Part 2-Carol's Dahlias!

I realized that my other thread might be way too long so here a new one for my gorgeous dahlias.

Here is my favorite dahlia for now, 'Jura'. I picked this one for the main picture on my new thread.

Enjoy them all! I sure do!

Carol

This guy is 'Blackie'. This is the 2nd year for the tuber and it still is very slow and not many stems or blooms. Am kind of frustrated with this one. It will have to go this fall, I think.

This is 'Peek-a-boo' and is blurry. Sorry. Was very windy yesterday.
This one was planted late so is just now blooming.

Carol, I am so glad you started another thread. I find the really long ones ungainly, I am easily lost in that many posts. I never mind the pictures all strung out, but I lose track of information/questions.

Anyhoo, 3 more beauties for you. Your Blackie reminds me of one I named Red Peony- it had that dark red/nearly black quality to it that made it unique. I don't know why I didn't want to launch into reds until last year: space was a big issue I guess. I love them now.

'Peekaboo' is clear as a bell on the 'behind' bloom. Looks very nice and I adore your 'Jura.' Reminds me of Sweet Lorraine which I sadly lost to rot this spring.

hiya daisyruffles,

Beautiful, really beautiful indeed.

best always,
don

This dahlia is an interesting one. It looks like 'Hulin's Carnival' but is much bigger than it. This one is called 'Wine Red Dot'. I am not sure if that is the real name, but that is what the older man called it when he gave it to me. So far, this one doesn't have any deformity like 'Hulin's Carnival has this year.

Now I have several dahlias that are just opening up now. They were planted very late because I couldn't bear to throw them out. So this picture is a "I don't know the name".

Edited to say I forgot this one is from the Burp Hollow Farms and one that they crossed themselves. So need to get the name this weekend at Farmers Market.

Edited again. Found out the name of it. 'BHF 5M3, Minstrel'.

This message was edited Sep 8, 2005 10:53 PM

This message was edited Sep 30, 2005 8:24 AM

The same with this one. What is it's name?

This picture is a much better picture now of 'Sparticus' because I can see the bloom. The other picture from the first thread was showing the bloom which was over 5' tall and I couldn't see it.

This is a rather crazy picture. My dahlias here were the last late planted ones. Thankfully, they were some big ones and show up very well here. This area is kind of a mess and needs to be cleaned up next spring. Pardon the dead looking 'Mock Orange'. It doesn't like too much water and since the dahlias like their water, they don't mix.

Holy Smokes!

It never ends with you Carol, FABULOUS! May I have one of each please...rotf. I just cannot imaging how hard it is to keep them all named. I don't think I have any names for mine and I'm feeling rather pedestrian because of my rather relaxed monitoring of my simple collection. I've put your tree dahlia (D.imperialis) root cutting into perlite. It should have its' own roots in about 30-45 days.

You really do have an amazing collection. And YOU know them all by name. I'm lucky if I remember my own most of the time...lol.

best to you always,
don

Thanks, Don.
All this comes from my work. I keep records with maps of all our grass seedlings for our grass seed research dept. so just carry it over to my garden.
I do like knowing the names of the dahlias. I have made paper maps of them in their beds but still it depends on how accurate the names are from the people who give them to me.
I will be glad to share with you whatever I dig up this fall!!!
Digging will be an experience for me. I dug up a few last fall and I ended up breaking a large tuber, one of my favorite too. DARN! So.... I did get a nice old pitchfork, large tines, at a garage sale so that should help be dig too.
Thanks for the rooting! Will I be able to plant it right in the ground later this fall?
A few more dahlias still to come. Tho it is cooler at nite, so... Am not sure how many more will bloom of the late plantings.
Carol

Lovely flowers there Carol, and I like your cosmos too.

I was going to have you look at Pinelands Princess hot pink and whitish laciniated dahlia, but the tips don't look as deeply split as your first mystery beauty.
Early bloom of PP @ the link, and the thumbnail is later bloom.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/poochella/New%20Dahlias%202005/The%20New%20Ones%202005/pinelandsprincess05.jpg
Another one to consider as a possible ID is Philothea. Grannymarsh posted a photo of it somewhere online. Granny are you out there to supply us with Philothea photos?

Okey dokey, here is 'Peaches'. It is a very pretty smaller flower. Was planted late so is coming along slowly.

Edited to say this is NOT 'Peaches'. Is an unknown.

This message was edited Sep 30, 2005 8:24 AM

Would anyone know the name of the huge dinnerplate?
I am not sure but I planted a mystery one last year in this spot but nothing came up. But this year, this one did. I had bought a mystery one for $1, so... It sure sticks up now in the back of the dahlia bed.

Edited to say that I have found out this is 'Playboy'.

This message was edited Sep 13, 2005 8:37 PM

I forgot to post this picture of 'Lollipop'. I hadn't found out the name until I went to Swan Island Dahlia. I had labeled this as 'Lollipop' but couldn't believe that was the correct name. I had been given a 'Lollipop' lily and wondered it that was it.

Huge yellow dinnerplate is Kelvin Floodlight I think. One of the few I have. Biggest bloom on mine was 14 1/2 inches last year! Just huge. People stopped their cars and knocked on the door to ask what that giant flower was.
Hugs, mich

HiCarol, are you sure that is Peaches, that looks like Bubble Gum. Peaches is yellow/orange. Great flower irregardless of the name.
Mich, this was my first year with Kelvin Floodlight. I could n't believe how big some of those first blooms.

Oh, no, Joann. I do know what 'Bubble Gum' looks like and I want that one from you for sure. The picture shows it much more pink than in real life. It has much more apricot blended colors in it. But now I just looked at the picture in the SID catalog and 'Peaches' is a real yellow/orange colors.
Ok, another one from someone that marked it wrong. Am getting kind of frustrated now with the mislabeled tubers from people. I write the names on the tuber plus make out a tag for them so I am not that bad at keeping track of their names. Darn!

Geez, I did a google for 'Kelvin Floodlight' and interesting things came up with the actual floodlights you use outside for light, hehe!
My flower of the supposed 'Kelvin Floodlight' seems to be lighter color tho, like more of a lemon than a darker yellow so...
Mich, 14 1/2" sounds huge! Will have to measure mine to see how large now, am curious.
Carol

Hey all,
Could the big yellow dinnerplate be 'Playboy'?

Thanks, Carol

Well, this weekend was a busy one.
Deadheading the dahlias took awhile since more are finally blooming.
The weather has been better for the dahlias too. Not so hot and more blooms are coming along on each and everyone. Tho it was rather cool this morning, in the mid 40's so... I hope this doesn't continue or the dahlias won't last until Nov. like usual.

This is 'Raspberry Punch', planted late and late coming.

Edited to start to make some comments about each dahlia.
This one last a very long time on the plant.

This message was edited Sep 30, 2005 8:22 AM

Geez, I have been trying for days to get a good pic of 'Ruthie G.' and can't. It is always too windy since the stems are so tiny.
So pardon the blurry pic. At least you will have an idea on what it looks like since it is pretty small.

This is in my front yard. Yes, there are lots of dahlias too close together. I know. But I had extra tubers and couldn't toss them, so in the ground they went. I didn't plant them very deep and figured if they grow fine and if not, so...
But I can't believe that most every tuber made it. They aren't planted too deep and a few were just in the mint compost, not soil too.

In the picture from the right to the left are:
red pom-pom-'Lollipop-
orange catus-'Hee Haugh'
pink catus-'Park Princess'
yellow in the far back middle -'Hissy Fitz'

Now this dahlia is huge!
You thought 'Sparticus' is big, well, this one is almost bigger. Tho it has a different shape but I actually like this one much better. I had no idea on how big it was because I didn't look up any information on it. Now I know it is at least 5' or taller and has a huge bloom. Will be interesting to see if any more flowers come.
This tuber took forever to get an eye and finally it did, so I planted it. I don't plant any tubers if it doesn't have a green eye. I don't like wasting my time or space on non-growers.

Edited to say that I talked with the older man about his tubers that I received from him.
This dahlia is 'Envy', he and I think. He had gotten some tubers from the neighbor years ago and the neighbor called it 'Red Rocket' so...

This message was edited Sep 13, 2005 8:39 PM

Carol, I have two big red dahlias; Spartacus and Envy. Could this last big red be Envy? When you say Ruthie G., do you mean Buffie G? It is a peachy color pompon.

Speaking of getting Bubble Gum from me, I think I am going to cull a bunch of different ones this year. I need to go through my patch and decide which varieties to keep. Some will definitely need to go, like Winter Ice.

Joann,
I have done some research. I am going to stop by the older man that I got some of my tubers from this spring and talk with him. His dahlia garden is 45 years old, so some of these tubers have different names to them.
The 'Red Rocket' does look like the 'Envy'. And he gave me both Buffie G. and Ruthie G., so need to chat with him about all this naming bit. I need to see his dahlia beds anyways.
So thanks for your comments. Always welcomed.
I agree on culling the ones you don't like. Why grow them if you don't like to look at them or put in bouquets?
Carol

The dahlias are slowing down as far as new ones blooming.
This is 'Snowbound' and it was planted the same time as the rest of the late ones but finally has blossomed.
This flower just started to bloom a few days ago, didn't get around to taking a picture, and now it looks like it is on its way out already.

'Purple Taiheijo'
It has been trying to bloom for the past couple weeks.
I am not sure if the tuber was defective or what.
I do not like the blooms so far. Was planted late but that shouldn't affect it all.
Had to prop it up against the neighbor's fence (which they are to build a nice wooden fence this summer and of course summer is over so....)

Okay.
I will gross you all out now.
I came home late last nite from work and was looking at this dahlia, which is just called 'Wine red catus'. I then noticed all the aphids. I had to go get my reading glasses to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing.
This dahlia is in the front yard, not the main dahlia beds, thank goodness.
But I then went around the other dahlias nearby, plus my only 2 rose bushes to check them for aphids.
I did see one ladybug on the stem so I didn't get the hose to wash them off.

Any suggestions or just let nature ride its course?

A close up picture of the stem.

Not only I have aphids which I have never had on dahlias, I have powder mildew all over the dahlias everywhere. Not just the ones more enclosed.
So it must be the weather this year. Am not too happy about the mildew. I could try the milk solution but guess it is late in the season and will just let it be.
Am not ready for the dahlias to peter out yet!

Carol you have successfully gagged me and that takes some doing! I don't think one ladybug can handle those for you. I'd begin a big kill program for them with fingers, emesis basin, and hose at the ready. Or you could sacrifice the whole stem/bud and drown them in soapy water, thus possibly avoiding throwing up.

Aphids were a problem last year in June or so, but this year only one or two little sightings. If I grow bleans I can count on the aphids showing up like your impressive colony. Eeww.

Yeah, am glad that I grossed you out, lol, hehe!

Yes, there are beans in the garden, probably like 20' away. Never knew green beans attracted aphids.
I was just joking about the ladybug. There may have been more but I wasn't in the mood to look around.

Yes, I will get out that hose now! The stems have drooped down quite a bit before I got to stake it up, so I will be able to give it a good dunk job in soapy water.
As for throwing up, I have seen worse. Tho I was totally shocked on how many and how black the stem was, yuck!

hiya daisyruffles,

I don't know if you've got some quick access to dusting sulfur or lim-sulfur dust for the mildew, but a very neat side benefit of these things is that it is also a pretty effective control of simple greenfly/aphids/plant lice.....also known as "Those doggone things".

Both of these are considered 'organic' controls and if soils are alkaline, the sulfur dust can have the added benefit of mildly acidifying/balancing soil pH.

You really do have an amazing collection indeed.

best to you,
don

Hum, ok, I will check the nursery today for sulfur.
Guess I am being lazy but a lot of the dahlias have the powder mildew and just don't want to spend the time spraying it all. So.... but will look into the sulfur.
Thanks, Don. I have enjoyed the dahlias this year tho.

hiya daisyruffles,

It's not a spray its a dust. I use it on spidermites and fungal infections on our roses and other plants for the very reason you speak of. I'm lazy..lol, and don't particularly like taking the time to mix up sour milk, compost tea or any other liquid concoction for that matter. I just want to slow down the bad stuff so the plants get a chance to fight it with their own vigor. Since we're cursed with really alkaline soils down here it makes even better sense to use this stuff for me aside from my rather lethargic approach to chores...lol.

best to you,
don

So if you use this powder on your roses too, could I use a fungicide spray that I bought for my daylilies and my roses on this powdery mildew on my dahlias?

Yesterday, 'Duet' started to bloom.
This poor tuber was planted late then seemed to be inside all the other dahlias so took so long to get going.
The ceramic flower on its left was bought yesterday at the Fall Festival in Corvallis. They had so many different colors. I put this one where I can see out from my kitchen window.

This dahlia is unknown. It was labeled something but it sure isn't it.
So if anyone knows what this one is please let me know.
Is kind of a short plant, tho may be due to late planting. But the other dahlias in that same row are more or less normal height.
Is a different color.

I had posted 'Blackie' earlier on the other thread.
This picture is a better one.
The plant has always been kind of a wimpy one. Not very vigorous at all.

As far as the aphids go. They had travelled to another dahlia plant about 4' away. Grrrrr! I got a large bowl of soapy water, dunked, and splashed it on the plants. Just looked at the plants just now in the 37 degrees weather. Brrrrrrr!
The aphids are still there and ladybugs are still munching away. So, just will let nature ride. Don't want to spray anything since I have ladybugs and praying mantis around.
I did realize something tho. There are nasturtiums around the dahlia plants and they had aphids all over them. I had pulled up a few nast. plants awhile ago but not all. I wonder if I had disturbed a nest of them?
So am not going have nast. around dahlias anymore.

Philothea, earlier in the season