forum. There be dahlias there WHOO HOO! Some areas in bloom now; some to come in early new year. They tell me they grow like weeds there; seedlings all over the place.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, Australia......love that accent! Lots of nice folks on the Australian Forum! Pretty flowers too.