A mystery, a problem and a confession
 

I have a mysteryand a problem but also a confession.
3 years ago David Hill sent me some dahlia seeds. I grew quite a few
and gave plants to friends. They did really well and we were
delighted.
I had some good sturdy plants last year in bucket-sized pots. I left
the tubers in those pots (about 3 plants in each) over winter in my
garage. They sprouted in Spring and i moved the pts to my front
garden. They are stiil there. The confession is that I have left them
in the same soil in the same pots.
The mystery is that they have made huge growth, at least 3 feet tall,
but have NOT FLOWERED! There are now 2 stems showing buds which I hope
the promised sunshine will bring out.
I have not fed them, apart from one dose of MiracleGrow early on and
recently when I gave them some tomato feed!
The problem; my garden is so small, and so saturated with plants that
I have not had room to put them in the soil. Must reorganise next
year.
Any suggestions why they have made so much growth but no flowers? GQT
would say " too much nitrogenous feed" but they have been rather
neglected apart from water each time the leaves wilted.

Pam near Bristol

A mystery, a problem and a confession
 

On 31/08/2014 15:18, Pam Moore wrote:
I have a mysteryand a problem but also a confession.
3 years ago David Hill sent me some dahlia seeds. I grew quite a few
and gave plants to friends. They did really well and we were
delighted.
I had some good sturdy plants last year in bucket-sized pots. I left
the tubers in those pots (about 3 plants in each) over winter in my
garage. They sprouted in Spring and i moved the pts to my front
garden. They are stiil there. The confession is that I have left them
in the same soil in the same pots.
The mystery is that they have made huge growth, at least 3 feet tall,
but have NOT FLOWERED! There are now 2 stems showing buds which I hope
the promised sunshine will bring out.
I have not fed them, apart from one dose of MiracleGrow early on and
recently when I gave them some tomato feed!
The problem; my garden is so small, and so saturated with plants that
I have not had room to put them in the soil. Must reorganise next
year.
Any suggestions why they have made so much growth but no flowers? GQT
would say " too much nitrogenous feed" but they have been rather
neglected apart from water each time the leaves wilted.

Pam near Bristol


Well I suppose I should try to reply Pam.
It sounds to me as if they have been fighting to get to the light, I'd
rather they had been one to a pot so they would have had room to spread,
I suspect you had them in some shade so they didn't dry out to much,
again making them go up looking for light, and the lack of feed has
probably resulted in the lack of flower.
Still they are alive so next year you can give them a pot each.
David

A mystery, a problem and a confession
 

On Sun, 31 Aug 2014 18:00:22 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

On 31/08/2014 15:18, Pam Moore wrote:
I have a mysteryand a problem but also a confession.
3 years ago David Hill sent me some dahlia seeds. I grew quite a few
and gave plants to friends. They did really well and we were
delighted.
I had some good sturdy plants last year in bucket-sized pots. I left
the tubers in those pots (about 3 plants in each) over winter in my
garage. They sprouted in Spring and i moved the pts to my front
garden. They are stiil there. The confession is that I have left them
in the same soil in the same pots.
The mystery is that they have made huge growth, at least 3 feet tall,
but have NOT FLOWERED! There are now 2 stems showing buds which I hope
the promised sunshine will bring out.
I have not fed them, apart from one dose of MiracleGrow early on and
recently when I gave them some tomato feed!
The problem; my garden is so small, and so saturated with plants that
I have not had room to put them in the soil. Must reorganise next
year.
Any suggestions why they have made so much growth but no flowers? GQT
would say " too much nitrogenous feed" but they have been rather
neglected apart from water each time the leaves wilted.

Pam near Bristol


Well I suppose I should try to reply Pam.
It sounds to me as if they have been fighting to get to the light, I'd
rather they had been one to a pot so they would have had room to spread,
I suspect you had them in some shade so they didn't dry out to much,
again making them go up looking for light, and the lack of feed has
probably resulted in the lack of flower.
Still they are alive so next year you can give them a pot each.
David

VThank you David, but they have been standing where they get full sun
from early morning till around 2pm, so not searching for daylight.
I agree they should at least have been singly in pots. Mea culpa!