Dahlias

[bramble]

Hi Eskymo and LJ, Its exactly as Alice said, I usually sow a few bedding dahlias every year and put them in between any that may be slow in coming up or maybe not come up at all. At the end of the season these plants will have made tubers. I leave them in place as i don't want to be digging, lifting, drying and storing them over winter. For the most part at least 90% of them survive. I probably lose a few to slugs and some rot with the wet but i dont think i have lost any to frost so far. Its much easier to sow some new each year.

[eskymo]

ah - so if you keep sowing some every year - you make up any numbers that you've lost to frost etc - that makes sense. I think I'll join you in that venture and do the same.

[nick the grief]

Bramble what is the difference between dahlia tubers and bedding dahlias?

About 2ft 6"

[nick the grief]

If you leave them in Eskymo, make sure they are well insulated coming from North o'the border. Googd layer of straw & then some fleec to keep it all in place. Remember they came from Mexico originally.

LJ the difference between the two is that Bedding dahlia's are usually short growing (around 18" ish) & have loads of flowers & the others like the ones I grow are around 3-4 ft tall (some more) and have a reduced number of larger flowers (anywhere between 1 & 12 depending on type & variety) Also the bedders tend to be hybrid mixes where as ther tubers are named varieties that will only come true via vegetative propagtion (cuttings or division of the tubers).

If you get a really nice bedding dahlia there is nothing to stop you from saving the tuber & taking cuttings.

[Lesley Jay]

Thanks Nick. Now I understand!!

[ebba]

Oh dear....I planted my tubers straight into the ground five or six weeks ago and there is no sign of any life. Do I give up on them and buy some young plants instead?

[Alice]

Hello Ebba, no I wouldn't give up yet, but they are late. If you marked them and know where they are you could scrape back the soil and have a look just incase they have rotted. Next year you might want to grow them from seed. I find it easier and more reliable and you get a lot more dahlias for your money. There's a lot about growing them from seed on the Vine if you go into Search. I hope when you have a look at the tubers you will find that they are sprouting. Good luck.

[ebba]

Thanks for the optimism, Alice. As you can tell I'm new to all this! Is it too late to grow from seed for this year? I'm guessing there won't be enough time for plants to flower before the frosts?

[JennieAtkinson]

Didn't know about pinching out the tops - mine are very gangly and I was thinking I would have to stake them when I plant them, possibly tomorrow. I have had a bit of time trying to harden things off due to the winds.

The dahlia tubers I brought have not sprouted at all, so given that I planted them in early May, I suppose they've had it now ?

[Alice]

Hello Ebba, sorry but you're too late to grow from seed this year. If you plant from seed about the beginning of April next year (you do have to protect until frost is past) then they will start to flower about this time - end June, beginning July. Hello Jennie, sometimes the Dahlias just bush by themselves but if they are very gangly you could still pinch out the growing tips. It will delay flowering by a few weeks but you will get bushier plants. I'm sorry your tubers didn't sprout. Very disappointing. You could ask for your money back !

[SueA]

Ebba & Jennie, your tubers might still sprout although it is a bit late now. Have a look at them if you can without totally digging them up. It's always possible that they did sprout & some nasty little slug or snail came along & bit the tops off before you even saw them! This has happened to me in the past.