Dahlias

Oh no! Don't worry woo, they should recover as they are very fast growing plants.

I planted out the first of my dahlia bed on Thursday, they're unscathed so far but I'm not holding my breath. I've put a few sunflowers and two small lupins in there for now. Think the rest will all be dahlias though.

I did make another thread, but my 'national collection' ones were lost in transit and it doesn't look like i'm getting any replacements or a refund either. Won't use that company again, ripped off over £20.00.

Anyway, it looks like all my overwintered tubers have come through so not like I haven't got any.

 

Oh no!

 

Sorry to hear you haven't had replacements @CharlieBot or a refund, that's quite rubbish of the company!
Ah Woo damn slugs and snails! Have you considered pellets or not a fan? I also use copper tape under the rim of the pot or diagonally up the pot

Here's my babies.. these were potted up in the kitchen and left to fend for themselves outside from last week of April.

nothings happening in some of these..

Did keep 3 in the unheated wc until frosts were out and they all have buds


Depending how well these get off in the next 2 weeks I may do this again next year, plant up and chuck straight out at the end of april, it's saved so much faffing around rather than starting them in a shallow tray and moving on which is what I done before! Will not put them next to a radiator though!

 

Looking good Lynd - I wondered, do you let some Dahlias sprawl without staking? I was thinking of doing that with my Hillcrest Royal because it seems impossible to contain it!

 

I haven't staked since I've been growing them as I put them in smaller pots which restricted them a lot (schoolboy error), one larger pot had 3 tubers in and I think they held each other up otherwise they would have been huge and definetley needed staking. So this year they're mostly all in separate bigger pots except for 4 (I think) and staking them if need be (got 2 of those plant support rings and a few canes), one of the "wc ones" needs doing already he's a bit leggy and wind battered, bless him.
Judging by the looks of the Hillcrest he's a big 'un and a beauty at that Jack!

 

I grew the vast majority of mine in pots last year to save digging, and sadly it was a mistake. The pots were plastic and by the time I got home from work most days they'd dried out (also due to being compost not heavier soil) and most would blow over at some point. Plus it restricted them loads and despite feeding and watering the growth and flowering was not as good as the year before.
Needless to say this year I've gone back to in the ground (despite being 6 months pregnant now ha) and will dig them all up after first frost.
I have found that wrapping them up etc makes no difference for me, just dumped in a box in a cold greenhouse and they have all come through fine.

This is my dahlia bed, I have planted them quite close together but I think they will support each other a bit. I will feed them too.

There's only room for 3/4 more here so will have to decide what to do with the rest. Probably squeeze them in a border elsewhere or go for a heavier pot.

 

Would love to have mine in the ground but I'm moving soon, my grandad's neighbour had them in the ground and gave me one, put it in a pot and it was half the size of the year before

 

Hi all. I love Dahlias, but gave never actually grown them. Mainly because at my last house there wasn't any room.

Anyhow, my local GC has all the bulbs on clearance so I've bought 6 old tubers for £5. A few have little green buds but the others are somewhat shrivelled. Not completely dried out but def past their best. Do they stand a chance of making a recovery? I've potted them all up in my greenhouse for now.

 

Yes, they will stand a chance. The moisture in the compost should be enough to get them going. You could give them a little bit of water but don't overdo it or they might rot before they can get going.

 

Plant away @Coolsox, as @CharlieBot says, they probably will be fine

You'll be amazed at how little 'plant' Dahlias need to grow to full size in one season. They are like little plant rockets.

 

It's a real shame the NDC won't give you a refund. I can kinda understand not being able to send replacements because they seem to have 'alloted orders' although you would expect back ups because of situations like this. But at the least conceding a refund feels in order.

 

Not too late if you get a good root ball. It might slow them down a little but from my experience so far, they just keep growing and growing regardless of anything!

You could try copper tape around rings of plastic cut from fizzy pop bottles. I have done this in the past and it works as a barrier.

 

I sowed dahlia seeds this spring. They are still very small. I don't think they will flower this year.