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#1
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Dahlias
hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them
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#2
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Dahlias
"jellyfish" wrote in message
... hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them jellyfish If you're in a climate where the ground freezes, it's likely your dahlia tubers will turn to pudding under the ground if you don't lift them. If they're planted near a foundation or other structure where you notice snow melting due to the retained heat of that structure, you MIGHT get lucky and the plants will survive. It's easy to think "Oh well, they were cheap. No big deal if they die. I'll buy more." But, it IS a big deal. If they're the dahlias that grow 4-5 feet high and make really big flowers, those tubers improve over the years and produce even better. And, you can divide them and have an endless supply of new tubers to foist upon unsuspecting gardener friends, or total strangers. It's worth taking good care of them. |
#3
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thanks for the advice..what would be the best way to store them?
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#5
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Dahlias
You don't say what zone your in. If you get any freezing temps at all, cut
the plants down to just above the ground level and dig up those tubers and store them for winter. ou can learn about storage of dahlias on the biggest dahlia e-mail list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Dahlia-net -- The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord Sidewalk Astronomy www.sidewalkastronomy.info The Church of Eternity http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html "jellyfish" wrote in message ... hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them -- jellyfish |
#6
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Dahlias
JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "jellyfish" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom Wrote: "jellyfish" wrote in message ...- hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them jellyfish- If you're in a climate where the ground freezes, it's likely your dahlia tubers will turn to pudding under the ground if you don't lift them. If they're planted near a foundation or other structure where you notice snow melting due to the retained heat of that structure, you MIGHT get lucky and the plants will survive. It's easy to think "Oh well, they were cheap. No big deal if they die. I'll buy more." But, it IS a big deal. If they're the dahlias that grow 4-5 feet high and make really big flowers, those tubers improve over the years and produce even better. Yup. Yup. Yup. And you might never find the variety you loved again. It happened to me. I had a fabulous hot pink cactus dahia, which inadvertently got frozen and turned to mush. I have never seen another one like it. Odd thing is, I got it at Home Depot about 10 years ago. You'd think it would still be around somewhere ... but nooooooo. And, you can divide them and have an endless supply of new tubers to foist upon unsuspecting gardener friends, or total strangers. It's worth taking good care of them. I had a huge compound tuber of another Dahlia. It put out flowers that ranged all the way from lavender to dark violet/purple with white. It was prolific and a very strong grower. It was bigger than a football. I stored it in one piece each winter because I found that if I broke up the tubers to store them, the smaller ones dried out completely. I'm in zone 6, but the effective winter can last as long as 9 months as far as Dahlias are concerned. Unfortunately this one got inadvertently frozen also, and I haven't been able to find it either. thanks for the advice..what would be the best way to store them? jellyfish Get some shredded peat moss from a real garden center. Get some Hefty jumbo size freezer bags. Hose the soil off the dahlia roots with a hard spray. Let them dry for a couple of days. Put the dahlia roots in the bag, fill with peat moss. Add a tablespoon of water, or a few shots from a mist bottle. If the peat moss was already damp when you bought it, you can ignore the water step. Close the zipper MOST of the way, and store in a cool place, like a corner of the basement. That's how I store my smaller bulbs and tubers, except that I use those perforated ziplock vegetable bags, which I then place inside large paper bags, and fold shut. For years I've stored the huge tubers in peat moss in doubled paper bags. That works too. This year I'm trying vermiculite and large paper bags. I nested the biggies in the vermiculite, dusted them with garden sulfur, and then covered them with more vermiculite. I think it'll work too. Mark your calendar so you remember to check them every month until spring. If they seem to be getting soft, add just a little water - a couple of tablespoons, and zip up the bag. I've never done this. It's too much of a chore to get to where I stash them for the winter. You are more vigilant in this regard than I am. |
#7
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Dahlias
You should check out some of the web sites of the Major USA Dahlia growers,
who are ADS members and I'd bet you just might find that Dahlia or one like it. There are up to 100 New Dahlias added to the ADS listing of dahlias. There's also major Dahlia shows in the fall that you could ask the growers aout them. Check out this one to start with: http://dahlia-world.netfirms.com/ -- The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord Sidewalk Astronomy www.sidewalkastronomy.info The Church of Eternity http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html "Flora" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom wrote: "jellyfish" wrote in message ... JoeSpareBedroom Wrote: "jellyfish" wrote in message ...- hi there, have planted some dahlia bulbs this year and they have sprouted and come up and ive been told i need to lift them for the winter but i dont really want to if i dont what are the repercussions of this? and if i have to what is the best way of over-wintering them jellyfish- If you're in a climate where the ground freezes, it's likely your dahlia tubers will turn to pudding under the ground if you don't lift them. If they're planted near a foundation or other structure where you notice snow melting due to the retained heat of that structure, you MIGHT get lucky and the plants will survive. It's easy to think "Oh well, they were cheap. No big deal if they die. I'll buy more." But, it IS a big deal. If they're the dahlias that grow 4-5 feet high and make really big flowers, those tubers improve over the years and produce even better. Yup. Yup. Yup. And you might never find the variety you loved again. It happened to me. I had a fabulous hot pink cactus dahia, which inadvertently got frozen and turned to mush. I have never seen another one like it. Odd thing is, I got it at Home Depot about 10 years ago. You'd think it would still be around somewhere ... but nooooooo. And, you can divide them and have an endless supply of new tubers to foist upon unsuspecting gardener friends, or total strangers. It's worth taking good care of them. I had a huge compound tuber of another Dahlia. It put out flowers that ranged all the way from lavender to dark violet/purple with white. It was prolific and a very strong grower. It was bigger than a football. I stored it in one piece each winter because I found that if I broke up the tubers to store them, the smaller ones dried out completely. I'm in zone 6, but the effective winter can last as long as 9 months as far as Dahlias are concerned. Unfortunately this one got inadvertently frozen also, and I haven't been able to find it either. thanks for the advice..what would be the best way to store them? jellyfish Get some shredded peat moss from a real garden center. Get some Hefty jumbo size freezer bags. Hose the soil off the dahlia roots with a hard spray. Let them dry for a couple of days. Put the dahlia roots in the bag, fill with peat moss. Add a tablespoon of water, or a few shots from a mist bottle. If the peat moss was already damp when you bought it, you can ignore the water step. Close the zipper MOST of the way, and store in a cool place, like a corner of the basement. That's how I store my smaller bulbs and tubers, except that I use those perforated ziplock vegetable bags, which I then place inside large paper bags, and fold shut. For years I've stored the huge tubers in peat moss in doubled paper bags. That works too. This year I'm trying vermiculite and large paper bags. I nested the biggies in the vermiculite, dusted them with garden sulfur, and then covered them with more vermiculite. I think it'll work too. Mark your calendar so you remember to check them every month until spring. If they seem to be getting soft, add just a little water - a couple of tablespoons, and zip up the bag. I've never done this. It's too much of a chore to get to where I stash them for the winter. You are more vigilant in this regard than I am. |
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