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LEGGY DAHLIAS
Eyepad
Posts: 5
I grew various types of dahlias in pots last year and they were fine. After storing the tubers over winter I repotted them in March this year, started them off in an unheated greenhouse, and moved outside once shoots were around 9" tall - they are about to flower but all are very 'leggy; having grown much taller than last year.. Have I done something wrong ( started too early ?), should I have split the tubers to make them smaller, or could it be because of temperature
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Same with mine but I have put the pots in among other plants and I think the dahlias are fighting for the light! But they are flowering beautifully so I am not worried!
If they are very leggy I would stake them well. If they have no flowers yet you could prune off the tops to make them branch better.
Thanks everyone for the feedback - is there any particular way of pinching / pruning the tops or do I just cut off wherever I want to
Verduns right, they flower right through till first frosts, so plenty of time for more buds to come and they will be stronger plants for it too.
I left all my dahlias in the ground last winter and they have survived well. The only problem was that they are underplanted with daffs. and while the latter's foliage was dying down the whole bed became a mass of weed and dying foliage. Eventuallu I got in among it to clear it out and it is now fine. I have then mulched it with spent MPC... looks very neat. Other risk was slugs and snails chomping on the emerging dahlias down among the daffs/weeds, so had no choice but to broadcast pellets.
I used to store tubers and then pot them up as soon as buds started to show. They were stood outside in a sunny spot straight away, usually March/April ( if frost threatened I moved them overnight to shelter). So I grew them hard from the off, and I think this avoids legginess. A few dahlias which I grow in large pots, and which I am forcing to gain a head start for showing them at the local Show, are definitely taller but are strong and flowering well. Growing them on indoors seems to be the risk for legginess.
Hope this helps.
Have just been out to have another look and those in pots that spent some time in the GH are a bit leggy. Pinching out earlier and bringing outside earlier should help me next year. This Spring has been sunny and mild and the GH has been too warm at times perhaps?
Thanks a bunch for all the input - going to pinch and stake the dahlias today. First time I've used this forum - So grateful for the speedy and helpful replies.