I have wondered if the black pots don't cook roots. I planted a number of dahlias in black pots and they just died one by one. Your idea of double potting them with water in the outer pot sounds like a great idea. Plus I guess I didn't catch on that you were growing from seed. I could never do that here. Well, I don't have the patience and knowledge for it, plus the return on 'investment' doesn't seem to warrant it. Stella d'Oro does wonderfully well here but it is a pretty tough plant and not one of the more delicate hybrids. Do love the colors and blooms on those hybrids though. Well, can't have it all.
