Dahlias can remain in the ground. Think about it. In the natural world. Does someone come along and dig rootsocks up? A tip or two. So you decide to leave the tubers in th ground. No problem. Let the foliage die down and finally cut off above soil level. Now as winter creeps on. A liberal layer of straw etc can protect the tubers from frost and freezing conditions, Even a large flower pot upturned will do.
A liberal layer of straw, especially with a flower pot over, makes a very warm, snug home for the rodents to live and eat the breakfast in bed dahlia tubers so helpfully provided.
Which reminds me - if you have a surfeit of dahlias in your garden, you should probably eat the excess
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Every winter when I abandon My dahlias to the ravages thereof I feel as if I am letting my dad down. He religiously used to lift them etc. But to be fair his garden was small compared to mine. And you can't be perfect in every respect.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I've successfully speared right through my first Dahlia tuber of the season! One very big disadvantage to leaving them in the soil over winter
Not too concerned as I've had problems with aphids on Dahlias the last couple of years so I'm phasing them out of my garden. I had to do the same with Lillys due to red beetles.
Hmm. I grow all mine in pots so I can just stick them in the garage over the winter. Otherwise, one hard frost and you lose your entire stock. I have enough trouble protecting them from slugs.
They're still in the garage but seeing Grant6's impressive photo makes me think I should probably get them out now!
Dahlias can remain in the ground. Think about it. In the natural world. Does someone come along and dig rootsocks up?...
In the natural world, does someone put tomatoes and squashes in a protected environment while they are small and then plant them out? No of course they don't ... because tomatoes and squashes originate from a different climate to that of the UK.
To say it's ok to leave dahlias in the ground over winter in every garden in the UK is just as daft as to suggest that potatoes will be fine left in the garden all winter and we can just go out and dig them up as and when we need them, Christmas Day included.
There are some areas of the UK where dahlias are fine outside for nine winters out of ten, but in rural gardens where temperatures can drop and the ground can be claggy, cold and wet, dahlias are best off lifted and protected.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
hogweed, not that big, I would say a diameter of about 30cm, Teracotta (so they get thin pretty quickly). They usually do well enough in there but do need watering every day that it doesn't rain. By 'well' I mean they're often flowering until the first frost and they tend not to get too tall (50-60cms tops) which I prefer. I think. I definitely prefer that the slugs don't attack them as much in pots!
Ideally (£££) I would have a few in slightly bigger pots to make the display a little more attractive. And it may be worth noting that sometimes the roots do escape the hole at the bottom of the pot so may outperform one placed on a patio (but this does help stabilise the pot too).
I've experimented with homemade drip feeders for my [greenhouse] tomatoes for the last two years and that's very successful, so I wonder if this could work well for Dahlia's in pots (probably not homemade ones if they're on display though!).
You have made me think. I rather over bought on the dahlia front this year by buying 9 so pots would be an alternative for me. None of the ones I have bought are too tall. Just have to get over my laziness on watering pots every day!
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Posts
Thanks for the Dahlia recommendations Chloe - I will look out for them next year.
Yours dahlias look healthy Grant - will you have room for them all - what type are they?
In the natural world dahlias wouldn't grow here.
A liberal layer of straw, especially with a flower pot over, makes a very warm, snug home for the rodents to live and eat the breakfast in bed dahlia tubers so helpfully provided.
Which reminds me - if you have a surfeit of dahlias in your garden, you should probably eat the excess
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Every winter when I abandon My dahlias to the ravages thereof I feel as if I am letting my dad down. He religiously used to lift them etc. But to be fair his garden was small compared to mine. And you can't be perfect in every respect.
I've successfully speared right through my first Dahlia tuber of the season! One very big disadvantage to leaving them in the soil over winter
Not too concerned as I've had problems with aphids on Dahlias the last couple of years so I'm phasing them out of my garden. I had to do the same with Lillys due to red beetles.
Hmm. I grow all mine in pots so I can just stick them in the garage over the winter. Otherwise, one hard frost and you lose your entire stock. I have enough trouble protecting them from slugs.
They're still in the garage but seeing Grant6's impressive photo makes me think I should probably get them out now!
What size of pot do you use bob ?
In the natural world, does someone put tomatoes and squashes in a protected environment while they are small and then plant them out? No of course they don't ... because tomatoes and squashes originate from a different climate to that of the UK.
To say it's ok to leave dahlias in the ground over winter in every garden in the UK is just as daft as to suggest that potatoes will be fine left in the garden all winter and we can just go out and dig them up as and when we need them, Christmas Day included.
There are some areas of the UK where dahlias are fine outside for nine winters out of ten, but in rural gardens where temperatures can drop and the ground can be claggy, cold and wet, dahlias are best off lifted and protected.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
hogweed, not that big, I would say a diameter of about 30cm, Teracotta (so they get thin pretty quickly). They usually do well enough in there but do need watering every day that it doesn't rain. By 'well' I mean they're often flowering until the first frost and they tend not to get too tall (50-60cms tops) which I prefer. I think. I definitely prefer that the slugs don't attack them as much in pots!
Ideally (£££) I would have a few in slightly bigger pots to make the display a little more attractive. And it may be worth noting that sometimes the roots do escape the hole at the bottom of the pot so may outperform one placed on a patio (but this does help stabilise the pot too).
I've experimented with homemade drip feeders for my [greenhouse] tomatoes for the last two years and that's very successful, so I wonder if this could work well for Dahlia's in pots (probably not homemade ones if they're on display though!).
Bob,
You have made me think. I rather over bought on the dahlia front this year by buying 9 so pots would be an alternative for me. None of the ones I have bought are too tall. Just have to get over my laziness on watering pots every day!