Thanks for the information on your storage, Geof. I haven't tried the Saran Wrap method because I've yet to be able to locate the eyes so I save clumps, which takes up a lot of space! I've traded tubers with two people at "the other place".

Growing in clay soil is a challenge I haven't yet had and don't want. A local friend did grow hers in clay but would dig deep, wide holes, add good soil, then plant and she had success. Some can be grown in pots though that never worked well for me.

White dahlias, or dahlias with white tips (like Duet), are more prone to earwig problems. I didn't know it also happened to those light in color but have had no problems this year. I have used Ortho's Bug Geta Plus to kill earwigs and slugs but only remembered to use it once early in the season.

Michael C.


Vanquisher


Victoria Ann

I have a lot of dark orange, reds with orange, red and white, lavender, pinks, wine, peach and they don't get bothered by the earwigs.

Honestly - I usually can't see the eyes either, but I cut them so that I have a bit of the stalk on each tuber - and that usually does it. I had been told that if you cut the dahlias down to about 8" tall after the first killing frost, and then leave them for another week or so, the eyes will show up much better. I never seem to time it right, but they seem to almost all sprout anyway. I do pre-start them inside in the spring - that way I don't plant any complete duds.(and there are always a few that just don't sprout) I would have a hard time finding the space to store them as big clumps. I have 100 plants in this year - that is going to be a lot of tubers to deal with!

I had more earwigs this year than I have ever seen on the dahlias. I was using Sluggo Plus, but I don't think the earwigs were going back to the ground once they found nicely furled petals to hide in. I too rarely have bug problems on the flowers with more saturated colors, but the light pinks seem to be as attractive as the whites in my yard.

I have extremely sandy soil and have added lots of composted manure over the years, so the dahlias are very happy. Also makes them easy to plant in the spring and dig in the fall.

That Victoria Ann is lovely - I tried it one year and it didn't do well at all for me, tall spindly plant , small usually misshapen flowers, so I tossed it. Could have just been from bad stock.

Hi all. Yes I got Cafe au Lait this year. I had wanted it last year but couldn't find it either. The plant was healthy and I had two or three blooms but was rather disappointed in that the color was simply an off white rather than the interesting fading from center coffee color.

I cut my dahlias off after they were frost killed about one and a half weeks ago so I will probably start digging later this week. I certainly hope they are more 'mature' than the one I had to dig up last week. It is not looking good for making it through the winter.

I would also be interested in a trade. I do cut mine up in the fall and am hoping to see eyes this year. I attended a workshop at the local Botanical Garden on dahlias and they provided many roots we could practice dividing and most had lots of eyes (very small but very obvious). They were provided by a local nursery. I didn't cut any or take any home as there were many people new to dahlias who needed that experience more than I. But I walked around the table (outdoors) and picked up the tubers and examined them for eyes, for possible dividing points etc. I am hoping it will help this year. I usually over divide.

I'm so relieved to read your post and know I am not alone trying to find eyes. Thanks for the support.

I do cut them down and leave them for two weeks. It is important to cover the stems so water doesn't enter during the two week period, then we're free to dig. Now if the weather would just cooperate it would be easy to face digging day.

Our soil is excellent as that garden was the vegetable garden for 20+ years and our six compost bins were used for great tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, broccoli, etc.

This year I used more Preen and mulch than ever before and it remained virtually weed-free.

Victoria Ann is an old favorite here. This time she was hiding (my fault) behind a similarly colored one so I missed seeing it until last week.

I am amazed Arlene. Six compost bins! That is one heck of a lot of work. But I think you said that was Jack's chore. I went to a compost and worm workshop yesterday as I am still trying to get the compost thing right. It's a challenge and I don't have any area to have nice big 3x3 bins that can be turned and such. Just two roller barrels. I did learn that I was wrong to continue to add kitchen scraps to a pile once it was built. Once the ratio is okay you just turn it and leave it alone (for the most part). Learned some tricks about how to get a pile working if it slows down. Also what constitutes good ingredients brown and green.

I am hoping that my mulching each year will being the same results as you have found. Fewer weeds easier to pull. I am ordering a 30# bag of preen on line as it is cheaper, even with shipping, than the small bags or boxes the stores have.

We still have the compost bins, Mary, but Jack decided not to continue making more compost. It's too much work, too much turning and he is 84 now. I haven't needed more anyhow. We have enough for a long time to come.



They're right. Don't add more kitchen waste once a pile is finished.

The mulch was a lifesaver. There's no way I can keep pace with 30 gardens without both Preen and mulch.

It makes my back ache just looking at trying to turn those piles. I just ordered my 2015 Preen supply. 31# for $59 with postage paid. I still have about half of what I had last year but I didn't put it out over the entire garden this last summer. Next year I will hit the garden hard with a preemptive strike. lol. I will get ahead of the weeds one way or the other. I even put preen on top of the wood chip paths to prevent seeds from landing there and sprouting. Although those are easy to pull. It is the ones that come from roots that never die that drive me nuts. Even covering them with mulch only slightly slows them down.

Correction, it was $50.99

Spray the stubborn ones (protecting all good plants around it) with Ortho's Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer and they will die. I use it as concentrate and I do not dilute it.

When he built the bins shown in the second photo, he made them deeper so it's even more of a stretch to lift each forkful and turn it into the next bin. I wouldn't even give it a try!

I have done that some also. Not as much as I should this year and the darn things spread. The botanical garden put in grooves that the boards between bins slide into. then as you toss from one to the other you can remove dividing boards to get it a bit lower until the new bin is so full it needs the slats back in.

Our slats at the front are movable but not at the sides or rear since hardware cloth is stapled to them.

The bins look really well designed. The hardware cloth allows air to get to the mulch nicely. And that compost looks good enough to eat. WElllllll, maybe not that . But as you said grew things very good to eat.

It's great stuff.

Back to dahlias...I took some blooms for vases today and found one earwig where a light colored dahlia was resting on the kitchen counter but I was faster than it was and won the battle.

ROTFL.....bellum gerrere ...... oh sad. My Latin is so bad. The battle is joined.. And you won.

Who wanted Cafe au Lait? I'm sure I read somewhere that because Martha Stewart mentioned it that Swan Island had a high price tag on it and is now sold out. I found it elsewhere.

I can't remember where I got mine. But I remember someone wanting it.

We make a fine pair! I'll start a thread and hope the person spots it.

I was looking for Cafe au Lait! I just responded to you on the other post.

Here it is again just in case you missed it: http://www.lynchcreekdahlias.c...

Yes, yes. That is where I purchased mine also. I bought three but only one survived. Probably my fault though.

I love the weatherproof labels that they send for each dahlia! Mine lasted the entire summer and are still quite legible.