I grow Bishop of Llandaff, David Howard, Moonfire and Pooh. All of which are usually left in the garden and mulched. Admittedly we have not had a proper cold winter for several years but they all usually survive well. ( one Pooh rotted this year).
But, I shall be lifting them all this year, Why?.. because this years late spring and cold weather made their regrowth very slow and by the time they came back up, the snails and slugs were waiting for them.
I lifted a plant of Moonfire (or rather dug in the gap where one had been last year) and found the tuber rooting well but the shoots all eaten off at ground level. next year I shall start them off in pots in a slug free zone and plant them when large enough to look after themselves.
Posts
I grow Bishop of Llandaff, David Howard, Moonfire and Pooh. All of which are usually left in the garden and mulched. Admittedly we have not had a proper cold winter for several years but they all usually survive well. ( one Pooh rotted this year).
But, I shall be lifting them all this year, Why?.. because this years late spring and cold weather made their regrowth very slow and by the time they came back up, the snails and slugs were waiting for them.
I lifted a plant of Moonfire (or rather dug in the gap where one had been last year) and found the tuber rooting well but the shoots all eaten off at ground level. next year I shall start them off in pots in a slug free zone and plant them when large enough to look after themselves.
dahlia merckii is a hardy dahlia can be left in the ground to return to flower the following summer
can put down some chip bark over the ground about 4 inchs thick with none hardy dahlias