Dahlias

For my larger ones, I'm wondering whether to go with three pea sticks, or one large stake. I've stuck in the big stakes but I can't see how to actually tie a bushy plant in naturally to one stick :-/

Good luck planting this week


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I am going with the 3 in a triangle and fasten together over the top, tripod ish. then I can pop something on the top to stop me poking my eye out.

 

Just thought I'd share what you can get away with! with growing/transplanting Dahlias.

I've grown Dahilas for many years and have some corms which must be going on 20 odd years old. I now grow a sort of Dahlia hedge with them as have so many corms. I start the corms off in the greenhouse in the border soil, not in pots as some of the corms are very big and it's a lot quicker/easier to just stick the corms in the soil. Normally I dig up and transplant the corms when they have about say 9 inches to a 1ft growth.
This year for various reasons and the very cold weather I kept putting off transplanting. Eventually I thought I'd just have to risk transplanting them and did so just over a week ago.
By then the new growth was OVER 3ft. I had serious doubts they'd survive this but by spraying them more of less continuously during the day,( I'm not that keen to be have been up all night) they have decided to cooperate and are 100% ok. Poor s..s didn't even get hardened off!

Just goes to show how with plenty of moisture on the foliage many plants will survive transplanting even when in full "production"

 

It is important to put something on cane tops , so very easy to poke yourself in the eye. On my Dahlias I used plastic vending machine cups with straw in to catch any earwigs , as advised . never did check them to see if it worked.

 

Thanks, I might change to do this instead, it feels more sensible

Edit: confirmed, I did this evening change the stakes to the smaller pea sticks - will add string this weekend

 

Blimey, they're tough cookies it seems My Fidalgo Blacky already has two buds about to burst open.

 

Does anyone know if this looks like a virus? This is the only dahlia I have with markings like this, and despite feeding, even the new foliage has it.

 

Might be a deficiency of some kind? Does it otherwise look healthy? They will be growing at a fast rate now, so for now, I would advise just keeping an eye on it and hopefully it will look more 'normal' in the weeks ahead. Maybe lay off the feeding for now.

 

OK, thanks Freddy. I'll keep it as separate as I can and give it more of a feed for another week.

 

Hi Jack

It looks like a virus to me ... but as Freddy has said it has had a spurt of growth , have you a sea weed feed that you could spray and feed with ? plus is that the only plant that has it and do you have only the one variety ? it will carry on growing and flowering but.....
If it has a virus the longer you leave in it may spread to the others thats the downside ...

 

It's the only one like it and I have three of this one (Dahlia Gallery Art Nouveau), the other two are fine :-/ I think I might get rid of it just in case, I don't want any risk with the others...

 

get rid Jack asap and check that you have no greenfly etc on it or the others if yes you need to spray

 

Certainly looks like a virus to me. Dahlias can suffer from a host of things. If you have plenty of the same Dahlia tubers I'd be inclined to throw this 1 away. If not then keep it well away from any others you have...1 bad apple syndrome. I'd personally not plant it out in your garden yet either as if it is a virus you don't want to possibly contaminate your soil. Hope it recovers.

 

What do you guys feed your dahlias with and how regularly?

All mine are planted out now. Will post some pics I'm the week when I'm home

 

Right, it's gone! Hope it hasn't infected the others. I've kept it in its pot and as far away from the others as possible (though admittedly that's only a few metres!) I'll do a round of light aphid spray just in case... being sure not to use weedkiller this time! I'd forgotten what a roller coaster summer is