General Dahlia Chat 2024

Krista · 2024-01-05T01:50:48+00:00

When do we grow up and stop ordering more tubers than we can possibly fit into the space we have, for the next season? Is that something I can look forward t...

Tamar

Tamar Thanks for your observations/suggestions. I've used most of them w/ the exception of sprinkling to cool. The drought is so prevalent and severe here I haven't seriously considered sprinkling. Sprinkling would raise the humidity as well. What do you all think about growing them in straw bales?

Teddahlia

Raised beds are much better than straw bales.

edewitt

Tamar There should be some services available in your area for some top soil. I found a few around ABQ but it would've been waaay too expensive to deliver out to me. I ended up buying at least 60 bags of the Kelloggs organic soil from Home Depot to mix in with the soil here into my raised beds. I did that over the span of a couple of months.

The monsoon season comes in handy once it rolls in but it didn't come around last year. I hope it returns this year! I'm tired of hand-watering everything and I'm holding out hope I don't have to invest in some sort of watering system. The straw bales tended to crumble away as the season progressed last year when we grew some vegetables.

Tamar

Interesting your bales crumbled. I used my 2 yrs in a row for tomatoes and peppers. My large garden area has a couple of semi dwarf cherry trees and a huckleberry, on the periphery. Their roots completely invade the garden. I've tilled, removed roots in the spring and by fall it's a mass of roots again. My drip system is encouraging root growth. I'm hoping the straw bales will avoid the tree roots.

Dahlia53

Teddahlia I like your criteria; easy to grow and vigorous (but not TOO vigorous in making tangled heavy masses of tubers, like bride to be). I think one reason I love some of the 'oldies' that are still around is that they pass the vigor and easy to grow test. Early bloom time is a bonus. I would love to know people's list of tried-and-true varieties they still love. I know many growers love to try new ones all the time. I'm happy with anything that will grow and make tubers in my wet clay soil.

Dahlia53

Cosey thank you. I never knew whether to throw them out if some skin had peeled off the necks. I'll try drying and planting. Would that apply if the skin has also peeled off where the eyes are? I always tossed them in the past.

Cosey

Dahlia53 Keep them! I've never had a problem. Enjoy your increased tuber yields. ❤️

Dahlia53

@"Krista"#p7982_ Is Fawn a reliable grower and does is make good tubers. I used to grow a WL i loved, Carolina Wagemans, but it was not a good tuber maker. thanks in advance.

Krista

Dahlia53 I only grew one plant last year but, yes! it was floriferous with a nice, upright growth habit. End of season I was rewarded with 10 very nicely sized (not too big, not too small), easy to divide tubers.

Dahlia53

Teddahlia well now you have the rest of us who love poms, curious! Will try not to beg, though. 😉

Teddahlia

Old picture of Hollyhill Lavender Blu. Hope it makes lots of cuttings.

calico20hill

Teddahlia I grew those back when! They were amazing!

AKWindWatcher

Teddahlia you finally got it back?!? YAY!!!!! I’m so glad!

Dahlia53

Teddahlia Ted, I am in love with Hollyhill Lavender Blu! Gorgeous color and form. Still learning about what cuts well. The semi cactus do not last as long as the cactus, which have a lot more petals. And size A in my windy garden is not practical for cutting; they just don't hold up. What size is this one? Thanks.

MissyWeitzel

I never thought I'd say this, but our West Michigan dahlia society had an awesome zoom meeting last night. Dr. Alex and Zach who are working on the genome project gave a very exciting update. It sounds like they're doing the rounds of society zoom meetings, so if you get the chance to listen in on one, I encourage you to.

If that was not enough excitement for one evening, at our business portion of the meeting after, everyone voted 'yea' for hosting the national show in 2026! It's not all finalized yet but should be soon. I'm especially excited because I unknowingly joined the wmds a few months after they hosted nationals in 2019 and thought I'd never see it back here. I don't think I'll be at Wenatchee this year, but I hope to meet some of you in person at Chicago in 2025 and Grand Rapids in 2026. 😊

Juliarugula

MissyWeitzel but I hope to meet some of you in person at Chicago in 2025 and Grand Rapids in 2026. 😊

Oh yay! That’s so exciting! I didn’t know Chicago was planning to host in 2025 either. So happy I’ll get to go, and twice in a row at that!

MIDahlias

MissyWeitzel it was an excellent presentation. It still is unrealistic to me what science is capable of. I feel like this should be sci-fi or futuristic stuff.

janell

MissyWeitzel that is fantastic news! I can already dream up the carload of dahlia enthusiasts I’d love to pick up on my way to Grand Rapids! ❤️

calico20hill

I am pretty sure we won't make it to Chicago but I actually have my husband interested in going to Wenatchee. I told him about all the fun tours that he would enjoy and we have not spent much/any time in the Wenatchee area so he will enjoy that. Now that he has better hearing aids I think he will enjoy meeting new people too. He is actually getting a little bit interested in dahlias , LOL...after spending a lifetime calling them "your weeds". I think he sees the social advantage of having other people to visit with....that might even share an interest with him in electronics or aerospace. I have (Gasp!) caught him reading Dahlia of Today when he did not now I was looking. If we had more dedicated dahlia space I would give him a packet of seeds and show him how to plant them...I'm pretty sure he would be hooked and then I wouldn't be able to get in a word edgewise😜

KitCMC

janell I was just thinking it would be so much fun to start driving and pick forum members up along the way 😂

blown_dry

KitCMC That sounds like a blast. 🙂

janell

KitCMC a progressive dinner, with courses set in each passenger’s garden, is tentatively planned 🤩

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