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Deformed dahlia leaves/few flowers
Dirty Harry
Posts: 1,048
Any idea what might be wrong with my dahlia Star Wars?
Very few flowers and the outer leaves are deformed. In the first photo below I cut back some of the outer leaves on the left side to expose the larger ones below. Has barely flowered all summer, that's the most it's had so far.
Third photo is the same plant last year. All my other dahlias are in good health.
I start them all off the same, in plastic pots then plant them out in larger terracotta ones. Only difference was last year it was in a smaller terracotta pot for a while before being put into the larger one shown in the last photo. This year I put it straight into a large pot.
I did initially wonder if it was a touch big for the pot and it had to grow into it a bit before flowering but then the leaves started to deform as well.
Final photo shows healthy foliage when I planted it up.
Very few flowers and the outer leaves are deformed. In the first photo below I cut back some of the outer leaves on the left side to expose the larger ones below. Has barely flowered all summer, that's the most it's had so far.
Third photo is the same plant last year. All my other dahlias are in good health.
I start them all off the same, in plastic pots then plant them out in larger terracotta ones. Only difference was last year it was in a smaller terracotta pot for a while before being put into the larger one shown in the last photo. This year I put it straight into a large pot.
I did initially wonder if it was a touch big for the pot and it had to grow into it a bit before flowering but then the leaves started to deform as well.
Final photo shows healthy foliage when I planted it up.
0
Posts
Worth taking them out and checking perhaps, or even just pulling them gently. If it's weevil, the roots will be eaten and the plant will come away.
The other thing it looks a bit like is chemical damage. Any weedkiller been sprayed nearby?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Definitely not weed killer, have given the plant a tug and it felt secure enough. Ended up chopping it back a good bit so will be curious to see what the new growth is like in the next few weeks.