CornishCris, I so agree with you about Dahlias. I absolutely love the open flowered varieties because they are a magnet for bees. Last year I lifted and stored the tubers but they all died. This year I am leaving them in the ground because I cant be bothered with all the hassle of overwintering them. They are high maintenance, attracting pests and needing staking. Next year I am going to buy new tubers but will try and go for the shorter varieties and those that the pests leave alone.
Hello! I am new to GW. Today I lifted 6 dahlia tubers from my pots. They were bought as small bedding plants in May and I am amazed at the size of the tubers. I have washed them and will dry and store. What I want to ask is am I wasting my time as the plants flowered first time then made loads of buds which didn't open. I suspect Thrips or some virus. Will this affect the tubers and the health of the plants next year? They look marvellous so I hope not.
Hello! I am new to GW. Today I lifted 6 dahlia tubers from my pots. They were bought as small bedding plants in May and I am amazed at the size of the tubers. I have washed them and will dry and store. What I want to ask is am I wasting my time as the plants flowered first time then made loads of buds which didn't open. I suspect Thrips or some virus. Will this affect the tubers and the health of the plants next year? They look marvellous so I hope not.
I doubt that it was either-this should not affect the tubers-lack of sun and warmth has been the problem this year-they are not native to this country but originate in Mexico which explains a lot
Thanks Christopher2! I do love dahlias. I grew up in Nottingham and the Arboretum garden had an amazing long border of dahlias, all named and it looked like a huge rainbow. My main problem this year has been the endless rain. Although the dahlias have flowered, now I've lifted the tubers I've discovered quite a lot of rot. I've divided them as best I can and am drying them out before packing. I may just have to invest in more for next year.
Is it safe to split dahlia tubers when you have lifted and dried them? I have one that is very big, I think maybe there are two that have joined together but I don't want to destroy them by splitting them, will it work OK?
Is it safe to split dahlia tubers when you have lifted and dried them? I have one that is very big, I think maybe there are two that have joined together but I don't want to destroy them by splitting them, will it work OK?
You can -but I would leave it until next year when they are started back into growth and you see where the shoots are coming from then just divide them into how many sections you like
I lifted mine today and will allow to slow dry in the green house. As per other years they will then be placed in bags (holes in the top) and labled. I store mine in the cellar where they remain until late march and then divide and plant in pots in the un heated green house. I like the idear of using cat litter, might just try this. I live in Bucks.
I find that some Dahlias are OK outside in winter and others don't survive. Park Princess is still going strong after about 18 years, 3 of them, and I've never dug them up. I have a big cream semi-cactus that comes up every year. It's about 10 years old. Arabian Night I planted in 2006, it was a bit small this year, but it went down to -17° in February, and stayed below freezing for over a week and it snowed. I sowed Bishop's Children and several survived the winter outside. 2 red and white stripey ones were OK too. Bishop of Landaff is not hardy, it always dies in winter and so have several others that I've forgotten the names of over the years. I live in Dordogne so the summers are longer than in the UK and hotter, but the winters are often very cold, -10° is fairly normal, and it can rain a lot.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I lift my dahlias after the first frost (last week), wash and dry them thoroughly. Then they go into a wooden vegi crate (labelled) into the cellar (ca. 10-15°C). In Spring they are completely shrivelled up, but I soak them in a bucket for a few hours and plant out. Haven't lost any yet (touch wood!)
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CornishCris, I so agree with you about Dahlias. I absolutely love the open flowered varieties because they are a magnet for bees. Last year I lifted and stored the tubers but they all died. This year I am leaving them in the ground because I cant be bothered with all the hassle of overwintering them. They are high maintenance, attracting pests and needing staking. Next year I am going to buy new tubers but will try and go for the shorter varieties and those that the pests leave alone.
Hello! I am new to GW. Today I lifted 6 dahlia tubers from my pots. They were bought as small bedding plants in May and I am amazed at the size of the tubers. I have washed them and will dry and store. What I want to ask is am I wasting my time as the plants flowered first time then made loads of buds which didn't open. I suspect Thrips or some virus. Will this affect the tubers and the health of the plants next year? They look marvellous so I hope not.
I doubt that it was either-this should not affect the tubers-lack of sun and warmth has been the problem this year-they are not native to this country but originate in Mexico which explains a lot
Thanks Christopher2! I do love dahlias. I grew up in Nottingham and the Arboretum garden had an amazing long border of dahlias, all named and it looked like a huge rainbow. My main problem this year has been the endless rain. Although the dahlias have flowered, now I've lifted the tubers I've discovered quite a lot of rot. I've divided them as best I can and am drying them out before packing. I may just have to invest in more for next year.
You can -but I would leave it until next year when they are started back into growth and you see where the shoots are coming from then just divide them into how many sections you like
I lifted mine today and will allow to slow dry in the green house. As per other years they will then be placed in bags (holes in the top) and labled. I store mine in the cellar where they remain until late march and then divide and plant in pots in the un heated green house. I like the idear of using cat litter, might just try this. I live in Bucks.
JOHN
I find that some Dahlias are OK outside in winter and others don't survive. Park Princess is still going strong after about 18 years, 3 of them, and I've never dug them up. I have a big cream semi-cactus that comes up every year. It's about 10 years old. Arabian Night I planted in 2006, it was a bit small this year, but it went down to -17° in February, and stayed below freezing for over a week and it snowed. I sowed Bishop's Children and several survived the winter outside. 2 red and white stripey ones were OK too. Bishop of Landaff is not hardy, it always dies in winter and so have several others that I've forgotten the names of over the years. I live in Dordogne so the summers are longer than in the UK and hotter, but the winters are often very cold, -10° is fairly normal, and it can rain a lot.
I lift my dahlias after the first frost (last week), wash and dry them thoroughly. Then they go into a wooden vegi crate (labelled) into the cellar (ca. 10-15°C). In Spring they are completely shrivelled up, but I soak them in a bucket for a few hours and plant out. Haven't lost any yet (touch wood!)