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Dahlia Issues
Hi,
Please could anyone give any advice as to why a few of my dahlias are looking quite sickly (pale, yellow in places). They have been treated the same as all the others. They all started off well but since pinching them out (a while ago) and planting them out two have just done poorly. Here is a dahlia border and you can see the pale sickly one with red circle. The one in the green circle is the exact same variety:
Please could anyone give any advice as to why a few of my dahlias are looking quite sickly (pale, yellow in places). They have been treated the same as all the others. They all started off well but since pinching them out (a while ago) and planting them out two have just done poorly. Here is a dahlia border and you can see the pale sickly one with red circle. The one in the green circle is the exact same variety:
Here’s a close up of the unhealthy one:
Planted right next to the same variety (Black Jack) treated the exact same way:
One of my Franz Kafkas was fully hardened off in a pot with immaculate growth. I then pinched them out and it just looks awful now:
Pinched it out weeks ago and it has gained no height and no idea how it has managed to produce a bud. It’s also right next to one that is now three times its height and healthy.
Anyone had this issue with a few of their dahlias doing this? I water them well twice a week with a tomato feed. I water more often if they look like they need it. Thanks
Anyone had this issue with a few of their dahlias doing this? I water them well twice a week with a tomato feed. I water more often if they look like they need it. Thanks
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They're very close to that wall though - is that where they normally are? It'll be much drier there.
They need good, rich soil, and although they need plenty of food, they shouldn't be needing it at that stage. Plenty of organic matter for the soil, and a little slow release food, is better when they're planted out, or when they start growing if they've been left in the ground. Save the extra food for later on when they're budding/flowering.
I never pinch mine out either.
Mine are all in containers and have a slow release food when planted, and I don't use tomato food until they've used that up - much later in the season.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I pot quite a few and invariably every year there are one or two of the newer/smaller plants that seem to be going ok initially then 'stall'. A wee feel usually finds some mush in places.