Rochester Dahlia Society

Planting Times???

2012-03-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Does the warm winter mean spring will arrive any sooner? Or will Mother Nature play a trick on us and give us a cold snap, delaying the true and safe start to the gardening season?

Despite the fanciest of weather satellites and computer models, we can’t truly know what weather awaits us four, eight or more weeks from now. The only plan of action gardeners can take this time of year is to follow the average path. For the time being, set your gardening dates on schedule with what you’ve done for the last four or five years.

If you are starting dahlia tubers indoors, plan on potting them no earlier than April 1st, about six weeks before you can put them outside.

Online Dahlia Web Sites

2012-02-26T07:28:00.002-08:00

Do you subscribe to any of the online dahlia groups? The group "Dahlias" is addicting as there are lots of pictures posted!

http://www.dahlias.net/dahliagroups.htm

Pot Roots

2012-02-01T06:04:00.001-08:00

Question from a friend: I am ordering dahlia tubers for spring and one place offers “pot roots”. What are they talking about???

Answer: A pot root generally means a dahlia cutting grown in a small pot. It is not a single tuber but rather an undivided clump of very small tubers. You will get many sprouts and can take numerous cuttings from them.

To start your own pot root in the spring, take a rooted cutting and plant it in a 4” pot. Bury the pot up to the rim in your garden and keep it watered. Restrict bloom and plant size during the growing season. Store the resulting clump in or out of the pot, undivided.

ADS 4 Digit Numbering System

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

Confused about all those numbers assigned to each dahlia? Check out the

American Dahlia Society Numbering System. After a while it begins to make sense!

http://www.dahlia.org/uploads/4digit_conversion.pdf

Cold Weather!

2012-01-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

Well, here's my solution for storage this year. Tubers were put away quite dry in lots of wood shavings in CLOSED plastic bags and are stored in styrofoam boxes against a garage wall. Yesterday, (January 1) I started getting nervous about falling temperatures and have sorted through everything. I brought in about a fourth of the bags, my favorites, and will store them at 50 degrees in the house. In March these go outside again. Last year they were all inside and were sprouting by February!

Lots of comments on this subject on Rochester Dahlia Society’s Facebook page. Check us out...

Wish me luck!

Wyn’s Dahlias, background

2011-11-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

It is getting to be time to start thinking about ordering a few new tubers for spring! Some places sell out of popular varieties very quickly. One great place to start is Wyn's Dahlias. Here is a little background on them...

http://www.wynnesdahlias.com/aboutus.htm

In 2007 they won the Derrill Hart Medal for Wyn's Sensation:

Storing Immature Tubers

2011-11-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

Storing small tubers is problematic for everyone. If they are thin skinned, immature tubers, they are difficult to store. Some varieties produce very small tubers that store easily.

If the plant was still growing very fast because of too much fertilizer late in the year, in addition to lots of extra foliage and stems, there will be immature tubers in the tuber clump. Immature tubers are skinny, and have very tender, almost white skin. They do not store well. On the same clump, there will be mature tubers and they will store well. Drying these immature tubers has little to with storage ability.

Cinnamon for storage!

2011-11-14T15:13:00.001-08:00

Have you checked out Dave’s Garden lately? Great site on the internet. Here is another use for cinnamon. The dollar stores usually sell fairly large containers.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/858/

ADS Trial Gardens Results

2011-11-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

The American Dahlia Society sponsors eight public Trial Gardens across North America. The results from the 2011 season are now available.

Pictures of those Medal winning seedlings are available on the public portion of the ADS website, dahlia.org. All of this year’s successful cultivars are listed on the members’ portion of the ADS website. The site also has pictures of many of those entries taken in the various Trial Gardens.

Derrill W. Hart Medals are awarded to the top cultivars that perform best in a number of the gardens.

Hollyhill Valentino (BB C RD)

RDS November Meeting

2011-11-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

We will meet on Saturday, November 12 at 1:00 at the Trinity Reformed Church, 909 Landing Road N., Rochester. We will again be working on and talking about storing our tuber harvest for winter. The workshop will be followed by a slide show of photos from May to October. Come join us!

One More Tool...

2011-11-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

When cutting down dahlias with broomstick sized stalks, you might need to resort to something with more leverage. Try a pair of lopping shears!

Surprise "tuber"

2011-10-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is from Mary, member of the Rochester Dahlia Society:

Dug more dahlias this morning. Pulled up Vassio Meggos and was trying to separate a rotten tuber, when it moved! It was a fat toad, larger than my fist. After my heart stopped racing, I apologized to it, and covered it back up. I don't need any more surprises. I've still got 100 to go.

Join a Dahlia Club!

2011-10-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is a post from Clare, who posts regularly on the Yahoo e-mail list, "Dahlias"

Is everyone in this group a member of a local Dahlia Society, and if not, why not?

I went to my first local Dahlia Society meeting the other night and had such a great time that I decided to join. They had a wonderful chicken dinner, and the tables had gorgeous dahlia centerpieces, grown by the members. Fun to see such fancy blooms in late October. My favorite was "Hollyhill Bewitched," grown by the Prez, and for which she had won a prize.

The meeting was held at the site of a local Dahlia test garden I didn't know about, which is only about 4 blocks away from where I live! Fun. I must take my friends there to enjoy seeing it before the freeze hits tomorrow.

They showed a locally produced video on dahlias that was quite interesting.

I asked around whether anyone would be willing to overwinter my few dahlia tubers. I got two positive responses! I am so pleased. One was from a man who grows 500 dahlias and lives only a short distance from me, which would be so convenient, and it will be so fun to visit his garden next summer. He overwinters his in Saran. Last year he tried wood shavings, and he said that worked equally as well for him as Saran does, but it was only an experiment, and Saran takes up less space.

So I am quite pleased with my Dahlia Society joining experience.

It was interesting to me how many folks I talked to there who say they have no luck overwintering dahlias. I guess it is a common problem in this part of the country. They have tried but end up having to buy all new dahlias in the spring. One man dipped his in wax, but it just caused them to rot, he said.

The other interesting thing was the folks who were complaining, new to the society, who had very few blooms this year. A woman sitting by me at the dinner table said she's bought 22 dahlias and planted them, to see only 3 of them bloom. She was ticked. I'm sure it's the lousy growing season. I felt better about my dahlias when I heard about her experience. The test garden had had quite a few of the dahlias they planted in it fizzle, as well. There were gaps, and some of the dahlias were just tiny little puny sprouts in it, like some of mine. I think they said they had lost 6 or so to rot. The ticked woman commented, "It did my heart good to see that the test garden isn't so spectacular, either!" LOL

I can volunteer to help with the dahlia digging in the test garden. I think that could be helpful.

Clare

__._,_.___

Best Cutting Tools

2011-10-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

At the October meeting of the Rochester Dahlia Society, we demonstrated the process of dividing clumps and discussed storing tubers for the winter. This program will probably be repeated at the November meeting, so try to join us if you are in the area.

These are some of the tools that members were using to prepare the tubers for storage. The red handled scissors are good for trimming feeder roots from the tubers and for getting into tight spaces in the clump. A sharp knife is essential for cutting out the “easy” tubers, close to the top of the clump.

For tougher work, we use regular pruning shears to cut the stems and sometimes divide a clump in half for easier access to the tubers. For really tough jobs, try a PVC pipe cutter! It has a ratchet function to enable you to cut into really heavy dahlia stems and clumps. You can probably buy this at Harbor Freight, or find a more expensive version at Home Depot.

Here is a note taken from Dahlias@yahoo.com.

One of the MOST IMPORTANT tools is a good filet glove, for protection from whatever cutting tool(s) you choose. You should be able to find a filet glove in the fishing section of a good sporting goods store.

Saran Wrap Tuber Storage

2011-10-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Have you experimented with storing your tubers in plastic wrap? Don’t try this with all of them, but why not experiment with a few this fall!

Here's an article on the ADS web site that explains this storage option.

http://www.dahlia.org/index.php?page=saran-wrap-tuber-storage

Also, here are comments from Allen Haas, from the ADS.

”When I use the "plastic wrap" method, I store the tubers in a newspaper lined stryrofoam ice chest/beer cooler. I can get several single deep layers of tubers separated by a couple of sheets of newspapers in each chest. Newspapers are great insulators. I also try to put a min/max or hi/lo thermometer (digital ones at Home Depot for less than $10) in one of the coolers to make sure the tubers are doing fine when the temps dip into the teens. Finally, I put the top of the cooler on loosely.”

More - tuber harvest and storage

2011-10-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here’s one more good article on dealing with your fall dahlia harvest.

Alan Fisher has written an excellent article on storing tubers. It is on the ADS website.

http://www.dahlia.org/index.php?page=tuber-harvest

Cheyenne Chief

Dig Before Frost?

2011-10-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

In some parts of the country, dahlia growers dig before a frost. Cutting the plants down a week before digging seems to have the same effect as a frost - The eyes will swell and dividing is easier.

Alan Fisher, from the ADS, adds another point to take into consideration:

One key factor in timing of digging is giving the plants time to prepare for going dormant. The plants need to get nitrogen out of their systems. (This is the reason we are advised not to fertilize late in the season.) The blooms will start having fewer petals and popping centers fast (to encourage pollen for seeds). The stems will get weak. Reduced solar energy from the lower angle of the sun contributes. Remember that what works in one climate could be different in another climate.

Wyn's Bewitched

Tubers - Dig and Store!

2011-10-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is another tip from the Dahlias e-mail list. The Sohomish County (California) Dahlia Society has a thorough description of how their members dig and store their tubers.

http://www.scdahlias.org/howto/index.cgi?howto=digdivide

ROCHESTER DAHLIA SOCIETY SHOW!

2011-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Rochester Dahlia Society held its 72nd annual Show and Sale on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Perinton Square Mall.

It was a wonderful show, with tables of horticulture and design entries. We will welcome some new members, who joined at the show, at our October 8 meeting. Check us out at http://rochesterdahliasociety.com for time and location of our meetings.

Yearly Growing Guide

2011-09-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Check out the site for the Dahlia Society of California. The members take us through the year, with tips and ideas of what needs to be done in your garden each month.

http://sfdahlias.org/how.to.grow/calendar/calendar.htm

SOUTHERN TIER DAHLIA SOCIETY

2011-09-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Flower Show Saturday, Sept. 10

There were many good reports coming back from yesterday’s dahlia show at the Southern Tier. Despite flood damage to Southern Tier members’ plants, they came up with a beautiful display.

Several RDS members brought blooms, made arrangements, and helped with the judging. It was a very successful day!

ROCHESTER DAHLIA SOCIETY SHOW!

2011-09-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Rochester Dahlia Society will hold its annual Show and Sale

on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1:00-6:00 at the Perinton Square Mall, 6720 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd. (corner of Rt. 250 and 31)

Dahlia arrangements will be available for sale on Saturday afternoon, during the 1-6 show hours. On Sunday morning, Sept. 18, from 10:00 to 1:00 (or until sold out), all show flowers will be available for purchase. For more information, e-mail Diane at djohan@frontiernet.net or call Sue at 249-0624. Also, look for us at http://rochesterdahliasociety.com or on Facebook.

The club welcomes new members, beginners to experts, at their monthly meetings. Join the group at the Trinity Reformed Church, 909 Landing Road N. Rochester, at 1:00 on most second Saturdays. There will be no September meeting because of the show. Our next meeting will be Saturday, October 8 when we will discuss and demonstrate dividing your clumps of tubers and getting them ready for winter storage. Come and visit us!

Upstate Gardeners Journal

2011-09-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

I just heard from a fellow dahlia grower in Buffalo that the Upstate Gardeners Journal is now on line. Thanks for the tip, Carolyn!

http://upstategardenersjournal.com/

Anyone grow this beauty?

Floating Waterlilies

2011-09-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here is something we tried for the first time at the 2010 Rochester Dahlia Show. Visitors loved this class, especially as it showed them another way to display their dahlias! There is a second class for non-waterlily varieties. The main requirement is that the blooms can’t extend over the edge of the bowl.

Backboard Construction - Design Class

2011-09-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

The sizes of the Rochester Dahlia Society design classes are optional, to give members more flexibility. Please READ YOUR SCHEDULE as most of your questions will be answered there. The following is one size and method of construction of the backboard, to be used as a guideline, not a requirement. The designs are not required to have a backboard but it adds to the general effect of your design.

One method - Backboard Construction for Design Entries:

Materials for one backboard set:

(2) 20" x 30" x 3/16” foam board (1 ½ boards per design) (craft or stationery stores)

1 yard of 45” fabric (ironed)

(2) corner braces with flathead bolts to fit (4" or larger)

Elmer’s glue (white glue)

Duct tape

Ice pick to make holes to insert bolts

Cut one foam board in half for the underlay (the piece on which you place your design) It will be 15” x 20”. The extra piece can be used for another design.

Cut the fabric about 36” long x 25” wide to cover the backboard. Cut about 10” off the end of the remaining 20” of fabric to cover the underlay.

Fold the edges to the back of the backboard, glue, then tape with duct tape. Pull the fabric gently to remove any wrinkles. Repeat with the underlay. The backboard sets on top of the underlay.

Line up the brackets on the bottom of the backboard as shown in the picture. The bottom of the bracket should be about ¼” above the bottom so the back board will tilt backwards slightly, instead of forwards! Mark the holes with an ice pick, remove the brackets and force the ice pick through the material. Add bolts from the front, then put back the brackets on the back side and twist on the nuts. Maybe bring a brick or a block of wood to weight the brackets on the back.

NYS Fair Dahlia Show

2011-09-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Rochester Dahlia Society had a strong presence at the NYS Fair Dahlia Show last Monday, August 29. Members exhibited flowers, judged, and clerked. Gerry Kloc, from RDS, was Show Chair and did a wonderful job. Congratulations to all!

Here’s a shot of the head table!

Busy August!

2011-09-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Reporting on the blog got left along the wayside this month! We have been busy with three wonderful Rochester Dahlia Society member tours, Wayne County Fair Dahlia Show, and the NYS Fair Dahlia Show, not to mention tending to our own dahlia gardens!

Here are a few flowers from the Wayne County Show.

Critter Control #3

2011-08-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

The members of the Rochester Dahlia Society visited three members' gardens on Saturday. One garden had obvious visits by deer - whole stems broken off one plant, several dahlias chewed on.

Here is one way that might help to discourage deer. Tie fishing line from stake to stake (or tree to tree) around the perimeter of the garden, about 3 feet off the ground. This frightens deer when they run into it but can't see it.

Critter Control 2

2011-07-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

More suggestions from “Dahlias” and the internet:

Blood meal can be used to deter deer and rabbits, and provide fertilizer at the same time. But, it is expensive.

Meat meal is much cheaper at a livestock feed dealer. It smells like what remains on the barbeque grill after cooking beef. Make a "meat meal shaker" out of a discarded plastic peanut butter jar. Then drill holes in the screw-on lid. A light dusting on your plants and the critters won't touch them. Yes, you have to re-sprinkle after rains.

Other suggestions include pepper spray, “Liquid Fence”, Coyote urine, Fox urine or “Critter Ridder”.

Awww... Isn't he cute? (Unless he is eating your dahlias!)

Critter Control

2011-07-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

(Adapted from “Dahlias” e-mail list - dahlias@yahoogroups.com)

This is one way to deter bunnies and, with the taller cages, raccoons and woodchucks.

“My cages are handmade, 10-12" high, about 17 inches around. Cut hardware cloth pieces 10 to 12" high x 18" long with wire cutters. I use 24" width wire, so cut it up the middle. (I don't recommend using really wide rolls because it can become unwieldy in the cutting stage--and prickly.) Bend one end of one 10-12"" edge to meet the other end, and wire them together. Place one around each pole; push into the ground about an inch so they can't be jossled by creatures. Sometimes I stack two, one on top of one another, for extra protection.”

Here are two pictures--the first is two stacked, the second is just one at the original height. For woodchucks, the wire should be stacked. I cannot show a photo with a dahlias growing because it was so wet here in Eastern Massachusetts this spring/summer that I didn't dare plant bare roots until July 5th. (Woe!)”

Lynne

TALL dahlias

2011-07-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Question from Lee: “Help, please! We've just returned from a two-week vacation and are dismayed to see how fast our dahlias have grown -- some are 5 ft. tall! They were well-watered, but not dis-budded, so they have multiple buds and some flowers. Any advice about what we can do now to slow them down? Al has started to dis-bud, but should he cut them back dramatically or not? Appreciate any feedback!”

Suggestion: Instead of cutting way back, I would suggest removing about three sets of laterals (side shoots) on each tall branch. This will cause the lower laterals to develop, instead of ones at the top of the plant. Make sense?

Great Dahlia Site

2011-07-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto a great site for dahlia pictures, for future reference. From Germany, and the class numbers don't match ADS numbers.

http://www.dahlie.net/dyn/index.php?lang=en

Removing laterals from your growing plant

2011-07-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Comments from a friend: I don't bother removing laterals. I leave the disbranching or taking out the laterals to the serious show exhibitors. I pinch out the side 2 buds and leave the middle bud to grow its longer stem and be well formed. That is usually recommended for getting the biggest bloom possible. I'd rather have the flowers on most of the mid sized dahlias so I let them get bushy.

Most of us in the dahlia society pinch out the two side buds, plus the first and maybe the second set of laterals. This will keep the height of the plant under control, plus provide suitable blooms for showing. Disbranching will cause the lower laterals to grow and provide the next set of flowers.

For more information, go to the Colorado Dahlia Society’s web page.

http://dahlias.net/dahwebpg/disbudding/disbud1.htm

July 9 Rochester Dahlia Society Meeting

2011-06-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Rochester area on July 9, consider attending our monthly meeting at the Trinity Reformed Church, 9009 Landing Road N, Rochester, NY. We will be doing a repeat of our successful June Meeting, Round Robin Instruction, but with different topics.

Guests and new members are welcome! Next month we will be touring members' gardens and have our annual picnic.

Another donation update. Tubers to California!

2011-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years, the ADS has been engaged in an informal project to encourage schools and community groups to plant dahlia gardens. This year we have been in informal discussions with Mud Baron, a tireless dahlia promoter, and he has put us in touch with John Zavalney from the San Pedro Science Center, which is part of the Los Angeles public schools. John told me this week that they have 30 long rows set aside for dahlias in the Center's garden.

Nan S. sent 50 tubers from our club to this garden. Recently we received a thank-you note for these tubers from Mr. Zavalney, of the San Pedro Science Center.

“I received a generous donation of 50 dahlia tubers from the Rochester Dahlia Society arranged through Harry Rissetto of the American Dahlia Society.

Thank you so much for your generous donation. We are building a model school garden and plan on selling cut flowers to help the San Pedro Science Center, part of Los Angeles Unified School District, remain open and become more self sustainable. Once the dahlias are in bloom I will send you pictures.”

Update on Tuber Donation

2011-06-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a note that Peter G. received from Beth at the Alzheimer's Society:

Hi Peter:

It took me a while to get everything in -- no blooms yet, but they are all growing beautifully. Later this summer there should be a spectacular array of color -- I'm looking forward to it. I'll take pictures. I can't thank you and the Dahlia Society enough; it's a very nice addition to our gardens.

Thanks!

Beth

P.S. In the July issue of Upstate Gardener's Journal there will be an article about the Alzheimer's Memory Garden. The Journal is free and is available at many area garden centers.

Time to Start Tying Dahlias?

2011-06-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Before long, if not now, some of your plants will be tall enough that they should be tied to their stakes. People use all kinds of things to secure their plants, but my recent favorite is green yarn. If you use a 40% off coupon at one of the craft stores, you can get a lot of yarn for a few dollars. A good one is Red Heart Hunter Green worsted yarn. Just be sure it is 100% acrylic as wool will not hold up.

Apical Dominance

2011-06-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

This information on the benefits of topping your dahlia is provided by Don McAllister of the Colorado Dahlia Society:

Apical Dominance is a plant process that gives Christmas trees, dahlias and

many other plants their upside down ice cream cone shape.

The short story of Apical Dominance is that in many plants

(including dahlias) an actively growing stem tip (meristem) produces a

hormone called auxin which both stimulates cell elongation and drifts

downward in the plant to act as a growth suppressor on the lower stems

(laterals). As a consequence, the lower lateral stems receive less

suppression and grow longer as the branch reaches out for the sun.

When we top (or stop) a dahlia plant the main stem stops elongating, the

branches in the nodes start growing and the plant starts going wild trying

to produce flowers that are one of its reproductive mechanisms.

Update - Poor Growth

2011-06-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is something I learned from Mary F. this week. If you have a plant that seems to be struggling, and you suspect (probably correctly) that the tuber may be rotting, all is not lost. I had previously replaced a few sickly looking plants and yes, the tubers were rotted. I discarded them. But there were some that were new and I left them in. The new growth on these is dark green and the plants look as if they will make it. Mary said that if the plant can sprout roots from the stem, it can survive. Never knew that!

If you do remove a plant, dust the tuber end (or stump) with Rootone, which has a fungicide as well as an auxin. Then put it in a pot in the shade and hope for the best.

Comment from Sue W: That's very interesting - that a plant that looks like the tuber is rotting may actually sprout roots and grow. All of mine in that category have perished. I have one I want to save that looks pretty bad. I'll try cutting the rotted tuber off, use the Rootone and see if it will come back.

More Praise for Swan Island

2011-06-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

E-mail comment from Linda P.

Just a note to let the club members know that Swan Island is very reliable if your dahlias are not coming up or if you just got a bad tuber. We planted Patty Cake the second week in May and we have buds on many of our plants. The first one to open was Patty Cake but the flower was all distorted. I e-mailed Swan Dahlias and sent them a picture of the bloom. They e-mailed right away and said they would be more than happy to send a new tuber immediately. It came in two days!!!

I did tell her that I was a member of the Rochester Dahlia Society. I am sure she knows we have many members ordering from Rochester.

Patty Cake

Swan Island Dahlia Web Cam

2011-06-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Check out Swan Island’s Canby Dahlia Cam at http://65.182.241.130/

They plant almost 45 acres in dahlias. Use the ++ magnifier to get a closer look.

It is a slow web camera. It does not belong to Nick Gitts or Swan Island Dahlias, but it's their neighbor doing it. It really does not handle multiple viewers at all. You have to let that page sit for a few minutes before it stabilizes.

Four Great Dahlia Sales!

2011-06-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

In May the Rochester Dahlia Society completed four successful plant/tuber sales. Funds from the sales support most of our expenses for the next 12 months. We met lots of interesting dahlia growers, and hopefully started some new dahlia enthusiasts on a new aspect of their gardening.

Tuber Donations

2011-06-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

This year we were able to share our bounty with others.

We donated plants and tubers to several groups this year. Peter G took two dozen plants to the Alzheimer’s Garden at Monroe Community Hospital. Nannette donated a box to tubers to the Victory Garden near her, plus sent out 50 labeled tubers on June 3 to The San Pedro Science Center in CA. This is a school project.

Squirrels

2011-06-06T18:46:00.001-07:00

It was upsetting yesterday to see a squirrel digging around a newly-planted dahlia! He must have figured I got that soil loose for him so he could look for buried treasure. I have tried moth balls for woodchuck repellent before, and will go out this morning and spread a few around. Sue K. has had good luck with mothballs when the squirrels get into her hanging baskets.

Anyone else have suggestions?

Another garden threat

2011-06-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

I found this in the paper last year sometime! Hopefully you can read the cartoon.

Weak Plant

2011-06-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Question from a dahlia club member: Most of my potted tubers are looking great, sturdy and over a foot tall. I am just waiting for the soil to dry out before planting. However, two of the plants are small and weak, even though they have the same growing conditions as the others. What could be causing this?

Possible answer: Your tuber may be rotting and may not have produced enough roots to keep it going. Gently turn the plant out of the pot and inspect the tuber. It is getting a bit late to be doing cuttings. But if it is a special plant you may be able to cut off the stem, root it and save it until next year. Otherwise, discard the plant if the tuber is going South and find another for its spot in the garden.

Very Tall Plant

2011-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Question from Janet: I have not hardened off some of my taller plants that I started in pots and haven’t planted any in my garden. They have been way too comfortable inside. I know they will be in a huge state of shock.

They are pretty tall, so I guess I should snip them off after the 3^rd set of leaves??

Can I plant them fairly deep?

As long as I have waited this long to plant, I am guessing I should wait a couple more days till it is a bit cooler?

Suggestions: There are a couple of ways to deal with the tall guys. But do get them out of the house and into a protected spot for a day or two before planting. If the stem isn't too thick you can do as you thought - cut it off after three sets of leaves. The problem with this is that you sometimes have a hollow stem which can collect water.

A second approach - Go to the right side of the blog and go down to April. "Thinking ahead to planting dahlias". Plant them a little deep and put in your stake now. You may have to tie the fragile plants to the stake now.

Broken stem

2011-05-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Question: When planting some of my dahlia plants, I broke one off almost to the tuber. Is there anything I can do to save the plant?

Suggestion: It may be too late to save the part that broke off if it was done a while ago. If this happens another time, immediately dip the cut end in rooting hormone, put it into a pot of moist potting soil and seal in a large plastic bag. Keep it in the "mini-greenhouse" for several weeks, then harden it off and plant it in the garden.

As for the tuber, plant it now and it will re-sprout. Put the tuber in the bottom of your prepared hole and only cover it with an inch or two of soil. When it starts growing, fill in the hole gradually.

Tiny Garden Guest

2011-05-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Look what Gary found on his lawn. Isn’t it beautiful! It’s hard to think about something so precious eating our dahlias!

Cuttings: Follow-up

2011-05-25T04:10:00.000-07:00

A club member commented:

“Thanks for showing how you can take cuttings as a means of propagation. When I cut out the center shoot from my started dahlias I dipped it in rootone and placed it in a pot and used a clear plastic cup to create a controlled environment to promote growth. It worked nicely. Thanks for the tip.”

Memorial Day Sales!

2011-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that we have two more sales coming up next weekend!

* Saturday, May 28 from 8-12

Rochester Civic Garden Center, 5 Castle Park, Rochester

* Sunday, May 29 from 7-1

Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union Street, Rochester

FYI - Rochester Dahlia Society meets most second Saturdays at 1:00 at the Trinity Reformed Church, 909 Landing Road N. We will meet on June 11 and July 9, and in August are planning member garden tours. Guests and new members are always welcome.

Foliar Feeding

2011-05-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

If your tubers were potted up 6-8 weeks ago, the foliage may not look as green and healthy as it should. The growing plant may have exhausted the fertilizer that was in the potting soil and may need a little boost before being settled in the garden.

You could foliar feed with ½ strength Rapid-Gro or similar fertilizer. Plants are able to take in a higher percentage of the nutrients through the leaves than through the roots.

Planting Tips!

2011-05-20T04:43:00.001-07:00

When setting out a potted dahlia into your garden, water it a few hours before working with your plant, to reduce the stress to it. Prepare the hole before gently removing the plant from the pot.

I remember hearing gardening expert Michael Warren Thomas telling us to “hurt that plant” or it won’t grow properly! However, this won't apply to your dahlias unless you have had them in pots for a very long time.(Listen to Michael on "Naturally Green", Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 on WYSL 1040 AM)

Best time for planting is in the evening or on a cool, overcast day. This reduces shock to the newly planted dahlia.

Soggy Gardens

2011-05-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

A quote from the “dahlia-net” discussion group applies to our Rochester, NY situation. You can join this group for further information:

dahlia-net-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

“There are more risks associated with early planting than benefits. Planting time should not be determined be by the calendar but by observation of the current conditions. If it has been raining a lot and the temperatures have been below average, wait to plant your dahlias. Dahlia tubers should be planted in well worked soil that is soft,and fluffy and most importantly, warm. It is impossible to work the soil if you have wet clay and if you till it when it is too wet, you create large dirt clods that will plague you all season. Weeding will be more difficult as you try to get your hoe through the clods. The slugs will crawl between the clods and munch on the dahlias as they sprout. Just a couple of nice warm dry days are all that is needed to dry and warm the soil…”

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2011-05-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

If you were one of those brave souls who put a few dahlias into your garden recently, I hope they don’t drown! Prolonged rainy weather can be a problem with putting tubers in sometime in early May. The frost isn’t the problem then, but rotting is a big threat in soggy soil.

Deanna asked if we thought she should leave her plants outside or keep them under her grow lights. Go for the grow lights! It’s crazy out there! I have had plants outside for several weeks, and last night pulled them in under shelter, even though they are in trays with drainage. Fortunately this is uncommon weather, and summer will eventually get to us!

Planting time approaches

2011-05-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Some adventurous gardeners are beginning to put their dahlia plants into the garden. A more conservative approach for those in the Rochester, NY area would be to wait another week or so as there is plenty of preparation that can be done now. If you are putting out tubers, go for it!

Some of us rototill the garden, and many have that completed by now. If you blend your dahlias into a perennial garden, the individual holes can be prepared first. For each dahlia, first put in a sturdy stake for each planting spot (many of us leave them in place over the winter). Work out a garden plan and tie a label to every stake. Then, for each spot, dig in a shovel of composted manure, some commercial potting soil, a shovel of compost, and a couple of tablespoons of Osmocote. In another week, you can just pop your plants into the prepared holes and watch them grow!

However, I must admit that I can't wait to get these babies off the patio and into the ground!

Cutworms!

2011-05-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Question: Last year shortly after the dahlia plants were in the ground, some nasty cut worms arrived and beheaded four of my beloved tubers. I hate to face that same tragedy again, and I wonder if you have any suggestions that might work to avoid this sad catastrophe.

Answer: Nasty critters are out there! One thing some people do when putting out very small plants is to put a paper collar around them, a couple inches from the stem. The cutworms don't like to crawl over the collar. You need to bury it a few inches into the ground. There is an organic product called BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) that sometimes comes mixed with bran. You spread this around the garden about a week before planting and the cutworms eat this and die! I haven't looked to see if it is available locally, but will do so.

Early Planting Trick

2011-05-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Tom D. is going to plant a few of his dahlias this week, although we still may get a frost in the Rochester area. He will choose sprouted tubers that are only a few inches tall, and put a strong but slender stake next to each plant. If a frost threatens, he will put a large flower pot over each plant, with the stake extending out the hole to stabilize the pot. Another possibility for stability is to also put a rock on the top of the pot.

This will require some diligence in watching the weather, but it sounds like a good experiment. Remember you need well drained soil as too much water will cause the plant to rot. Usually dahlia growers recommend that the soil be 60° before planting, but is worth a try on a few plants.

Dahlia sale tomorrow, May 7!

2011-05-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hoping to see many, many members and guests at the Webster Arboretum! Lots of good plants and tubers for your summer garden! I don't think we will be nearly as cold as last year at this time!

Pre-Sale Reminders

2011-05-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

We have a few of suggestions for this weekend.

Dress warm and dry. Waterproof shoes or boots will surely be needed, but if we are lucky, it won’t be too cold. Sunday doesn’t look as good as Saturday, but we are under shelter at the Public Market. We are in slot 8A. Last year we were in 6A, and the break in the gutter directed the rain and melting snow right onto our plants!

If you are bringing plants, try to separate them into categories. This makes it a lot easier to set up as we segregate out each class of plant. A and AA go in one area, B in another, etc.

We need small boxes for customers. If your car is crowded, pack your plants in the boxes and leave your flats at home. Water plants well the day before and line the boxes with plastic bags if needed. This saves space and you don’t have to be concerned about collecting your flats for next year’s use.

If you can transport Saturday afternoon’s leftover plants to the Public Market sale on Sunday, please let someone know. We just load cars at noon, leave them in the cars overnight, and go to the market the next morning. This has worked well for us.

Have fun this weekend - talking about dahlias, getting to know club members better, and learning more about the tricks of selling! Encourage customers to sign our e-mail list for information on future events.

Slugs are munching!

2011-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

It’s time to get an early start on slug control. With all this wet weather, the slugs must be in hog heaven. I can almost hear them chewing on my emerging hostas. They do love young dahlia plants. Try to eliminate some now to help protect your precious babies when you put them in the garden toward the end of the month!

Last year Kim B. and I shared postage for 2 pounds of Sluggo Plus, which is an organic slug and insect control. You can buy Sluggo (without the Plus) locally. The active ingredient is iron phosphate. The additional ingredient in Sluggo Plus is Spinosad, also organic, which controls insects like earwigs which spend part of their life cycle on the ground.

I haven’t looked for Sluggo Plus locally this year. It can be purchased from Green Earth Garden Supply. Look on the web at http://www.gegardensupply.com/. The owner is Steve Nowotarski, who is a major player in the American Dahlia Society. The best pricing would be to share with your friends as 5# is still the same $10 shipping fee.

Great reference site..

2011-04-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.dahliaworld.co.uk/

“This site is intended to provide an encyclopaedia of dahlias from all over the world.

It includes aspects of growing and showing, garden and patio dahlias, classification into shapes and sizes, raising of new dahlias, the history and botany of the dahlia and discussions from all over the world on old and tried as well as new ideas.

It is brought to you by Dave Bates, researcher, author and lecturer on dahlias.”

Mulitple sprouts

2011-04-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Question from Bruce K: I do have plants that I am planning to bring to the sale. Probably about 50 plants. I have about 80 to 90 pots started (not all sprouted yet). I can only keep about 30 for the space that I have for planting. I planted some tubers before they showed any sprouts (usually I wait to see a sprout starting). But now I see some with multiple sprouts. I am thinking that I should carefully move the dirt aside and trim the extra sprouts and leave only one sprout "standing".. What would be your advice?

Answer: I’m not sure on that one… Probably multiple sprouts won't matter as many people who are buying the plants don't care. In the dahlia club we restrict sprouts to one, as many think this will cause a plant to be stronger. If you get ambitious, you can cut off a sprout with a couple of pairs of leaves and root the cutting. Oh, boy, more plants!

Thinking ahead to planting dahlias!

2011-04-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Question: When is it safe to put my started dahlia plants into the garden? When you put out your potted plants, do you bury some of the stem? I thought last year I buried a couple inches of stem when I planted. Kim B.

Answer: Tubers can go in pretty soon if you have good drainage. If not, they will just rot in this kind of weather. Wait until the ground is warmed up a bit. As for plants, wait until closer to the end of May. If they have been outside in pots for a while before that, you can look at the weather forecast around May 20 or so. If they are predicting warm weather with no frost, you could probably get away with it.

As for planting depth, yes, bury part of the stem and place the tuber 4-6” below ground. Break off any leaves that will get buried. If you have a huge tall plant, you can even try to plant it like a tomato and lay it sideways, with the tuber about 4” below ground. You need to be very careful as the dahlia stem is more fragile than a tomato.

The first picture is of Kenora Jubilee, which I rescued after one of our sales last year. I just found another picture which shows the progress of this poor plant. It was taken ten days after the one on the patio, and well before the last garden photo of the same plant in my garden a month later.

Eyes slow to sprout

2011-04-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have some tubers with good healthy eyes and yet they can be really slow to sprout. Some are up in days after planting while these other "slow sprouters" can take a couple of weeks or more. I can feel the tuber below the soil and it is still firm. Does anyone use bottom heat? How about water for these slow sprouters? Should I let them stay dry until the sprouts shoot up? Thanks for any suggestions!

Rochester Public Market Sale, May 8, 2011

2011-04-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

Photo from May, 2010

Club members - Bring your started plants and labeled tubers to the Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St., on Sunday, May 8. We will be setting up at 6:00 and start selling at 7:00, or before. If you can’t come that early, come when you can!

This is an opportunity for both club members and the public to purchase many unusual dahlias. We are the only local source for many of these varieties. Growing information will be available to shoppers.

weak sprouts

2011-04-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

My dahlias are up and growing under lights with bottom heat, however while some of the sprouts are large and robust, many have the diameter of a toothpick. Are these inferior tubers.....will they grow into fine plants or always be weak? I feel that you should not propagate inferior plants so I am not sure what to do. Thanks for your help. Marcia

Time to move plants outside??

2011-04-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Question from Joyce Hol. - Do you think it is warm enough to put the dahlias in the garage now?

Answer: Absolutely! I have had my bigger plants out on the front porch for a couple of weeks, dragging them into the garage at night and when it is too windy. I am trying to toughen them up without killing them! My porch faces East so I am not getting whatever sun happens to get here, but they look pretty good. If it isn't too close to 32 degrees, go for it.

Dahlia sunlight requirements

2011-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Question: Do you or might someone in the club have a light intensity meter that would help me judge where to dig a new dahlia bed. I am resisting purchasing one if there is one I could borrow for a week or so (if the sun ever shines again).

I am not at all a new dahlia addict, just a more focused one now that I'm not working as much. When my engagement ring was made the jeweler designed dahlia pedals into it. I especially love the dinner plates but cannot get them to grow where I am now - not enough sun I guess. May have better luck this year. Eager for any info that will help me grow happier dahlias. Thank you.

Mary S.

Reply: First, let me congratulate you on becoming a dahlia addict! There are some addicts in the club who dig up a little more of their lawn every year to plant more dahlias. As for the light meter, I don't think it would help now as the leaves aren't out on the trees yet. Dahlias need 8-12 hours of sun to really flourish. If you have a choice, maybe choose a spot with light shade in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest.

(If you ask other club members, you may get slightly different opinions on the amount of sun required, but this is just my observation.)

Webster Arboretum Sale, Saturday, May 7

2011-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our first sale is coming up in three weeks at the Webster Arboretum. Let’s hope for warmer weather that we had last year. How many remember this scene?

Many of us have small plants and labeled tubers to contribute. Continue to save boxes that could hold 2-8 pots of sale plants. If space is a problem in your car, pack your plants in the boxes and leave your flats home! Also, it will make setup faster if you separate the different sizes of plants.

Dahlia Addicts Anonymous

2011-04-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

Recent humorous E-mail from a member:

Hi, my name is Deborah and I am an addict.................(That's what they show in the movies at those meetings!!!) I had a longer list that I was interested in but narrowed it down. It truly borders on an obsession I think. It is so hard to narrow it down and only like/want a few. I have lots potted already and my Swan order arrived today.

Controlling growth of dahlia plants in April

2011-04-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

If you were anxious for spring and potted up some tubers 3-4 weeks ago, you need to take steps to keep your plants from getting out of control. If they are grown in a warm house for another month, they will be tall, weak, and “leggy” by planting/sale time.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to have an unheated porch or sunroom, or even a greenhouse, can open windows during the day to keep plants growing in cooler temperatures. This will slow them down. Otherwise, start to haul the tallest plants onto a sunny protected spot outside. Give them a few hours the first day, then increase the time until you have them out all day. Bring them into the house or at least into the garage at night until temperatures become more stable.

Another step to take to slow the growth of your plants is to top them. If they have 2-3 sets of leaves, carefully cut or pinch out the growing center. You may have to gently pull back the upper leaves to find the center. This is something we do in the garden anyhow, but if your new plants are getting tall and leggy, you might want to do it now.

This is a picture of Steve Meggos’ garden last fall. He has hybridized many wonderful varieties, such as Vassio Meggos, Louie Meggos and Harvey Koop.

Colorado Dahlia Society

2011-04-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t discovered the Colorado Dahlia Society web site, you are really missing something great. About every question you might ask is answered on that site.

http://dahlias.net

Enjoy!

Long sprouts on tubers

2011-04-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Question (April 4): I was checking some of my tubers that are in the basement stored in wood shavings-one eye grew probably 2 feet long, all in a spiral. What do you do with that? Plant all of it under the soil and leave the end sticking out? Would it break that way? Or can you break it off closer to the tuber and hope it continues to grow? Wow, it is a long one!!

Answer: I would definitely cut off the sprout about half an inch from the tuber. It will resprout, and it is early anyhow. I also have some that have either long sprouts or have rotted. I think I stored them warmer than usual.

Shriveled tubers

2011-04-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

Question from mid-February

Question: I have a couple of tubers from the same plant that have eyes, some prominent but the tubers themselves look a little bit shriveled. Should I pot them up now or are they no good?

Reply: Yes, I would get them going. You might consider taking cuttings from them in a few weeks as insurance. There is a good article in the new ADS Bulletin on cuttings. I have had good luck with cuttings in a deep plastic cup, covered with a clear plastic coffee cup.

Tip from Tom and Liz: Check out this site - http://www.nomorepests.co.uk/

Spreading the dahlia word!

2011-04-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have had some comments about "how much there is to learn" about dahlias. Perhaps when someone asks you a question or you give an answer, you could post it here for others to share. I have been potting tubers for 2-3 weeks. It's scary to see how tall some of them are getting. Time to get them out on the porch on sunny days.

One suggestion when you post. If you sign in with your first name, we will know who you are, but the world won't...