Dahlias

[Martin H]

If the dahlias have broken up a bit on arrival (several of the 'fingers' have split off from the main bit in the post) can the broken off bits be planted to make new ones?

Personally I only try to grow tubers that have a bit of the old stem attached because that's where the "eyes" are. However I remember reading once that you can grow healthy tubers with no stem, just plant them horizontally and wait. I've never tried this, but I suspect it will work - I have on occasion found a dahlia growing where I've attempted to dig up a plant but obviously not got all of it out.

If you try it, please let us know how you get on!

[rary]

If I am growing dahlias from seed I just let them grow as they want, and yes they are good plants for growing in pots, what I do is once they are blackened with frost I remove all the dead foliage and put the pots in the hut, the soil helps protect the tubers from frost, I will be bringing them into the greenhouse to start them off in another week or so, there can be frost here into June so don't want them too early, dahlias flower stems generally grow with three flower buds of which you remove the two smaller buds if growing for show, and always nip off one at a time to avoid removing the lot, if you just want to grow for colour they can be planted about 6ins. deep which will protect them from all but the severest frost and left in the ground

[sparrow100]

If you try it, please let us know how you get on!

Will do! The Sarah Raven tubers arrived this morning. Very exciting!

[MagpieKnitter]

Sorry I'm a little late to the party, but me and my family have been keeping dahlias for years, so thought i'd chip in.

Tuber bits -having tried with a few broken bits over the years, is they will only shoot of the main stem is attached, this can be as small as in a stem cutting, but without it they don't seem to shoot. I got told this by various people, but didn't listen tried various ways, and then conceded they seemed to be right.

For cuttings - its another of those horticulture contradictions, they need humidity to take, but suffer from being kept too moist.
I normally find cracking them open during the day helps, but don't let any foliage touch anything or they will just keel over. But providing the are kept humid but not moist they are pretty quick and easy to root.
My uncle , has a lot of success with cuttings, insists on 1 cutting per pot. I used the poundland single pot propagators last year, 1 cutting per pot which worked, any more than that, they'd touch the sides or each other and spontaneously turn to mush :-/
The uncle on the other side of the family takes non flowering side shoots and roots them in water, like you can with a tomato side shoots. Like tubers, they need a little bit of stem. I can't get the knack of this but he does it successfully.
My granddad just used to cut them into quarters through the stem

For pruning - I use mine for cutting so want the maximum number of flowers, i top them out at 3-5 leaves then every 2-3 weeks (about another 3-5 nodes) to get as many stems as possible -. Always cut above a leaf node on a slant.
Once flowers start to set I dis-bud over most of summer (remove the 2 side flower shoots to promote bigger blooms), although some varieties i don't as the individual flower stems are long enough to use individually and they often flower successionly anyway, so just dead head in the vase.
Done this way dahlias need a little extra spacing (about half again) otherwise they suffer disease readily.
My granddad and cousin only take the tops out at about 3ft as they are just garden growers. My uncle somewhere in between having seen mine. All flower prolifically. Mine are bigger, bushier plants, but they are going over by October and theirs often go to the first frosts.

Container planting and general care - My advice is always treat them like tomatoes. They require a similar size pot, don't suffer drought well, are heavy feeders and sun worshippers. So plant them in a good size pot, and be prepared to water water water and feed! Mulch is a good idea. They will need support, i tend to go for 4 stakes around the edges, angled slightly out, nice and deep, about 3ft tall and tie string between them. Put them in at the same time as the tubers to avoid damaging the roots later.

Hope this helps

[sparrow100]

Thanks - that info is brilliant. One of the 3 Sarah Raven tubers was in bits too. Am not having much luck with dahlias it seems! Will send them the photos and see what happens. They were so carefully packed too.

[bramble]

Just caught this post now. I have been growing Dahlias for several years. I have a mix of varieties. Some bought
tubers and others grown from seeds. I also save my seeds from year to year. I love the fact that with saved seed you never know what type of flower you end up with
There is a hugh selection of dahlia seeds on the market. These are mostly bedding dahlia but you can never be sure what you might end up with and for me thats the attracrion of growing dahlias.

[MagpieKnitter]

sparrow - Sarah raven are pretty good, should replace it for you, what did you order?

[sparrow100]

I went for City of Leiden, Dark Butterfly (which is the broken one) and Ripples from Sarah Raven. And Eveline 2 from Suttons.

I can definitely understand why people go bonkers over dahlias. I used to think they were just the pompoms, but the variety is amazing. I'd also like April Heather and Creme de Cassis and I'm currently drooling over Jack Gott's website.

[sparrow100]

Personally I only try to grow tubers that have a bit of the old stem attached because that's where the "eyes" are. However I remember reading once that you can grow healthy tubers with no stem, just plant them horizontally and wait. I've never tried this, but I suspect it will work - I have on occasion found a dahlia growing where I've attempted to dig up a plant but obviously not got all of it out.

If you try it, please let us know how you get on!

PS I will definitely try this - got nothing to lose after all! Thanks for the tip.

[burnie]

I bought some bedding Dahlias last year to top up some large pots that have Alliums in, left them in the pots in the greenhouse over winter. Just lifted a few and found nice tubers, so they are in their own pots in the g/h to see if I can get them going, look a bit small for taking cuttings, maybe go for that next year.

[MagpieKnitter]

Oooh nice combo, Dark butterfly is (i think) a lighter variant of Jescot Julie, which is my absolute favorite. She is just so beautiful, and as the petals twist and move with wind and light you get a wonderful flush of the reverse colour. Last year i had 8 on my tiny balcony, which was, i hate to say, too many. This year a strict 3 with the rest down the allotment. Julie (obviously), Arabian night, and Thomas A Edison are the ones that made the cut. Down the allotment are an orange, a purple, and a red pom pom, Purple Haze, Procyon, and Bishop of Llandaff. Here's a pic of my balcony through the door last year.



Even if dark butterfly is broken at least some of it should take, could always do a germination test on the bits in a tray, much like Sarah Raven does for cuttings, then instead of taking cuttings just pot and earth them up like potatoes to give them more stability.

[Guest]

Why, oh why is there a dahlia thread. I have been trying to resist buying tubers as it seems to easy to spend silly amounts of money, but every time someone mentions a variety I have to look. They are all so gorgeous

[sparrow100]

PS Sarah Raven sent out a replacement immediately, which arrived in really good nick 2 days later. Fab service.

[Jonny.D]

Great thread. Will add photos later in the year

[sparrow100]

Why, oh why is there a dahlia thread. I have been trying to resist buying tubers as it seems to easy to spend silly amounts of money, but every time someone mentions a variety I have to look. They are all so gorgeous

I am trying to stop myself buying one of the dark Honkas. They would look so good with all the others...but there just isn't any more space in my cut flower bed!