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Are dahlias really worth the effort?

13

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Are they more drought tolerant in the ground?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Yes, the slugs and snails love the tender shoots.  Drown them in slug pubs.
     I have had bedding dahlias grown as annuals, and Bishops children, grown from seed and selected for the best and the tubers kept from year to year. I also have giant flowered dahlias grown for cutting. They need staking, but the blooms are glorious.

  • SandygardenSandygarden Posts: 119
    Lovely dahlias everyone. My trouble makers have dark leaves and single bright orange flowers, sorry can’t remember the name. They’re getting one more year to prove themselves!
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Bishops children?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • SandygardenSandygarden Posts: 119
    Yes, google pics look similar. They were big plants from a garden centre.
  • Was scrolling through the camera roll to remind me of summer in the garden when I came across pics of the Dahlias I had been moaning about. Time to eat some humble pie and say yes, they are worth the effort!
  • What I learned: the tubers need to be big to give a spectacular show (obvious really) and the garlic spray which failed to protect the hostas worked a treat on keeping the pests off the dahlias. 
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    They are lovely, I would also say "well worth the effort".
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Not much effort once they're big enough to survive slug damage. Definitely worth it - except the ones the size of dinner plates😒
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • @Sandygarden - now those Dahlias are certainly worth the effort.  Mine are not anywhere near so wonderful.  They are a lot of effort, not sure if they are worth it for me.
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