General Dahlia Chat 2023

blown_dry · 2023-02-04T23:41:17+00:00

Continuing from https://cubits.org/Dahlias/thread/view/91587/?offset=560#end_of_thread

Juliarugula

So, question for more experienced growers.

What is up with these tubers that have the starts of a sprout (more than just a swollen eye) but just sit there and don’t do anything? I have a handful of these. I planted at the beginning of May and have been rooting around checking on tubers that haven’t popped up yet and a few look exactly the same as they did when I planted them 3-4 weeks ago. Tiny start of a sprout, nothing more. When should I give up on these? A couple were really highly desired varieties, so I’m loath to discard them, but maybe I should at this point? Any suggestions? The weather has been pretty wonky this spring, so I guess that could be part of it?

Bessie

Juliarugula I don't give up easily. Two days ago I decided to experiment based on a scientific article that indicated
potato tubers overcame dormancy to sprout. I mixed up a solution of 1% sucrose and .5% ethanol and sprayed it on all the tubers that never sprouted and on tubers with small sprouts that failed to grow. It's too early to tell if it will work. I can help anyone that needs the math for mixing up a solution.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7703028_Ethanol_breaks_dormancy_of_the_potato_tuber_apical_bud

SteveM

Juliarugula What is up with these tubers that have the starts of a sprout (more than just a swollen eye) but just sit there and don’t do anything? I have a handful of these.

I have had a few of those this year. Many vendors will "pre-sprout" their tubers before they ship (to verify they are shipping viable tubers). In my case I planted these tubers in pots with soil that was colder than the temps they were pre-sprouted in. They didn't continue to sprout, it was as if they were forced into a second dormancy. Once the potting soil temps warmed up the tubers started growing (sprouting) again. These took forever to sprout but are fine now. I don't know if this relates to your circumstance but you might check the soil temp at your tuber level.

Juliarugula

Bessie

Interesting! Maybe I’ll try this on a couple and see what happens.

Teddahlia

Tubers that come from a clump that was infected by crown gall generally never sprout. In the clump, one of the tubers may have had the tumor that indicates the gall infection and it sends a chemical to the entire clump. A grower may discard the one tuber and send out the others that are doomed to never sprout but look really good. Perhaps Bessie's chemical concoction would work. Doubtful if crown gall is involved. I always enjoy being the bearer of bad news. 😫
Actually, I hope it is not crown gall and they are just lazy tubers. On a lighter note, I do not wait for the split tuber to to heal over when I split one just before planting. I enjoy getting extra plants from the split tubers. Perhaps this information is too upbeat when we are talking about the exact opposite situation, tubers that have no growing sprouts despite nice looking eyes.

Juliarugula

Teddahlia tubers that have no growing sprouts despite nice looking eyes.

The tubers I’m talking about really have more than just nice looking eyes - they’re at that stage where the white sprout is just poking out, but no more than say 1/16”.

I’ve certainly considered the possibility of crown gall with a few sluggish tubers this year that didn’t eye up at all (now discarded), but I’m not really as suspicious with these. Partly because they did sprout, but even more so, because the two most maddening ones were direct from long time hybridizers both of whom I’d be shocked to find had sent a tuber from a clump with gall. I suppose the gall could have just not shown up at all on the clump yet, but…

Teddahlia

HH Electra requires more heat than most to sprout. Kenora Clyde sprouts really slowly as the sprouts have such a large diameter. Small tubers with small sprouts seem to sprout first but take longer to make a full sized plant.

Juliarugula

SteveM . I don't know if this relates to your circumstance but you might check the soil temp at your tuber level.

Hopefully, if that was the case, the last week should have kicked them into gear since we were in the 90s. Before that, it was a fairly cool spring. Like I said, the weather has been wonky.

Cosey

MissyWeitzel Anyway, you all probably knew this, but in case you didn't and your boron levels are low, as mine are, I was informed the easiest way to add some is to broadcast Borax powder from the laundry aisle.

You'll want to mix borax with sand and put it in a large holed cheese shaker. I taped off half the holes and sparingly 'seasoned' the growing rows where I saw boron deficiency. I would not amend until deficiency symptoms presented themselves.

Bessie

Some info on boron deficiency in potatoes(close enough to dahlias?). I had no clue what a boron deficiency might look like. Interesting that tubers get some deformity with this deficiency.
https://www.yara.us/crop-nutrition/potato/nutrient-deficiencies-in-potatoes/boron-deficiency-potatoes/

NCDahlia

its so hot here. the sprouts are struggling, getting burned pushing through the dirt. I was 2 weeks late planting because all the rain. will have to put slug bait down again. have a few with 2nd leaves that melted off from the heat at 11 am when i checked. ground temp is hot to the hand cant imagine how dahlia leaves felt

Bessie

NCDahlia I tried to think what I would do in your situation.... I like to think outside the box. I thought what is needed is shade cover. Do you think these mini cocktail umbrellas that are 6" x 6" could provide individual shade to the sprouting Dahlias? Crazy idea, I know.

AndreaB

I’ve never shipped a cutting before, much less a plant, but I took the leap and jumped in with both feet! We had an extra Clearview Del Sol with nowhere to go and also knew someone that really wanted one. Initially I thought I would would just cut off the growth and send the tuber in moist soil. Figured it would grow a new sprout if it was “broken”.
When it came time to ship, I couldn’t bring myself to cut that beautiful growth! So I decided to leave it and let the recipient cut it. I did tear a couple of the largest leaves off to help it maintain moisture. At least it would have a fresh cut when planted.
I packed the tuber in a plastic bag with moist soil around it and twist tied it around the stalk. Then I wrapped the plant with a moist paper towel and placed the entire thing inside another plastic bag. Placed into the box and filled all of the air space with crumpled tissue until there was no movement when shaken.
I’m beyond impressed with its condition upon arrival. 😊 Other than some minor curves from being in a box for 2 days, I think it did quite well. Here are before and after pics.

blown_dry

Thought I would share an actual pic of a dahlia plant for once. This is a plant of Kilburn Glow that was left in the ground and should bloom in June. I should trim off some of the stalks. The plant in the upper left is HH Margarita which is too large of a variety to bloom for me so early even when overwintered that way.

NCDahlia

had some gophers eat my new tubers and that was the only 1 i had lol. Sad. I hate gophers. was wondering why they never sprouted. annoying to pay $80 and they eat 4 of them. they also got half of my hh pdx sunset but I was smart enough to get a cutting off that one which is doing fine. why i want to do what the british do and take cuttings and plant that way.

Bessie

NCDahlia I'm so sorry, I had the same thing happen last year! Mad, sad, frustrated doesn't begin to describe losing plants to gophers. Last year I had several varieties taken out by gophers. This year, I have dahlias planted in the ground only in containers, mostly 1 gallon size. Drip irrigation is supplied to each in ground pot. I know they will not do as well as being directly in ground, but at least I'll have genetic material for the next year and some flowers for hybridizing. On a happy note, I had one big dahlia tuber over 1/3 eaten by gophers. I pulled it up, stored it over winter, and this spring after planting, there was an amazing number of healthy sprouts on it. If your tubers have any crown left, with maybe some eyes, pot them up and they will likely grow.

Teddahlia

The ADS has finally recognized that dahlia cut flower varieties are important and have formed a committee of four people to do some work on the hybridizing of dahlia cut flowers.
Kristine Albrecht - Santa Cruz Dahlias
Rich Gibson - 20th Ave Dahlias
LeeAnn Huber - Coseytown Dahlias
Wayne Lobaugh - Lobaugh Dahlias
They call it a hybridizing panel. I call it a giant first step towards supporting dahlias as cut flowers. I hope they do not get too hung up on all the good and bad characteristics of dahlia cut flowers. Show flowers must be bred to fit into specific forms. Cut flowers are more customer oriented and the major criteria should be that customers want to buy them and that growers can grow them without too many issues. Breeding them sounds easy but in reality it is difficult. I have noticed the we have bred some excellent cut flowers over the years and it takes several years for them to become popular with growers. I almost quit growing some of the varieties and all of sudden the cut flower sellers "discover"' the variety and obviously we are sold out in a few minutes.

Bessie

Teddahlia good news. Is there any more details on "do the work of hybridizing"? Does that mean they will set standards of excellence, since they are already hybridizing for cut flowers? Do you know how and where the results of the panel will be communicated?
On a side note, I really appreciate how your website listed a "cut flower rating" in the information about your Hollyhill releases. I found that information valuable as I tried to pick varieties to grow for cut flowers.

Teddahlia

You know as much as I do about the panel. My concern is that they will spend too much time defining good cut flower characteristics. Will this result in cut flower trial gardens? Or will commercial growers of cut flowers take on the task of evaluating the new varieties while they grow them in their cut flower fields? Will there be cut flower prizes and awards? Medals for the best cut flowers? Since this has been so long in happening, perhaps an inventory of existing good cut flowers needs to be done and then they can be evaluated by growers and customers in some way. When good existing cut flower varieties are identified, new varieties can be compared to them.

Bessie

Teddahlia what a beautiful flower. Do you think you will start doing vase tests on some of your potential "cut flowers"?

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