On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 21:08:35 +0000, gasdoctor
wrote:


Hi,

Ive got quite a few dahlias in pots, (mainly cactus types), they have
flowered and look great but now something is devouring (destroying) the
flower buds before they open.

Any ideas, and more importantly a remedy?

Isn't it earwigs that damage dahlias? I've never grown them, but my
father-in-law used to. The traditional way was to fill a flowerpot
with straw or crumpled newspaper and invert it on a cane to the height
of the flowers. The earwigs are supposed to go inside the pots at
night and you can dispose of them each morning.
However you say it is the buds being damaged, so maybe it is slugs or
snails.

Pam in Bristol