Branching Out
Deeply Rooted
This two-tone pink dahlia is very pretty Phaedra. Do you happen to know what it is called?
Loving Dahlia More And More
- Thread starter Nyboy
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Phaedra
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It's 'Strawberry cream' - but usually it doesn't look like that. This one has unique patterns.
They often look like these:
It's a very recommended variety, I love it.
Dahlia
Deeply Rooted
You have really made a garden paradise! All of your hard work and fun is paying off!My dinnerplate Dahlia 'Islander' - it looks like my breakfast is meeting their queen
View attachment 61485
Branching Out
Deeply Rooted
Yesterday afternoon was spent getting dahlias ready for the many months of cold, wet weather that lie ahead. Last year I followed the advice of Jennie Love for preparing dahlias so that they can safely remain in the ground over winter, and it worked so well that I am using her technique again this year. I started by cutting the dahlias all the way down to the ground without disturbing the soil. Then I chopped the stalks into small pieces and left them on the surface, piled on a bucket full of leaves, placed a plastic lid or thick piece of plastic with a rock for weight on top, and finished with a shovel full of compost. These dahlia mounds will sit over the winter, and as the plant matter breaks down it will feed the soil to nourish next season's dahlias. According to Jennie having a moisture proof barrier on top of the leaves is key, to shed water away from the tubers so they do not get water logged and rot. The leaves also add insulation, to prevent the tubers from freezing.
I plan to dig up a couple of small dahlias to store indoors over the winter, but 90% of my tubers will stay in the ground until spring. There are a few big clumps that need to be moved; if we get a nice stretch of dry weather that could happen this fall-- but good chance the dividing and replanting will be in spring instead.
I plan to dig up a couple of small dahlias to store indoors over the winter, but 90% of my tubers will stay in the ground until spring. There are a few big clumps that need to be moved; if we get a nice stretch of dry weather that could happen this fall-- but good chance the dividing and replanting will be in spring instead.
digitS'
Garden Master
If your climate allows for mulching and keeping them in the ground, you may do better at keeping the smaller ones there through the Winter.
There is no question that lifting and storing them in a completely different environment is hard on them. The cellar room in our basement seems to be a very good place for dahlia roots. However, we still lose a few every Winter. I once bought dahlia seed for the small varieties and they grew, made nice plants, bloomed. I saved the roots in our usual way. Lost them all over the Winter months.
Keep in mind, wild dahlias live in central Mexico. I once talked with a gardener growing lots of dahlias in southern Oregon. He said that they were able to just mulch and, I think, cover with a tarp.
Steve
There is no question that lifting and storing them in a completely different environment is hard on them. The cellar room in our basement seems to be a very good place for dahlia roots. However, we still lose a few every Winter. I once bought dahlia seed for the small varieties and they grew, made nice plants, bloomed. I saved the roots in our usual way. Lost them all over the Winter months.
Keep in mind, wild dahlias live in central Mexico. I once talked with a gardener growing lots of dahlias in southern Oregon. He said that they were able to just mulch and, I think, cover with a tarp.
Steve
