Dahlias - Summer's End/Storage 2014 Part 2

Thanks! I am interested to find out if it makes a difference waiting to dig the bulbs. Honestly I don't remember if I dug them last year before or after the hard frost. I will make a note this yeat for future reference. But I do know our temps were somewhat warmer last Fall until the bottom dropped out. After tonight if the temps go down to 25 as predicted, I am sure all the foliage will die back on all of them. I went out and cut the last blooms that the wind and rain didn't ravage, and the stems were still firm.

Arlene, a couple days ago the HH guy said he "only" had 880 more to dig. That doesn't sound too nightmarish does it? lol That makes my back ache just thinking about it.

You'll know it's almost time to dig when the plants go black, Nanny.

Good grief! I ache with around 40 to dig and can't contemplate 880, Dan. I hope it doesn't give me nightmares!

Wow! That's a lot of dahlias.I never thought about the Dahlia Growers having to dig them up. But I guess if they are in the Zones where it freezes they would have to dig them up just like we do. yikes!

We had our first hard freeze last night. It was 24 when I got up this morning.

26 degrees here. Brrrrr!

Since dahlias do so well duplicating under the ground, I am sure all dahlia nurseries dig every dahlia every year.

Bikini weather here! It's overcast, extremely windy and now 48 degrees.

No frost here yet but normally it's 11/11, some years much later and that only means digging on frigid days when I'd prefer to be cooking a pot roast!

We are running in the 20's here also. Haven't checked the daytime temps. Just know it is cold with a breeze. As soon as I feel better, Pot Roast it is.

We're at 43 right now. Forecast shows 59 tomorrow and 64 Tuesday. Where's Jack Frost when you need him? I just want to get the digging over with. Maybe I'll be digging in December this year. I have a lot of daffs and hyacinths to plant in the same beds after the dahlias are dug. Maybe I'll just dig one big hole and dump them all in it. lol

I had a few dahlias with open centers this year. I don't think I'll bother trying to divide and store them. I didn't know until recently that, according to some experts, the open center characteristic is usually carried into the new tubers which will usually produce open center blooms, too. A lot of growers throw them away and buy new tubers. That's what I think I'll do.

Mary ,sorry you are not feeling well. Sure hope you feel better soon. :) This weather change here has caused a lot of people to have sinus issues (myself included). Could be allergies, who knows? we are up to 41 degrees and sunny. It is deceptively warm looking outside, not so much once you get out in it. But at least it isn't snowing. :)

Mary - I also bought meats for stew, a turkey leg to roast, etc. so it must be nearing winter! Hope you feel better very soon.

Dan - I'm feeling the same way. I can allow the ones in full bloom to continue but some of the others need the death blow with cutting back. Please show us all an example of the "open centers" so we'll know exactly what you mean. Thanks. Just say no to one big hole! I did dig up hyacinths and, as usual, forgot where I put them.

Nanny - snow is pretty to look at for about 10 seconds at a time but means we can't garden so that's the negative, along with some of us getting or being sick.

pirl, I wouldn't mind the snow so much if it didn't come with blistering cold and I didn't have to get out in it to get to work and all. I guess I have got used to the No-Snow winters we were having.
And I thought I was the only one who dug up stuff and forgot where I put it.;) Lol

I don't have many examples because they are just to ugly to photograph. Almost every bloom on the plant will look the same. Maybe ten feet away is the same variety with all perfect blooms. Some varieties are naturally open center, especially the smaller types. I just hate that big yellow-green eye staring back at me. lol The last two photos are Vancouvers. They are planted close together. You can see the difference. The last one looks much better than the open center one.

Nanny - We've had very few winters without snow and I also hate the bitter cold but it's the wind and ice on roads, at stores, that bother me so I end up napping instead! I misplaced caladiums I got in April, found them and planted them in July and they grew so fast and did so well that it amazed me.

Now I see what you mean, Dan. I used to get that look in October and felt the dahlias just had that tired look. I'll have to review my photos to see who gets the dahlia axe! Thanks for the help.

Yes, I also had the open centers. I just figured I had let them stay on the stem too long. As they approach that I usually cut them.

Ham hocks and white bean soup with a crusty basil parmesan bread. When I get my appetite back that is what I am going to make. Along with a ham and cheese (lettuce, tomato) sandwich....among many many other things. lol

My hyacinths are all in a bucket with dirt thrown on top. They were just drying out in the garage and that was the best I could do to try to save them. If they survive I will dig a trench meandering in the garden and just dump them, then go straighten them up. They aren't very big so it is a pain to plant one at a time.

I seldom plant one at a time. They look better in one large group to my eyes.

The pea soup is simmering and we'll have it tomorrow night. Tonight will be scrod.

Sometimes dahlias can look open centered but it's just the bloom getting old and dropping petals. The ones in those photos have been open ever since they started blooming. Those will get the axe. Fortunately, there weren't too many of them.

Here are two photos of Zorro. The second one looks open center but It's just an aging bloom with petals falling apart.

Some days I feel like I'm an aging bloom with my petals falling apart!

I do see what you mean. Mine flop as they age, more than anything else. Getting dark now!

Okay...if all you dahlia people had to start over and could only buy 3 tubers, which would you choose and why.

I'm going to have to whittle down my want list. :o(

Tartan
Pineland's Pam
Nenekazi

but that could all change at any given moment!

My favorite would probably be whichever one I looked at most recently. lol Hard to say but I'd have to go with Bonaventure and Kelvin Floodlight for two. The third would probably be Otto's Thrill. Biggest reasons for those is all three are big blooms, very dependable, good new tuber producers and all are among the first blooms of the year. A lot of people consider KFL and OT to be too "common." But I've been very happy with "too common." To my way of thinking, being common also means they are easy to find and inexpensive compared to many other varieties.

Oh boy. I am with Dan. The last one I looked at. lol
American Dawn, Otto's Thrill, Elma Elizabeth

no, no,

Snow Country, Sweet Dreams, Ferncliff Inspiration

no

Todd H, Procyon, Karma Chocolate

uh.....

I have never understood why "common" was looked down upon. Certainly, in the clematis world, Jackmanii must be the most common, most reliable, most popular. It just isn't rare, which can be good or bad depending upon the gardener. I have more than three of them!

I certainly am not the expert on dahlias, but I happen to have been lucky enough to have started with 3 of what some might call common dahlias. From what I have seen on this forum and in my own garden, I would consider them "Staples" of the dahlia bed. Kelvin's Floodlight and Otto's Thrill and Thomas Edison . For their huge blooms, dependability, and the vivid colors. Those 3 are what got me hooked on dahlias. I am sure I don't have to tell you all about what great producers these are. I have never been disappointed with them. But there are so many more I want to try. ;)
Here are the last blooms of this season that I cut yesterday and brought inside to prolong the growing season just a little bit.

I'm so glad you used the word dependable. It's such a comforting feeling to be sure of specific blooms as we add the untried (for us) dahlias to our gardens.

If you want to tell us what you're interested in trying, we can all chip in to let you know if we liked it enough to buy it again or if it's always in our gardens or if we didn't like it.

I love bringing in the blooms (even just buds) and they always catch my eye.

I guess I should have bought KF. I seem to be the only one without one. lol. I have seen Thomas Edison forever and it is a large beautiful purple.

Two or three years ago a lady was walking her dog up the street. I was out watering the dahlias and she stopped to look at them. She said she loved them all but didn't care for the big yellow one (KFL). I told her it was one of my favorites and I couldn't imagine having a garden without a few of them. She said, "Yeah, but everybody and their brother -in-law has that one. And you can even buy "that thing" at K-Mart". I never understood why I should be concerned that a lot of people grow it. I think that goes to show how popular it is. Oh well, to each his (or her) own.

I know what you mean about prolonging the season, Nanny. Every time I find one broken over I stick the stem inside the hollow end of the stake and it looks like it's still growing. I get a few more days out of them. Mine are fading fast though.

Yes, Mary. You do need a KFL to complete your garden.

Dan - Ignorant people never have problems telling anyone what they should or shouldn't buy or grow.

Interesting concept to stick the stem in a stake! I need to try that!

Many of mine are fading and disappearing fast. I'll begin cutting them back very soon...when the winds calm down.

Wow, that woman sounds super 'ignant' LOL! Some people have nerve. Usually if I don't like something in another's garden, I don't tell them unless they ask me what I think of it. Even then, I try to be super nice about it. My dahlias are still alive! No freeze yet. I did notice yesterday that my largest one is starting to pull out of the soil a bit. Whether they die this week or not, they're coming down next weekend and I'm digging them up. I can dig the same day I cut them down right?

According to Hoyle, leaving them in the ground for at least several days or better yet a week or so is supposed to 'mature' or toughen up the tuber to better withstand storage. Otherwise they are green. I have been digging mine too early and seen what happens to green tubers. Some will survive but your odds are better letting them toughen up some. They won't be hurt in the ground. I guess if you have some close to the surface you might want to pull those. I had a few that looked partially frozen because I left them in too long and had several hard freezes but they were at the surface or very close. I stored them anyway so we shall see.

Hmm...I was afraid of that. Our next chance at a freeze isn't for another 9 days. I guess they'll be in a little longer then. I don't think that one is close to the surface. There is just so much plant and the wind has been so incredible lately that it is starting to lift out. All the plants were planted at 6" though and the soil lift is only about an inch or so. I might try to take some of the load off it.

You know, Arlene, I had wondered about that, the plastic bag thing, after Dan mentioned it a while ago. I looked at my really big stalks and the hollow seems to be compartmentalized sort of. Mine had kind of a rounded bottom to the hollow. So I don't think they (or at least all) had a straight shot to the tuber. I supposed some could if the stalk is short enough.

"You'll know it's the right day to dig if it's sunless and bitterly cold."

Love it.... just slid that one right in. lol

Alright, I guess I'll have to wait then. I am getting ansy because I have about 850 bulbs to plant.

I have never been one to be concerned with what is deemed "popular", I usually go with what I like, regardless. Especially when it comes to my flower gardens.And since I never met a flower I didn't like, I doubt that I would exclude any thing ( until I run out of room, that is.) I would gladly accept any suggestions or advice that any of you have to offer, since you all obviously have a wealth of experience with dahlias. I have already learned a great deal from reading your posts here. I am thankful that there are people who are always willing to help newbies.

Mary - I would use the bags so I wouldn't be concerned about water getting into the stem and working its way down to the tubers. Normally it's hideous when it's digging time but last year was the exception - a glorious day. We do have to win about once every ten years.

Jeff - if you dig one hole per each bag of bulbs it will go fast. I planted 500 allium that only arrived in late November one year. I was cool digging in December and the next day began my Christmas shopping.

Nanny - I agree with you about selecting what appeals to you and ignoring any other opinion. The only exception I can think of is when it comes to choosing a plant by a photo. Too many are simply stock photos so check sites and ask if something is appealing but doesn't have rave reviews online. The Dahlia Queen from earlier DG days was Poochella. You can trust anything she reported in Plant Files.

Here are two prime examples:

Giraffe is a gorgeous orange, about 3' tall, but not at all like the stock photo (#1).

#2 shows the stock photo of Fidalgo as opposed to the reality.

Haha, nice. I do have a few ideas for where to put the bulbs and many of them will be wholesale places where I could put a bunch of bulbs. Although the one place might be a little difficult to dig because it's filled with maple feeder roots but they will keep the bulbs dry in summer ;-)

Digging holes around roots can be challenging. I've done that myself.

Thank you all so much. I will make a list and go from there. There were a few I was considering, but you didn't say, so I'll check my list and see if there are any you can tell me about. Thank you all once again!

You're quite welcome. We love to share the hits and the flops.

Shoot. I was just over to ATP. You would think that this late in the season the temptations would be abating. No way. Just discovered two new nurseries, one lily and one peony. I have to keep telling myself I HAVE NO MORE ROOM !!! Sigh.