Why didn't I think of bringing the frogspawn in?! My precious slug-eaters will be thinner on the ground this year. Where do you keep them?
All you would need to do is put the containers somewhere protected from the worst of the frost. A shed for example would normally be enough protection. When we had a pond we would often see frogspawn embedded in the ice. We still had masses of tadpoles each year.
Only Bishop of York is showing on the windowsill, the other two aren't at all. If you wish to bring them on sooner, turn up the radiator full notch as well. Probably a good thing they weren't showing in Feb, mine last year became leggy as a result.
I kept the frog spawn in an unheated GH, in buckets and bowls. They’re back out now and swimming about, the stupid things laid in the 1st Feb, then it turned to snow and ice. They wouldn’t have survived. I bought six Crazy Love dahlias for Hosta and I to share from Wilco,they are now about 18” tall. They need repotting again now. Extremely good tubers for a pound each and stated shooting straight away.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I always leave my dahlias in the ground. Have lost the odd one but in the main they are fine. I always cut them down after they have blackened with the frost and cover them in a thick layer of compost. Will just have to see if they have survived the winter this year, it's been colder than most.
Wow! I was in Wilko this week and didn't look at the gardening bit. I will look out for them when I'm there again. At that price, you can afford to experiment.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
I don’t have a Wilco anywhere near to me so I always order on line. I know it’s 4.00 postage but I always make up that by buying other stuff. Today I ordered 8 boxes of suet blocks, cheap and the birds love them, some wilco own tomato feed and a few other bits and pieces.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
One of our neighbours on the allotment always leaves his magnificent dahlias in and has done since he inherited them on his plot 25 years ago. I think he covers them with compost in the winter but otherwise lets them get on with it.
I kept the frog spawn in an unheated GH, in buckets and bowls. They’re back out now and swimming about, the stupid things laid in the 1st Feb, then it turned to snow and ice. They wouldn’t have survived. I bought six Crazy Love dahlias for Hosta and I to share from Wilco,they are now about 18” tall. They need repotting again now. Extremely good tubers for a pound each and stated shooting straight away.
You're right, our frogspawn are dead. Last year there were some alive from the bottom of the pile, insulated by the ones on top, but I think the ice went too deep this year. My unheated poytunnel wouldn't have worked though, because the ice in the water barrel in there was several inches thick. I haven't got a greenhouse. Presumably glass insulates better than polythene. I will try it next year though if bad frosts are forecast.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
My first experience with dahlias was two years ago and it was really sad. I bought a potted 'patio dahlia' in a sale. It had deep orange flowers and looked so beautiful. I potted it on, gave it a feed and it flowered for another three months for me. I fell in love with it. Before the frost I took out the tubers, hung them up to dry and then left them in a dry shed in a tray of sand for the winter. I eagerly potted it up next spring and stuck it in the greenhouse. When nothing happened after several months I had a firtle around and discovered it had all gone squishy I felt so sad as I was really looking forward to seeing those lovely flowers again and I still don't know what I did wrong.
@Thankthecat, my guess is that when you potted it up, either it was overwatered, or the actual compost may have been too wet to start with. I can't see any other reason for it to go "squishy! I don't water mine at all until they've started growing. You see bone dry tubers sprouting in the bags in garden centres . Don't be put off. Give them another go this year.
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I bought six Crazy Love dahlias for Hosta and I to share from Wilco,they are now about 18” tall. They need repotting again now. Extremely good tubers for a pound each and stated shooting straight away.
I don't water mine at all until they've started growing.
You see bone dry tubers sprouting in the bags in garden centres .
Don't be put off. Give them another go this year.