Dahlias in pots?

I LOVE dahlias! But I have limited garden space with the necessary sunshine. Can I plan to plant tall dahlia in pots (well you know, really big pots) next spring?

If I buy HUGE pots (like the kind used for brugmansia) and fill the bottom with rocks for stability, is it possible to grow healthy dahlias or do they have to be in a garden?

Has anyone tried this?

Hello, You can grow large dahlias in five gallon buckets, they do fine. Drill some drain holes 4" up so the tubers don't get wet, they don't like to be soaked. I would suggest topping the plants so they don't get to tall, but you can stake them up with rebar and they do fine.

Thanks, dahliadigger - gee, I never even though about the 5 gallon buckets. We have loads of those! Wow! Okay dahlias, here I come! heeheehee!

Seandor, here's the best article I've found (and followed) on growing in pots. The soil moist granules help maintain moisture as my pots are block and really dry fast out in summer sun. Didn't like the cross wires to hold rebar or a wood stake much, but that might not be necessary on a shorter 3-3.5 ft plant. One I just tied up to the deck railing verticals as it got taller and that worked well.

http://www.dahlia.org/seasonal.guides/dahlias%20in%20Pots.html

Wow! Thanks! I saved a copy to my hard drive and I am printing a copy as well ^_^

You're welcome. The pots are black, not block. Too much time in the sun lately :)

i know this is an old thread, but i have another quick question for you dahlia experts...i am trying these for the first time this year, and i always like to try new things in pots so that i can move them around the garden to find the ideal spot if they aren't doing too well in our texas heat...

most sites recommend NOT planting in pots unless the pots are really large, as stated above in this thread...but my question is:

is it preferable to use a very DEEP pot, or a very WIDE pot? for instance, i have many large vats and tubs that i can plant them in, but they are much wider than they are deep...maybe only a foot or two deep...

will the dahlias be cramped if they don't have several feet for their roots to grow downward?

i have searched the web and read tons of articles, but i have only found info regarding the "gallon" size of the container...not the shape of the container...

thank you for any information...

-abl

Hi abl_newbie. Dahlias are relatively shallow rooted for tall plants; both roots and new tubers mainly grow out, not down so a wide pot is necessary. In your heat I would go with the 2 foot as you will want to ensure the tubers are planted to stay moist and cool. This is a good site for dahlias in the south as they are not heat luvers http://www.dahliasocietyofgeorgia.com/

wow that was quick! thanks d-nut!
:)

We warmly welcome all potential dahliaholics here on the Dahlia Forum ^_^ I hope you will post a few pics from your luvlys even if you grow just a few.

thank you! if i don't kill 'em, i certainly will!
i'm not too familiar with dahlias, so i've been reading as much as possible before i plant them...

they were just too pretty to pass up in the garden center!
:)

I second what dahlianut said including a big hearty "welcome!" In your heat, I would be sure to use the Soilmoist or other brand of polymers to keep moisture in whatever size pot/tub you use. Keep the crystals down below where you plant the tuber for best results. Being exposed to your surrounding hot air temps will make your potted dahlias especially susceptible to drying out. Keep them watered well, and you should have every chance to grow some beauts under your sunny, southern skies.

I wonder when we'll get tubers in our stores here? I better be on the lookout...

Nothing here yet either Pooch.

hello all. had a quick dahlia question that you may be able to help me with. I just got a few bulbs from the OSH store. there are some smaller bulbs hanging on the sides of them and I was wondering if I clip them off can I plant them also. Also, do the bulbs spread out and make more bulbs in any way.

thanks for the information.

Hi berhardt. Do the smaller tubers have eyes (little bumbs right close to the top of the tuber near the stalk)? They will make their own plants if they are viable. If unsure and you want more plants you could always cut them off close to the stalk and pot them up. If they sprout you will have more dahlias. Or you could just cut them off and plant them in the ground too. The 'mother' tuber which will make your dahlia plant this year will produce more tubers. You will need to dig them up in the fall and divide them and space them apart because unlike alot of bulbs they will stay attached to the mother tuber and compete for food and moisture. I'm assuming of course your climate is good for wintering over dahlias in the ground. Pooch has put some excellent pictorial threads in the sticky at the top of the Dahlia forum re: dividing etc.

What do you think about planting dahlias in those oak half barrel containers? I seem to remember Jo Q doing that last year? Or is it better to stick to the plastic pots if they are not going into the ground?

I like plastic, ceramic or clay because they absorb more heat during the day but I bet they would do find in oak containers too.

Would you use one bulb per container, they are about 18 inches across?

Hi violist, I've grown full size 4' dahlias in oak half barrels and in large ~14-16" plastic shrub pots. Both work well. The pots dry out faster but ample watering does the job.

What size is your dahlia expected to be? I did one full size plant tuber per oak barrel or pot, often with shorter plants stuffed in on the sides (because I didn't take the time to put them elsewhere.) If your tubers are for shorter 18-24" dahlias, you could do 3 per barrel and have a barrel full of blooms.

Me too, one per big pot for standard size dahlias; 3 border dahlias in that size.

thanks for the information. I did however, already plant the bulbs. I am not sure of the eye thing. they are already starting to grow from the bulbs so I thought best not to dig them up. I will try and devide them next year I guess. You say they will get more baby bulbs on them this year? That will be good. I love the look of the flowers and would like to be able to experiment with a few of the plants. Thanks again for the info and the sites with the pictures.

No worries about the eye thing; the sprout will make it's way to the surface even if planted upside down (oops been there/done that).

That is just the advice I needed. Thanks Dahlia fanatics! I will bug you again when planting them up!

Hello everyone. I too am new to Dahlias. I bought 2 bags from wal mart the other day, and would like to know about the bulbs. I was going to put them in a large pot, until I get my garden ready. My question is, the bulbs have lots of finger looking things on them, and some broke off from the main bulb. Can I plant that one finger?
I think they will be pretty, behind my angel trumpets. They are supposed to be 48 inches tall.
Thanks for the help
Linda Kay

HI, I'm Ginger and I'm dahliaholic. This is my first post to a thread here.

All the kids have moved and left me with a minimal amount of their livestock (donkeys, goats & chickens) so I am trying to go flower crazy this year. (Out of reach of goats) My great-grandpa had dahlias when I was little and I remember that walking by the bulb bin last week at Lowes. Dahlias started calling my name and since I am an impulse shopper I answered. Now I have a bunch of dahlia tubers and it's SNOWING outside...grrrrr...

I live 12 miles from Lowes and I can still here dinner plates dahlias calling me. I'll be there later so they can shuush for now.

I want to raise in pots because it's been known to hail here in the summer. I am slightly handicapped now because I grew up on southern Californian where you and grow burlap sacks all season if you want to, to central Oregon which is half frozen and half desert and napweed is the plant that thrives.

I read the pot raising article from dahlias.com listed above. That helps a lot.
Since we had LOTS of kids I think I can just bring the pots into one of the empty bedrooms and winter them over inside.

OK.. So now......here is my my real question. ( I ramble a lot)....
Can I grow them indoors? Beyond starting them indoors? I have a lot of grow lights. (No local gendarmes have showed up yet...) and I want them in the house......protected.

What say you all?

Ginger

. . . no idea . . . maybe someone else knows . . .

I bought the dinner plates and now they are sitting under grow lights in 5 gal buckets planted 1/3 of the way up with the bottom mix containing that goofy gel stuff......

I am hoping I did not plant them upside down. There were no eyes to go by. The tubers looked like mutant octopus. I planted the stick looking part up (assuming it was the previous plant stalk) and the dried roots down and let the tubery looking arms fan out sideways. (Please excuse my technical terms....ha.)

Planted fairly loose in case they need to move themselves......

Ginger

Stick part up, tubery fans splayed out and roots down sounds perfect. The eye shoot will find its way to light, no problem.

I don't know about growing indoors except why would you want the extra electrical expense of so many hours of light daily? Is there a sunny deck you can put your plants on in nice weather and drag them to safety under an eave in the event of hail? It's an extra step, but easily done.

Whew on planting!

I wish. I work out of town all week. Husband would never remember to bring them in. 4" of snow right now.....

I used to raise chickens and goats and had 10+ 150w heat lamps on 24/7
This is much better :) I can live with it.

Ginger

Oh yes chicken and goats! Very nice yard companions. Our neighbor had all sorts of fowl that came visiting daily until recently and I miss them. They were rummaging around eating bugs and such until just the past two weeks when there's been no sign of them. I can now see why people are so intrigued with keeping chickens etc. We treated our Nigerian Dwarfs to a heat lamp during the cold spell in December, but found scorch marks on the back of the white one. Placed a little too low in the barn. Or else he's too tall.

The worst electric bill we've had was the year I thought it would be festive to drape scallops of white Christmas lights around the 1.5 acre pasture: double strands. I quickly lost the spirit of festivity writing out the check. Plus, as fast as I strung lights, the goats followed, pulling light bulbs out of their sockets with their hideously inquisitive goat lips- no harm to them. I had to then devise AGDs- anti-goat devices to get the lights out of their reach the whole way. We only did that pasture-lighting thing one year, but it was pretty!

LOL.. ..Lighted lips....That would be fun...We used to put on bright lipstick and kiss the goats on the lips.

Donkeys are as bad as goats an a lot smarter......

Ginger

In Pots.....Dinner PLates.... This one grew 6" in one week. There are two in the bucket so I am going to separate them today.
The other one I plantd the same time I almost gave up on..Last night I sawlittle red knobs ..WHEW!!!
YIPPEEEEE!!!

Ginger