My First Dahlia Bloom.............

My only problem up here is that quite often they don't produce tubers so you have to buy them again. I emailed Corralitos and we talked about it a bit and the thought was that it had something to do with our long summer days and cool temps. but dahlias that have tubers to begin with usually produce larger tubers in the fall, sometimes amazingly huge.

How should I keep my dahlias from getting to tall and very few flowers. I have only two colors, one is a beutiful white, but it is growing tall and few leaves. I taught it was to hot down here, but it has a few buds now and maybe if I did something different next year I can improve them. Last year I dug the 2 large bulbs up and had them separated into 8 and they all sprout it but not all bloomed. I gave away 2 of them and they where beutifull with lots of large flowers. She had them in full sun, but had sprinkle system, which I don't.Should I just give up on them, plant something that is less of the problem. Etelka

After they send out three sets of true leaves, pinch the main stem to promote bushiness. Also I pinch some of the side buds so that I get a few larger blooms on each plant. And don't forget to fertilize. You want a fertilizer with a lower first number to promote blooms not just huge plants. And they do require a fair amount of water. As wet as it is up here, I have to give a good watering at least once a week -- a deep watering, not just the top few inches. Then let them dry out a bit so they don't rot. If you are in doubt, buy a moisture sensor (they are cheap) to find out how deep the moist soil goes.

Etelka, adjust your fertilizer next year. The usual "bloom" food for flowers won't do. In the N-K-P formula, you want to sock'em with potash and phosphate, and back off on the nitrogen. I mixed my own "dahlia food" this year: equal parts "Hi-Yield Murate of Potash", "Hi-Yield Super Phosphate" and a generic 10-10-10 granulated fertilizer. I gave each plant a 1/2 a trowel of food around the base every 4-6 weeks after planting-and watered it in. I just finished all the fertilizer I bought last w/e. I can really see the difference- some of my stalks are as big around as a beer bottle! I hope I get good tubers. Even for those in warm climates it is advised to dig, divide & replant. The dahlias will crowd each other out (like iris).

I can't believe some of you don't dig! It's like finding Easter eggs- so much fun to see how many tubers you get! Then you can sell or trade for MORE DAHLIAS!

Poochella has a sticky about her saran-wrap method of tuber storage. IT WORKS!

Shoot. I can't remember what I posted except for a couple so at risk of repeats:
Clearview Orca pretty much totally opened
Snoho Doris also open
Innocence just started a couple of days ago.

I have these two sort of unidentified. I am guessing at names based on names give by the person who sent several different tubers. The second one might be either Gracie Face or Dr. John Kaiser

Oh, I forgot this one. Also a NOID. Could be Tahaiti Sunrise??

thank you very much, Will just readjust for next year, or is it to late for the last firtilizer? Etelka

Do it as soon as possible to get maximum blooms for this season.

Interesting reading. You guys are all hard core with the fertilizer and such. But perhaps that is one reason why I have few blooms so far this year. I had thought perhaps the dry summer had something to do with it. We are now getting rain almost daily.

I dig my tubers every fall. I wait the 2 weeks after the hard killing frost and I have found a pitch fork works so much better than a spade.

I always felt it was easier to find the eyes in the spring than in the fall. The hard part for me is to remember to sprintz my tubers once a month during the wintertime.

Mary - love the bicolor.

This is Myrtle's Folly. Last year, Erin (momoftwo607) was looking for it and posted the request on several forums. I then took a look at Myrlte, because Erin wanted it so badly. I was sold as soon as I saw her.

How unusual. Like paper mache.

I just dig mine after the frost, wash them off, lay them out on the deck to dry and then layer them in a box with newspaper and put them in a cool dark room and never even look until the next season. I have always had great luck doing this.
I plant them in the spring and have never used any fertilizer, just spray them with something to keep the bugs from eating the leaves.

Thank you for the newspaper tip. I'll try it.

You don't pinch them back after the second or third set of leaves to get fuller plants?

Define "cool" and how humid is the atmosphere in the room. I suspect that has something to do with your success. I have tried vermiculite, saran, shavings, peat moss,,, all with mixed results.

Oberon - Your flowers are just beautiful. I have never grown the kind that look like a pom pom, but you have inspired me.

Carolyn - I love your Myrtle's Folly.

I am finally getting a few new blooms from my Border Choice and All triumph. Even Bitsy, has a new bud.

It's great fun watching the bud open, day by day. Lovely blossoms!

I think my white dahlia is the same All Triumph, I bought it at Lowe's few years back. It always bloomed, just got very tall and skinny. Hope next year I will take better cara of it.

After a really rough week it was nice to enjoy my Dahlia blooms yesterday.

Tag missing #1 but a little white crab spider was hanging out on this one.
#2 writing on the marker has faded. The name is Crazy something. Will do some reasearch. TBA
#3 Love it..This is Fuzzy Wuzzy
#4 Harvest moon...very pretty yellow
#5 TBA

Oh, I had ordered Fuzzy Wuzzy but I don't see where it has bloomed yet. Still have a lot to go - just a race against cold fall weather now. It is so nice to see dahlias in bloom, even if not mine. Do you have any dinner plates? PomPoms? We had a big wind blow yesterday. Wreaked havoc in the garden blowing down but not breaking lilies and lots of other flowers. I have to build cages for next year and am rearranging the garden. Sure with I had someone here who could offer a critique and suggestions. I get exhausted trying to second guess what the plants will do next year, how to hide 'bare knees' on tall plants with the mid range plants I have. And then take into consideration when each one blooms.

Bea

They are gorgeous! I have Harvest Moon, but have yet to see it flower. I still don't have much in the way of dahlia flowers and I put in 45 different varieties. Ironically the ones that are flowering are the ones that Mary sent to me and a couple of new ones that I ordered.

Yeah --- so glad. Well, glad that some that I sent lived and bloomed. It is slow around here too. I bet I have 25 that have buds but haven't popped yet. And when they do, they open sooooo slowly.

Mary's were the first to bloom for me also. I think maybe they were happy to get out of the Alaska cold. LOL! I still have many yet to bloom. The mornings are getting colder already. I sure hope to see more soon. That is the first bloom on Harvest moon. Several more buds in waiting. Fuzzy wuzzy surprised me with that bloom. I turned around while taking pic's and there she was!! I like surprises like that. She is so pretty. Another one in my front yard is almost ready too.

Mine are really coming into full bloom now. Kinda sorry to see that as it means the end of the season here is quickly advancing upon us.

Funny, Bea. I was thinking they were happy to be out of the Alaskan chill as well!

While I haven't been in Alaska in winter, it's heavenly in July. I'd gladly trade our excessive heat and humidity for what much of Alaska enjoys in summer.

=Thank you Arlene. Ahem.... to you others. lol. I suspect the poor tubers were so stunned by warmth and sun that they burst in their equivalent of song. "The dahlias are alive with the sound of music...."

Oh no! I hear Julie Andrews singing in the background!

ROTFL .....AYUH.....

I don't know....I've been to Alaska at the end of June and froze my butt off. Well, one day WAS gorgeous.....and all the Natives complained of the heat. Ha, they should come to Texas.

BeaHive - I love love love your pink dahlia. I could see a bit of your yard in the last pic....nice.

I am only getting blooms on 3 of the 6 Dahlias I planted. So my take on pots is not so good.

Depending on the year, I can readily agree that you would have been a tad chilled. I would think that Texas was awfully hot for dahlias. But I keep forgetting that it is a might big state and that there are areas that aren't always 115 in the shade. We have friends that live on the coast, but then they are sun worshippers, which we are not.

Both your dahlias are lovely. No names?

Pretty!
Mine are really coming into full blooms now. Guess that means our season is coming to a close. Once the dahlias finish and the tall miscanthus is in bloom (which it is now) I know it won't be long before all the digging begins!

Haighr, I assume you dont' have a name for the lovely pink dahlia in the picture?

Gorgeous dahlia haighr

I have about three more almost ready for pictures one of which is Firepot. What color.

Looking forward to seeing the,. Mary.

Here is firepot just opening. It tames down some when fully mature or so the pictures I have seen of it do.

Mary

It is gorgeous! How tall is Firepot?

right now it is pretty short. but these are new tubers. Course, I got a little bitty Clearview Orca tuber this year and the darned plant is 4' tall with 6" blooms.

I just went and checked my database and sure enough it is only supposed to be 24" tall, a compact little border bush. Not good for cutting flowers. sure is snazzy though.

Actually I do know now thanks to this thread! It's the RC Rainier.
Here is the link again to the varieties:
http://www.dahliasuppliers.com/accent/catalogbyvariety.html

Oberon - Your Firepot is stunning! The contrast in colors is so vivid.....even if it mellows later, to see it like this is amazing. OMG....I'm already thinking of doing a raised garden of Dahlias for next year. Maybe one more effort with dappled sun and perfect soil will work. The two I posted are All Triumph (white) and Border Choice (red).

haighr - such beautiful blooms....and so many. I think I am green :-))


Here is the other one that bloomed in a pot - Bitsy - This will be her third flower.