Hi Lyn I find named varieties produce differing sizes of tuber. Nuit de Ete., summer nights, makes a much larger tuber than say Bishop of Llandaff. When I've grown from seed I find tubers small and difficult to over winter. I recall a poster advising me to over winter those ones potted up.
Bilje, you are right. Some Dahlias do not produce very large tubers and they are best over wintered in pots. I tend to grow them in pots for a few years, as this will often make better tubers.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
One of my favourite dahlias is Scura. It hardly looks like a dahlia as it has tiny flowers, and dark foliage and it sprawls about at the very front of the border . The little soft orange flowers pop up in unexpected places amongst the other plants and it is a 'really good doer'. It makes surprisingly large tubers and these separate easily so I now have lots of plants.
Ah a new one on me Buttercup....I'll make a note of it. Funny how you accidentally gain plants as one offs then it starts a theme. I'm a bright pink purple lass. Last year I bought a pay postage only mix from a newspaper. One of them was a dark,apricot orange, can't remember it's name and it's chucking it down so I'm not venturing out..... This year I had two tubers of it and they flowered really well and look good against my beech hedge. This year I bought and orange flowered geum. So I decided on an orange mini border with Californian poppies so your suggestion will fit in I think. As ever the problem is I have no space !!
Thanks - yes the seeds came up well much better than I expected so was a little upset to then lose them all, but thats gardening lose some win some, always next year for it to be better. Liking sound of your suggestions, anyone recommend an online site? Or should I just go to my fav garden centre where can check quality of tubers before I buy? Also do they need more feeding? Never made a hot coloured border think might try that too - fun to mix it up abit.
I've bought mine from a variety of sources, supermarkets such as Wilko, I find them fine as I buy as soon as they are in the shops, also my local garden centre. . I have bought online, Crocus I think. There seems to be wide variations in prices.
I pot up my tubers in March and juggle them around, dinning room! cold greenhouse and cold frame. I plant out April ish as I run out of space. I keep fleece hand in case of frosts, I'm in NE England. I sprinkle Blood Fish and Bone before planting Once growing well they are kept well watered and fed with Tomato fertiliser. I stop at the end of October....mine are still flowering but has lost their umphh. Will lift them soon.
Thanks Bilje, great tips, think I'm going to have to start a new garden notebook haven't had one of those since I first started gardening but never going to remember it all if I don't write it all somewhere, so glad I strayed across forum last wk gleaned lots of great ideas for my garden plans.
Thanks too to punkdoc, will enjoy hunting down some good ones to try, roll on the spring. Though not short of gardening jobs yet jst the less exciting stuff of tidying it all up for the winter.
Thank you everyone for your response and good advice from all. I have found for storage kindling wood or log nets are good, or newspaper. Unfortunately my tubers have to be brought into the house over winter and usually end up in the bottom of a wardrobe or spare drawer. As advised will split in spring
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Bilje, you are right. Some Dahlias do not produce very large tubers and they are best over wintered in pots. I tend to grow them in pots for a few years, as this will often make better tubers.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
One of my favourite dahlias is Scura. It hardly looks like a dahlia as it has tiny flowers, and dark foliage and it sprawls about at the very front of the border . The little soft orange flowers pop up in unexpected places amongst the other plants and it is a 'really good doer'. It makes surprisingly large tubers and these separate easily so I now have lots of plants.
I pot up my tubers in March and juggle them around, dinning room! cold greenhouse and cold frame. I plant out April ish as I run out of space. I keep fleece hand in case of frosts, I'm in NE England. I sprinkle Blood Fish and Bone before planting Once growing well they are kept well watered and fed with Tomato fertiliser. I stop at the end of October....mine are still flowering but has lost their umphh. Will lift them soon.
Rose Cottage Plants are very good for Dahlias. have bought from them for a number of years.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Thanks too to punkdoc, will enjoy hunting down some good ones to try, roll on the spring. Though not short of gardening jobs yet jst the less exciting stuff of tidying it all up for the winter.
Thanks one n all
Thank you everyone for your response and good advice from all. I have found for storage kindling wood or log nets are good, or newspaper. Unfortunately my tubers have to be brought into the house over winter and usually end up in the bottom of a wardrobe or spare drawer. As advised will split in spring
Bilje, Ellen Huston is a good orange one with dark leaves and not too tall either.