Just planted my dahlias

Helps that I've learned so much here. Thank you Pirl!

You're welcome! So much, like color, is just not within our control. I hope you get some you really love. I presume by now, May 3rd, you're out of danger from frost so sit back and watch them grow!

The growing tip should be pinched out as the plant gets to 8 to 10 inches or has 7 sets of leaves. If you're late for late please feel free to pinch anyhow. It will make a bushier/fuller plant.

Pirl, does pinching them help them from falling over too?

Staking them and tying them frequently (every foot) will be more help.

Pinching encourages branching and that gives you more flowers.

Morning Arlene

You're up early!

Sort of. I get up with Damien most of the time. Coffee, toast, gardening sites, reading, knitting. lol. I lead a hard life. And I hate to waste a minute. Off for Round #2 today, then pretty much rest time for a week or so if all goes well.

I got my raised beds planted and am so excited to see how they do. Even got ambitious and hopeful and planted 12 tomatoes (with proper spacing this year so hopefully with better aeration and upward staking they will produce and not get fungus. Still have some very large planter pots sink in the garden to fill with empty milk jugs and soil for extra vegies that grow larger (brocs, caul, and such. And climbing peas to try against the east fence. Doesn't get sun til noon but then has it til nightfall. Delphiniums grow to 7' against that fence so light shouldn't be a problem.

I wish I could put my dahlias out as those that are up, which is about 95% are nice and hardy. I am so pleased with what the new growlight racks have done. But no telling what weather might occur in May. Would hate to lose them due to impatience. Just want them to stay thick and bushy not all stringy like so many were last year. And I am really letting them dry out as I rotted so many last year. As if watering is the answer to all things plants. :)

When I'm up that early I just roll over and get a few more hours sleep!

You're much further ahead than I am. Still doing outdoor spring cleaning. Inside I'm only up to spring cleaning for 1965.

Your climbing peas should do just fine!

I can understand the eagerness to plant but the threat of losing the dahlias is too scary for me. Maybe near the end of May I'll be a bit braver. I'm still waiting for the last package from River's Dahlias, which has been shipped as of this morning.

Last storage season was disaster for so many of us. Mine will go downstairs even if it is on the warmer side.

I can certainly understand the "inside spring cleaning". At least I can say 1975 which is when we moved into this house.

Yeah, storage last year was not a rousing success. But some were saved so not an entire loss. Isn't your River's order a little late coming? Will you plant the tubers outside right away? They should be okay being down in the ground from any last minute unpleasantness by Mother Nature. And that would save you potting them up.

It's not easy to keep up inside and outside. I vote for outside. Winter gives me plenty of cleaning time indoors.

I like having them come late and do plant directly into the garden.

It's the constant going up and down the steps to the basement (carrying trays of dahlias as I go up) that I find too tiresome and scary now.

Oh yes. I am very fearful of stairs. My depth perception is rotten anyway and with bifocals I don't trust myself. I always hold onto the rail, which would be hard to do with hands carrying trays. Be careful. Up isn't too bad; down can be pretty rough if you miss a step.

Maybe we need an elevator. A neighbor got one and loves it!

Arlene!! you need the exercise. So do I, except I have a ranch house so no stairs. snicker.

We also have a ranch but with a basement. There is an attic for anyone who might buy it in the future to make into a great suite.

Today I was in the garden from 12:30 to 8:30. Now I'm exhausted, showered, and ready for bed.

That is a long stretch of gardening. I imagine you ARE quite beat.
We only have a crawl space under ours. But is good for over wintering plants. The short ladder down is a little tricky but manageable. And my ranch is quite humble and was built in the 80's, while I have seen bits of yours and it is gorgeous. Just love it.

We have talked about putting another story above the garage (with proper attention so that it doesn't look like we just dropped a box on top but we have put so much into simply retroing the house itself and almost a like amount into redoing the yards and pond that we would be pricing ourselves out of the market to recoup.

So far today I have been out two hours and relocated a few lilies but only planted one of the new ones - a bonus that found a home easier than I thought.

Thank you. We had big homes before this one, he had a Colonial and I had a Tudor. Neither of us wanted steps again.

True. After a lifetime in mortgages it really is true that the highest price home in an area is often the most difficult to sell.

I have always wanted a two story with a wrap around porch facing south.. But, as with you, we have decided steps are out for a variety of reasons. After my Dad got his wheelchair we were very happy with our wide halls and no stairs. Hardwood floors don't hurt either. His rather thick plush made the chair almost impossible to push with him in it.

We are redoing the mstsr bdrm with hardwood and carpets.

Well, no more off topic. I forgot and left my geraniums, iris and one tree in a pot that Laura grew from seed that came from Texas. Really pretty and like a maple but won't live through our winters. I will keep it in a pot as long as I can as I love the colors and delicate leaves.

I so much want to get my dahlias out doors. They are very robust. And I have lilies new this year in pots to get outside also. I see some giant allium (not the huge huge ones which won't make it here, they rot in the ground) with huge leaves. I thought they were some of my tulips but they are quickly outstripping those in size. I have always wanted some can hardly wait to see them in bloom.

mary, would you like 80 degr. at 8AM and now is 90 degree and all my flowers that used to have afternoon shade now they are frying in full sun. I got to get more pine straw to mulch everything, the clematis are already covered, but the rest are not. The dahlias are all sprouting, hope they survive the heat. I oredred some bulbs from Dans dahlias, very disappointing, I guess I will skipp them next year. Etelka

We love wrap around porches but they aren't common here. They are big down around Spring Lake, NJ. An aunt had one and the porch covered three sides.

I hope all your daughter's plants make it.

I've been planting lilies but I keep getting off track and doing other jobs while I'm in the area so no great progress to report. Today I just did 10 but may do more when I go back outside, after my coffee break. Allium don't always return here either and some little wispy ones (I thought were wild scallions) got yanked today. They weren't thrilling.

Etelka - I'll pass on your temperatures and think Mary might, too! At 80 I need full shade and a breeze!

What was wrong with your dahlias from Dan's? I've always been pleased with their tubers.

I agree. 80F would kill me or keep me indoors more than the cold ever did.

I ordered six dahlias from Dan's and all six lived. Edna C never got to bloom although it surely tried. I was happy with four others, but the Mingus 'whatever' that I received was not the one I ordered. It is pretty though and bloomed fairly well so am happy. And I managed to save all six tubers over the winter so we will see how they do this year.

The two I ordered from Dan's last year were Bodacious and Fidalgo Julie. Amazingly, both survived the winter and are growing downstairs.

Having 80F really would find me in AC. The older I get the more I can't tolerate the heat, not that zero is happy time but it's still better than 80.

I ordered 2 short red ones, Tosogore, got two yellow dahlias. The numbers where simular, but not the same on the bulbs.I wrote them on they E-mail, no answer. Also I have orderd thre My Beverly bulbs, only one sprouted, the other two where all dry and wrinkly. Ordered some from Swan dahlias Infmation, Yoro Kobi and Firepot, they are all in the ground sprouting. It is disapointing, but I never been a big complainer, I just don't order from them anymore. Like Michigen bulbs or some others. Etelka

I love Firepot. Had it last year. Lost it over winter. I also give them one shot then forget them. Arlene is the one who can really ring their bells into submission ROTFL

I'm also not a big complainer, Etelka. It's just a shame you have to find out the hard way.

Firepot is a beauty. You'll be happy to have it.

We cross posted as I was searching for a photo.

How many times did I have to contact that one company in order to get satisfaction, Mary? I felt like a hound! At least I did get what they promised.

Absolutely you did. And it was many times but boy did they come through. As I recall it was even better than the original deal. Wahooo!

Yes! They ended up not having two of the original order but, after much pestering, they did send the two substitutes I wanted.

Well two of my dahlias are up so far. I noticed them pop up over the weekend. Of course I didn't mark what was planted only markers for location so each will be a surprise when they bloom.

I will not buy more dahlias unless I move. grasshoppers and drought have about done them in. I have had 2 blooms all year, and they are nearly dead despite me watering. I will enjoy your photos folks, just upload them so I can see what a real garden looks like.

Uh oh! You sound a bit blue or depressed. I would be the same way if I had the problems of the grasshoppers and the drought!

well I got the chickens off the lot to eat the grasshoppers but they do some damage in digging around in the flower beds, since the grasshoppers were totally decimating the dahlias I think it is a Lose-Lose situation... water only fixes so much. and I can't seem to get enough water on the one that volunteered from last year to get it to bloom. but it is alive and uneaten so far.

Alive and uneaten is a win-win for you! I hope you get some blooms and post photos.

Are they out in full sun?? Or are they a little protected. Boy, you really have rough gardening parameters. All I have is aphids and Arlene battles the dreaded Japanese Beetles (did I get that right Arlene?)

Dan has the Japanese Beetles. I've had a few but they were in early July, none now.

Dan and I battle the deer but they haven't attacked Dan's dahlias.

Etelka Kiseta has battled the grasshoppers by spraying something. I'll drop her a line and maybe her advice will work for you, Gypsi. I'd love to know why the one plant is doing well while the others suffered so much. There has to be a reason.

I deal with the Japanese Beetles too Mary but they seem to be waning. I couldn't stand gardening under such adversity Gypsi! I feel for you : /

Thank you Pirl for thinking of me, I did have problem with the large brown Lubber grasshopers for the longest time. Last year I found this organic place on the internet, Arbico Organics, they have a product called Nolo bait . It comes in flakes made of wheat and it helps the grasshoppers to become sterile, whit that this year I only found a few of them. The product has to be refrigirated, just spread a patch all over the garden, the grasshoppers eat it and next year you won't have so many. I know it is not much help for this year, but anything helps. I used to go out every morning and with the scisors cut them in half, some days it was just to much.

Here is the picture of the grasshoppers and the Nolo bait, I hope I helped some, it is very hard to watch your hard work disappear over night with these grasshoppers. Etelka

Thank you for responding so quickly, Etelka. I'm glad you tried the bait so you could report how well it worked for you.

It really is heartbreaking to see blooms destroyed by insects.

Well I had 2 blooms this year on dahlias, one each on my new ones, before the grasshoppers the drought and my rooster that was supposed to be eating grasshoppers got the plants. They have come back up but aren't looking like blooming again. The others I replanted from last winter never bloomed, I'm not sure they are even still out there. The overwintered survivor is alive but hasn't bloomed..

I am not lifting them this fall. The one that made it through last winter never bloomed but it has lived through the summer, and I only have so many hours per day. I wanted to try them, and I did. I've had too little rain this spring/summer to justify anything that is drought hardy. I'm not going to throw them in the trash. I could lift them and mail them to someone, or just let them take their chances overwintering.

I'm tired. all day in the hives. those I went up on. Rescued bees found me and I had to split my big hive to keep from losing the good queen in a late season swarm. Hope it works.

Uh oh! Doesn't sound good. Sometimes nature determines what we can or cannot grow.

Enjoy the bees. They love the dahlias.