Leaf Problems

peterpies

2nd growing from tubers for me. The tubers was stored over winter before planting in the house in pots, then planting outside. Although I planted out, 2 weeks before the last possible frost date for my area, no frost happened.

Can anyone help with leave damage?

The first has patches on all leaves and stems. All 3 plants divided from the same tuber showing same syptoms. No other Dahlias do.

The second, a couple of plants have black patches on a few leaves, at the tips or sides only,

Bessie

peterpies I agree with @Juliarugula that the second photo looks like possible sun scald. The first photo, with the speckles in the leaves could be potassium deficiency. See the photos on this webpage
https://www.yara.co.uk/crop-nutrition/sweet-pepper/nutrient-deficiencies-pepper/potassium-deficiency-pepper/

Juliarugula

To me they both look like the plants just weren’t hardened off enough before planting. The second picture looks like leaf burn from the sun. The first pic, maybe damage from getting blown around by the wind (it’s a little hard to tell from the photo but that’s my guess)? They should grow out of both of them.

It’s best to gradually introduce plants to the great outdoors to avoid this (2 hours the first day, 4 the next day, 6-8 the next day, gradually increasing the amount of direct sun), but yours doesn’t look too rough - it should recover fine.

peterpies

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense what with happened.

They was outside for a week in pots during the day and placed inside a shed during the night.

When they was planted out the 2nd week, we had 3 storms, with strong winds. I lost 2 stems at the roots, because of not supporting with canes. And many broken/damaged leaves.

Hopefully it's nothing serious and they will recover. I'm from the UK and have learned not too plant out until 1st May, to avoid the last of the spring storms we seem to get in April.

Teddahlia

Please change title from Leave problems to Leaf problems. Much of what can be known from examining leaves is like reading tea leaves for your fortune. I could not resist saying that. Yes, sometimes the leaves give you information.

blown_dry

I think we should leave the leave problems. 🙂 But I agree with Ted. While it may be possible to read specific problems from leaf appearance, probably at best you can see a problem, but not know the cause. A certain leaf appearance might indicate a lack of nitrogen, but even if we are sure, the causes of that can be very different. It could mean the plant has been overwatered, underwatered, that its roots are diseased, that the pH of the soil is wrong, that the soil is too cold, on and on.

peterpies

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry about the thread title, I seem to be developing a form of dyslexia as I age. Even though I proof read before posting, I still post blunders....

The problem coincided with me moving from indoor to outdoor. All new leave grow is not showing any of the same symptoms.

Teddahlia

Transplant shock is sort of related. Inside, less light; outside lots of light. Keep growing them and see if they are healthy.

peterpies

Yes, they seem healthy.

Except they don't attract bees for some reason. Yet they are a mass of flowers now.

Teddahlia

Bees like over ripe flowers.

peterpies

How do you get over ripe flowers?

Teddahlia

Do not pick them.

peterpies

Ah, ok. I don't pick them, until they need 'dead heading' anyway.

I haven't done anything different since last year, they look the same etc, but the bees won't come near them. When last year they did. It's the main reason I grow them, to watch wild life. So it's super frustrating.

Teddahlia

The person who had the honey bees moved. In our garden, there are a lot of bumble bees and tiny sweat bees. The giant bee in our garden is my wife Margaret when she is hand pollinating.

peterpies

Bees in my garden, but they don't touch the dahlias.

Shame, will most likely compost the plants soon then, give up on dahlias and plant something else.

Dahlia53

peterpies if you want to try an experiment to see if the bees are attracted, plant the collarette kinds. 'Pooh'(scarlet and yellow with open centers and accessible pollen) is a big hit with bumblebees. Our wild bee count is way down here, but usually that is covered with bees and i don't cut it because collarettes don't hold up well in bouquets - I grow them just for the bees. This one is 'wheels - though I like Pooh better because it has jaunty yellow on the very tips of the petals. In this picture, Wheels has not yet opened enough to reveal the pollen and the bees like to wait until fully open for awhile to pollinate them.

Teddahlia

Open center types like collarettes need signs posted: Beware of the Bees!" We do not grow those types as they pollute our fully double flowers with their bee spread pollen.