I couldn't really say @Alfie_ because there are so many varieties, and they have differing habits in terms of flowering. It's also still early in the season for many, as August is often the peak time for flowering. You'll get a slight overlap - new ones opening as older ones start to fade. In pots they'll behave slightly differently too. I never grow them in the ground - it's hard enough keeping slugs away in pots I only started growing them again last year, and I really can't remember how they did in the past - it's over 20 years since I grew them. Bear in mind that any plant can be like that - not all buds open at exactly the same time, even if there are lots of them. Foxgloves and buddleias are good examples
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hi to all, looking at this forum seems like quite a common problem, i will take all on board , and hopefully they may just surprise me, thankyou to all
@Fairygirl thanks. Yeh you’re right, they are not fully into their season yet. On that red and white one do you or anyone else have any idea what is nibbling the ends of the petals. Leaves are almost untouched. Every single flower on that one (Little Tiger) has had petals nibbled off at the end:
since the ends of the petals are the only white part it makes for a very different looking dahlia .
Took one inside in bud to let it open indoors as a comparison:
Whatever it is they are only interested in the ends of the flower petals. Weird as have 30 dahlias this year and this is the only one that has damage to the actual flowers themselves.
It's more likely that the damage is done while they're still in bud @Alfie_. The end gets eaten and when the flower opens you get that 'frilly knicker' effect. A right royal PITA. That's still slugs - I get that as well, but earwigs are another popular pest for dahlias, so have a look out for those. The usual solution for them is that 'upturned pot of straw on a cane' thing next to the plant. They go in there to shelter overnight, and you can then remove and dispose of them the following morning. We don't get too many of those here, but at this time of year, and earlier, it's certainly slugs that do the damage.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl you’re absolutely right. I have examined the buds very carefully and they have already been munched mostly 😡 There was also some slime trials on them. Checked all the leaves, top two inches of soil and under/around pot and can’t find a single one! Had lots of these ninja slugs this year. They must come from somewhere else and then leave each time. Thanks for the earwig advice.
They're a constant presence here @Alfie_ and it makes it difficult with many plants. All my large flowered clematis [the Group 2s and 3s] get pruned by them every year. It's becoming almost impossible now, and I'm considering not growing anything except the early ones because of it. Funnily enough, re the buds, I looked at a new dahlia I got this year which is very vigorous, and it had one huge flower in early June, then a couple of slightly smaller ones which have just gone over. Loads of buds ready to come away now though. It's having a rest I think after the humungous flower ! It was so far on when I got the tubers that it was already sprouting and I took a cutting from it which is also big and has a few buds forming. It's further on than the one I've got in the 'suspended in a bath' method that I use to prevent lettuce being eaten
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Well, if it’s any consolation, mine are only just coming into buds now. I’m sure they’ll be open in the next few weeks. The weather has been a bit strange lately though, from really hot to wet and cooler, and so maybe that’s having an effect?
Fairygirl in response to your clematis, mine was a disaster last year, was being chewed to nothing, went out late at night and the culprit was vine weevil, absolutey devastated my plant, was picking off loads , they are awful to get rid of.
I have those as well @shell.p6016FAzlFkGW. One clem in particular is being destroyed on a regular basis, but VWs don't eat the stems - just the flowers. It's slugs or snails that graze the stems or chew the soft new ones. I've been growing various clematis for decades and they've never been so regularly damaged as they have in the last couple of years. V. weevil never used to be such a big problem here either - same as lily beetle, but both are becoming a much bigger pest.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl I was working late last and nipped outside to that dahlia and was horrified to find two and sometimes three small slugs on top of most buds creating more frilly knickers!!! 😡
Posts
In pots they'll behave slightly differently too. I never grow them in the ground - it's hard enough keeping slugs away in pots
I only started growing them again last year, and I really can't remember how they did in the past - it's over 20 years since I grew them.
Bear in mind that any plant can be like that - not all buds open at exactly the same time, even if there are lots of them. Foxgloves and buddleias are good examples
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
since the ends of the petals are the only white part it makes for a very different looking dahlia
Took one inside in bud to let it open indoors as a comparison:
Whatever it is they are only interested in the ends of the flower petals. Weird as have 30 dahlias this year and this is the only one that has damage to the actual flowers themselves.
That's still slugs - I get that as well, but earwigs are another popular pest for dahlias, so have a look out for those.
The usual solution for them is that 'upturned pot of straw on a cane' thing next to the plant. They go in there to shelter overnight, and you can then remove and dispose of them the following morning. We don't get too many of those here, but at this time of year, and earlier, it's certainly slugs that do the damage.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Funnily enough, re the buds, I looked at a new dahlia I got this year which is very vigorous, and it had one huge flower in early June, then a couple of slightly smaller ones which have just gone over. Loads of buds ready to come away now though. It's having a rest I think after the humungous flower ! It was so far on when I got the tubers that it was already sprouting and I took a cutting from it which is also big and has a few buds forming. It's further on than the one I've got in the 'suspended in a bath' method that I use to prevent lettuce being eaten
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've been growing various clematis for decades and they've never been so regularly damaged as they have in the last couple of years. V. weevil never used to be such a big problem here either - same as lily beetle, but both are becoming a much bigger pest.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...