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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 15, 2014 16:51:26 GMT
Got a question for all you clever people - last year I took all my Dahlias out of the tubs and I timed it badly - they were really wet and weighed a ton to carry them down into the cellar.
I am determined to dry them a little better this year - dare I dry them in the sun/ the GH with the door left open - daft question perhaps but it was hard work last year and we are not getting any younger..
RF
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Post by maggy on Aug 15, 2014 16:59:21 GMT
Do you think you could have left them out too long Rosefriend mine were still green but I dried them upside down after Id cut them down to about 8" in the greenhouse I didn't leave the door open but vented the roof slightly.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 15, 2014 17:04:27 GMT
Do you think you could have left them out too long Rosefriend mine were still green but I dried them upside down after Id cut them down to about 8" in the greenhouse I didn't leave the door open but vented the roof slightly. Ours were still green as well maggy - the problem here is to gauge everything before the first frost and that can come at the end of September but I hate frosted Dahlias - they are so...dunno really - soggy and yukky.. Once I have got the toms out of the GH then I could dry them before I get all the perennials in tubs in for the winter...that's a good idea - thanks.. RF
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Post by Amber on Aug 15, 2014 20:09:47 GMT
I have found leaving them in the pots and storing the pots in the greenhouse(off the floor) works well. They will dry out (not too much) and the soil/compost round them protects them from the frost and helps keep the tubers plump, ready for propagating in Jan/Feb, or re-potting ready for putting outside in May.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 16, 2014 5:35:39 GMT
I have found leaving them in the pots and storing the pots in the greenhouse(off the floor) works well. They will dry out (not too much) and the soil/compost round them protects them from the frost and helps keep the tubers plump, ready for propagating in Jan/Feb, or re-potting ready for putting outside in May. Oh Amber - if only - things work a little different on this side of the water.... If, and it is a big if, we just happen to get a winter like last year, well, fine but Dahlias cannot be left outside here - not even in a GH. We can go down to minus 25 in a winter, - not always but the killer here, is the prolonged ice which can last for weeks.. I would so love to know what a winter will bring...our gardens are put to bed, literally - I tend to cut everything back, others don't but anything that won't stand at least minus 15 is put as frost free as possible...Dahlias, summer bulbs are all put in the cellar. I want to get them as dry as possible to reduce weight as carrying 10 large boxes of Dahlias down concrete steps to the cellar ain't fun - infact I ached for days last year... In Spring when they have dried out a bit it, things are a lot easier... I suppose I will have to really cut back on the amount that I have at some point... RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 16, 2014 5:48:18 GMT
I understand you're unable to keep things even under cover of the greenhouse during the winter Rosefriend and I'm sure some of your mature Dahlia are big and heavy. I'd go for what you've proposed, lift them and get as much of the soil as you can off them before letting the biggest ones dry out in the GH, now that you have the big one you should have more room. I think it's a matter of doing your best but still see it as a gamble to lift and store or leave and mulch. Some may not make it while others will here as well. Our problem over winter and what I think kills them in the ground is the amount of rain we have.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 16, 2014 6:01:45 GMT
I understand you're unable to keep things even under cover of the greenhouse during the winter Rosefriend and I'm sure some of your mature Dahlia are big and heavy. I'd go for what you've proposed, lift them and get as much of the soil as you can off them before letting the biggest ones dry out in the GH, now that you have the big one you should have more room. I think it's a matter of doing your best but still see it as a gamble to lift and store or leave and mulch. Some may not make it while others will here as well. Our problem over winter and what I think kills them in the ground is the amount of rain we have. True Ladygardener - what the frost doesn't kill, the rain/moisture can....so many things rot in a wet winter.. A gardener's lot ain't an easy one at times !! RF
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Post by Auricula on Aug 16, 2014 8:30:20 GMT
I store my potted ones, as they are, in the greenhouse and just leave the few I have in the garden soil in situ. Mind you I don't get frosts so I'm really only protecting them from the winter wet. It's not an exact science however, as, last winter our garden was very wet and boggy for several weeks and the ones in the borders came up this year as usual ( if a bit later) and flowered, so, who can say....
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 16, 2014 8:55:10 GMT
I store my potted ones, as they are, in the greenhouse and just leave the few I have in the garden soil in situ. Mind you I don't get frosts so I'm really only protecting them from the winter wet. It's not an exact science however, as, last winter our garden was very wet and boggy for several weeks and the ones in the borders came up this year as usual ( if a bit later) and flowered, so, who can say.... I have come to the conclusion Amber Ladygardener Auricula that it is the luck of the draw at times...my neighbour is useless - if there is something that she can do wrong , she generally does - what happens - she has the most fantastic hanging geraniums this year... She waters so sparingly that I don't know how things can exist, but they do - now then if I did that everything would die!! My FIL had hundreds of roses and they were magnificent - mostly Aldi stuff, nothing special, but they were wonderful. When he got to the point that he couldn't look after them I got given the job as I "knew how"!! So when he used a bucket full of greenfly mix and an old hand brush to swish the stuff on the roses and cut them back with the electric shears, never mounded them up and generally messed them about, RF did all the right things...and guess what - the roses never looked as good and he accused me of killing his roses...you can't win really!! RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 16, 2014 16:06:29 GMT
I think that luck plays a part in things Rosefriend. I know what you mean about neighbours not bothering at all and yet getting great blooms.
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Post by Dutchy on Aug 24, 2014 17:47:50 GMT
I dry them upside down outside Rosefriend. I cut the stems to a length of 15 cm. Dig them up. Flip them over on the cut stems, equal length so t sort of stands on those, and leave for at least a week. I try to wriggle some of the soil out after that and in general most heavy clumps of soil are off by then so I take them indoors upside down on newspaper for some more drying. Then you can get more soil out and what is then left I check for being moist but not wet. I wrap it complete in newspaper and set upside down again in cardboard boxes in the shed. When the real frost comes those boxes are carried indoors to where no frost gets them but temps are not too high. Then there is the check at the end of every month and if need be a tad of moisture is added to prevent a full drying out. Sometimes tubers did rot and those are removed. Quite a job but loved Dahlia are worth it.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 24, 2014 18:12:35 GMT
I dry them upside down outside Rosefriend. I cut the stems to a length of 15 cm. Dig them up. Flip them over on the cut stems, equal length so t sort of stands on those, and leave for at least a week. I try to wriggle some of the soil out after that and in general most heavy clumps of soil are off by then so I take them indoors upside down on newspaper for some more drying. Then you can get more soil out and what is then left I check for being moist but not wet. I wrap it complete in newspaper and set upside down again in cardboard boxes in the shed. When the real frost comes those boxes are carried indoors to where no frost gets them but temps are not too high. Then there is the check at the end of every month and if need be a tad of moisture is added to prevent a full drying out. Sometimes tubers did rot and those are removed. Quite a job but loved Dahlia are worth it. Thanks Dutchy - for nearly 30 years I have had no problems and last year things were a mess - too wet...I must dry them out a tad before I cart them into the cellar !! I do love them. RF
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Post by Amber on Sept 13, 2014 10:19:59 GMT
You will all be delighted to hear that Tel did very well with his dahlias at Harrogate this year. His seedling "Garden Friends" got a first, beating well established show collarettes . I will post some photos when I get back
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 13, 2014 10:28:47 GMT
You will all be delighted to hear that Tel did very well with his dahlias at Harrogate this year. His seedling "Garden Friends" got a first, beating well established show collarettes . I will post some photos when I get back That is marvellous news Amber, - oddly enough I was thinking about him yesterday. We were at a GC and they were selling v.large Dahlia plants - some gorgeous ones actually... Would love to see some pics...ask him to drop by so that we can congratulate him in person!! RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 13, 2014 11:58:48 GMT
You will all be delighted to hear that Tel did very well with his dahlias at Harrogate this year. His seedling "Garden Friends" got a first, beating well established show collarettes . I will post some photos when I get back What great news Amber, Do congratulate him from me as well. Sounds like you've had a lovely time too.
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 14:27:45 GMT
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 14:31:23 GMT
Another first for this one !!
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 14:33:40 GMT
and this...
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 14:36:44 GMT
I took quite a few photos....will post them later.....
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 15, 2014 14:56:52 GMT
Absolutely gorgeous and well worthy of winning - tell (haha) me something - if someone comes up with a wonderful new Dahlia, are they allowed to name it themselves??
RF
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 15, 2014 17:39:42 GMT
Wonderful flowers Amber, Well done to Tel I love Garden Friends, will he be selling seeds from it or can they be bought somewhere?
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 18:55:04 GMT
Absolutely gorgeous and well worthy of winning - tell (haha) me something - if someone comes up with a wonderful new Dahlia, are they allowed to name it themselves?? RF Oh yes!!....I expect they would get advice as well.....
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Post by Amber on Sept 15, 2014 18:56:31 GMT
Wonderful flowers Amber, Well done to Tel I love Garden Friends, will he be selling seeds from it or can they be bought somewhere? I don't know as yet.....it would have to be tubers or cuttings......seed would/could produce something different......
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 16, 2014 4:48:01 GMT
Wonderful flowers Amber, Well done to Tel I love Garden Friends, will he be selling seeds from it or can they be bought somewhere? I don't know as yet.....it would have to be tubers or cuttings......seed would/could produce something different...... Thanks Amber.
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Tel
Under Gardener
Posts: 95
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Post by Tel on Oct 3, 2014 18:19:53 GMT
Thank you Amber for posting the Harrogate exhibits. I must say, out of all the wins I have had over the years, at Harrogate. Winning with the seedling Garden Friends has given me the most satisfaction.
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Post by Amber on Oct 3, 2014 19:43:14 GMT
It was my pleasure Tel, You are right to be proud.....she is a lovely dahlia
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Post by maggy on Oct 4, 2014 13:11:57 GMT
Lovely dahlias Amber, and congrats to the well deserved winner
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 4, 2014 13:30:30 GMT
Amber, Ladygardener, maggy, Tel, For all you Dahlia lovers and knowledgeable people...I need to know something pretty please.. When I was taking all the Dahlia's out of the tubs yesterday and today I noticed that perhaps over 50% of them had loads of dried and flaky tubers - just the outer skin - not tubers as such. I haven't lost any - there were enough of the tubers left to make a good plant but I don't understand why so many of the older tubers were just flaky and dried out... Of course I forgot to take any pics...sorry!! Rf
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Post by Amber on Oct 4, 2014 15:11:51 GMT
You mean flaky skin and nothing solid inside?......as long as the tubers left have a bit of stalk and an eye, they will be ok. All I can think of is that the plants suffered prolonged drought?....Perhaps Tel, could shed some light on the problem.
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Tel
Under Gardener
Posts: 95
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Post by Tel on Oct 4, 2014 16:15:17 GMT
Amber, Ladygardener, maggy, Tel, For all you Dahlia lovers and knowledgeable people...I need to know something pretty please.. When I was taking all the Dahlia's out of the tubs yesterday and today I noticed that perhaps over 50% of them had loads of dried and flaky tubers - just the outer skin - not tubers as such. I haven't lost any - there were enough of the tubers left to make a good plant but I don't understand why so many of the older tubers were just flaky and dried out... Of course I forgot to take any pics...sorry!! Rf Nothing to worry about, you will find if you start the season by planting a tuber, during the growing period the plant makes a new tuber in amongst the old one, ready for next year. that is where the new growth will start. you can remove the old stuff, like you say it is just skin. hope that helps. the dahlia's that do that for me are my poms, because I plant the tuber year after year, all my others are grown from cuttings, so they make a tuber the same year, then some of the tubers are used for cuttings the following year.
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