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Name: Kelley Reid Pikeville, Kentucky (Appalachi (Zone 6b) kotka3 Sep 30, 2020 11:06 AM CST |
I have a dahlia that has remained rather short and up until recently was not very bushy. It has recently gotten more bushy. The main issue is that it has not bloomed in a couple of months. I deadheaded the plant when it was still blooming but the plant has stopped blooming altogether now. It sits in a nice sunny spot and received ample water. I have fertilized it a couple of times over the past couple of months (resulting in the increased leafy-ness, I believe) but have only gotten leaves. I transplanted it into a larger pot about a month ago as it was looking a bit wilty. It looks very healthy now in the larger pot. ![]() |
BigBill Sep 30, 2020 11:18 AM CST |
There could be a simple explanation in that Fall is coming and the light is decreasing both in intensity and number of hours. Dahlias require a good amount of sun in order to bloom. They also like a decent amount of fertilizer in order to produce buds. If you select a fertilizer with too much nitrogen, that alone may keep them from blooming. Something on the order of 5-10-10 would be better then 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. The key to orchid growing is to match the orchid to your conditions. |
Name: Kelley Reid Pikeville, Kentucky (Appalachi (Zone 6b) kotka3 Oct 3, 2020 1:42 PM CST |
Is there a particular fertilizer that you find works best? I am not sure if the season is the only reason but I definitely think it is a factor. It has not bloomed since before August. It had beautiful purple flowers previously. You can also see in the photo that it was not nearly as bushy. I can see little buds start to form, but nothing ever blooms. ![]() |
BigBill Oct 3, 2020 2:12 PM CST |
Well I asked the same question here a little over a year ago. I was told that Dahlias do not like a lot of nitrogen. Last year I fed them once every two weeks or so. I did not get a lot of flowers. This year once a month with 20-20-20 and still not many blooms. I need perhaps to find something more like 5-15-15 or similar. The key to orchid growing is to match the orchid to your conditions. |
Name: Gary Wyoming MN (Zone 4a) hostasmore Oct 3, 2020 4:19 PM CST |
Kelley welcome to the Dahlia forum! I use tomato fertilizer. It is 2-5-3. |
Melissamaeday Oct 3, 2020 6:37 PM CST |
There is a lot of conflicting information when it comes to fertilizer. Might be way too late too try it this season, but I use Alaskan Morbloom (0-10-10) and mix it with fish fertilizer (5-1-1). I also use compost tea and seaweed extract. 2020 hasn't been the kindest year, so hopefully they will floriferously flower next year for you! |
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