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Mar 16, 2021 10:04 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Haven't had Boogie Nights or Baron Katie.

Shipping charges annoy many of us. One company charged me $8.00 to ship one tuber. I let them know it didn't grow and sent photos. They replaced it and miraculously they only paid $3.00 to ship it. They obviously don't understand shipping charges do not lure customers.
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Mar 16, 2021 10:08 AM CST
Name: Mary
(Zone 6a)
Annuals Bee Lover Butterflies Cat Lover Composter Cut Flowers
Dahlias Region: Pennsylvania Zinnias
I LOVE Baron Katie. I had it in my sale, but I have some extras. I'd be happy to send you one if you just want to pay the shipping (dahlia forum promo Rolling on the floor laughing ). I cant imagine it being very high for 1 tuber. I did a flat rate on my sale- I kinda guessed most people doing shipping would not buy that many and I only made it $8. Hopefully it evens out, but most of mine were local pick up anyway. Guess that will be one of those things I'll get a better idea on after this year. I think a lot of sellers do priority mail rate which suck. The medium box is around $15 and is HUGE then the small is $8 and TINY. If skinny enough you could maybe fit 2-4 tubers depending on size. I'm still figuring the best way to send, which I guess I should have thought more about before. Mine usually come in small boxes with paper cushioning, so I'll probably try and do that. Though last year I had 4 cafe au lait sent in a large envelope... not even sure it had bubble lining and they were perfectly fine, but they did not travel far (from another grower here in Pittsburgh).

And, yes I supposed I should be taking more physical notes on my tubers. I kinda have a plan in mind for a clipboard/journal for notetaking on my actual plants, but I shoulda been doing that with tubers merp. Luckily I don't have THAT many that I can remember at least what produced a lot and some other details. I'll make some notes next time I go through them- hopefully when I am potting them up which I have not done before but hoping it gives me June blooms.
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Mar 16, 2021 11:18 AM CST
Name: Shawn S.
Hampton, Virginia (Zone 8b)
Annuals Butterflies Dahlias Irises Morning Glories Orchids
Peonies Region: United States of America Zinnias
Then you'll next find out, what dates you need to have them (approximately,) potted up, or planted out by, for flowering in June.
If I don't, (or can't, due to shipping delays) get them going early enough, I won't see any flowers in June, & end up having to patiently wait 'til it cools off adequately enough in Autumn.
(One of those, I'm not in the PNW growing areas, "issues", & it's suddenly too warm.)
Arrgh !
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Mar 16, 2021 11:25 AM CST
Thread OP
NW Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
Bee Lover Butterflies Dahlias Seed Starter Winter Sowing Region: Wisconsin
Mary: I've gotten tubers in plastic bags w peat, irises w that weird wood straw/moss, and maybe one with shredded paper. I don't want to impose on your local sales if you have others interested in them. I hadn't been aware of Baron Katie and was looking around for something else and saw it and was like how lovely! Really - I shouldn't be looking with a wandering eye at others - I should be focusing on what I have. Hah! Rolling on the floor laughing drop me a tree mail if in the end you do have extras.

AM: snow is melting quickly. I'm just tired not sure if it's a side effect of the fact I was up at 1:30 worrying about this crazy shot. I should take a nap before the kids come home from school (yes mine have been in person all school year). I checked the dahlias on the heat mat and I have some tiny sprouts coming up. I'm unsure what my Jennifer's wedding is doing. More than half the tubers have had rot issues. This one I'm unsure if it just had many eyes or if I have a leafy gall issue. I'm keeping it in isolation. This is one I planted early because I had such issues with storing. Maybe it's one of those crazy ones for me or maybe it was one of the few that hadn't dried well prior to storing.

Let's talk fertilizer at planting. What do you each do? I had used super phosphate and potash but may add bone meal to that mix. If I do that I have to fence off the area for a while as the neighbors animals will dig. I wish bonemeal didn't smell as I've had luck in the past using it with my irises and other plants. Curious to know what you all like to do at planting. I also will be adding my finished compost to the bed again. I think it helped quite a bit last year and I barely had a weed. Hurray!

Hope everyone is well. Anyone received boxes yet? I won't get mine until mid April maybe. Well, my patience isn't great so hurry up time!
🌼 Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
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Mar 16, 2021 11:47 AM CST
Name: Shawn S.
Hampton, Virginia (Zone 8b)
Annuals Butterflies Dahlias Irises Morning Glories Orchids
Peonies Region: United States of America Zinnias
I use that Fertiloam (sp. ?) With lower Nitrogen.

I've pulled out that 'Tahiti Sunrise' from the baggy with peat, & only to notice, it appears to have grown a sort of "string like root" which now has green leaves, sprouting along its' length !

What is up with this very odd root growth behavior, I've never seen before, in my entire life?

Why doesn't the other one do that, so I don't have to make new cuttings from a tuber, & can instead, just simply cut up pieces of "root string, with new shoots appearing," already on them ! ? Rolling on the floor laughing
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Mar 16, 2021 12:10 PM CST
Name: Mary
(Zone 6a)
Annuals Bee Lover Butterflies Cat Lover Composter Cut Flowers
Dahlias Region: Pennsylvania Zinnias
I had a couple grow roots after I moved them to peat moss in storage bins from my plastic wrap. More roots than eye growth which I have never seen before.

I did not do any fertilizer last year nor I think the year before when planting and I regretted it. I know the heat inhibited some blooming, but wondered if it was because I was not fertilizing. In 2018, I added a slow release granular fertilizer and some peat moss when planting since my soil was a lot more clay like back then. I think I used a Miracle-Gro shake and feed thing. Anyway that year I had blooms at the end of June... although I don't actually know if this was because I fertilized or the weather etc. I've only been at it a few years so I am still figuring out the whole fertilizer thing and what works best. I probably should do a soil sample. Last year, after learning how often some growers apply fertilizer, I felt behind and started using a plant food that gets put in one of those hose connector things. I am not sure how much it help, bloom count went up but the temp was dropping at that point.. soooo Confused

I'm sure I mentioned how I visited a long time dahlia growers garden here last September, but while I was there he showed me some of his watering/fertilizer set up and it was borderline mad scientist. He's been a show grower for 40 years, so he's had a lot of time to figure things out. If I recall he said for basic growing a 10-10-10 works. Although I've heard some change the ratios up as the season goes and use ones without nitrogen later to boost blooms over foliage. This guy has a special high nitrogen fertilizer he says he uses before shows to really boost the quality of the foliage. His plants looked fake that's how pristine they were Rolling on the floor laughing

Anyway it all sounded very complicated and perhaps not the most environmentally friendly? This year I'm going to try out a different granular slow release. I think I got Jobe's granular. I'm going to add in the peat moss again especially in the new beds where the soil is not as soft yet and may get some mushroom compost since I've heard others use that as well.
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Mar 16, 2021 12:24 PM CST
Name: Melissa
Omaha, NE (Zone 5b)
Annuals Region: Nebraska Daylilies Dahlias Cut Flowers Cat Lover
Butterflies Bee Lover Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Photo Contest Winner 2022
Baron Katie is a great orange dahlia. I ran out of room for it last year, and then found out that the person I gave extra tubers to (my insurance policy to get varieties back if I choose to take a year off growing them) didn't plant anything AT ALL, so I hurried and found space for it in late July. It still bloomed and made a couple of tubers. It's hard not to look at dahlias right now while we wait for our packages to eventually arrive. I think my 'Discovering Dahlias' book is set to arrive today, so hopefully that stops the wandering shopping eye.

I'm very interested in how your cutting experiment pans out, Scarlet! I'm contemplating trying a chrysanthemum one. I left my mums outside in their grow bags next to my house all Winter, and figured they were goners. I pushed the leaves back to confirm that they were dead this morning, and two of them have new growth. That was a surprise!

I'm sure everyone uses different fertilizing methods depending on soil and climate. I only use bone meal in pots, as I've heard that it stays in the soil for years. When I plant, I toss a couple handfuls of earthworm castings in each hole, along with Osmocote, Azomite, and Menards composted manure. I fertilize every 2-3 weeks until mid August, too, usually with Morbloom, Fish Fertilizer, Seaweed/Kelp, and compost tea (not all at once, though).
Last edited by Melissamaeday Mar 16, 2021 12:27 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 16, 2021 12:40 PM CST
Thread OP
NW Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
Bee Lover Butterflies Dahlias Seed Starter Winter Sowing Region: Wisconsin
Menards manure always gives me horrible bunches of creeping Jenny or is it Charlie!?!I still use it, as it's easy to get and those are fairly easy to pull. Otherwise I get chicken poo and goat poo for my heap from the sources if you will. I have horribly sandy soil (driftless area of wisconsin) so I've been finding adding my finished compost has helped immensely. The last two years we have been inundated with rain in late May and June - usually right after I've gotten the dahlias in and growing well and then I always worry about rot … they usually do fine in the long run but when you get 2" of rain multiple times a week you see my worry.

Shawn: I got my roofing gel from Amazon. Locally it's hard to find and I ended up w powder which I have found the gel works better for making roots quicker. I've been using on my geraniums, petunias, chenille plant cuttings I've been wintering over. Everyone tugs back so I am happy with such.

Melissa: I will be taking cuttings tomorrow after everyone goes to school. I'm going to try a la mode and maybe Jennifer's Wedding if it's not got gall. A la was the one that I did the autopsy on. It never did well but did produced a few tubers. I will see what I can do and keep you posted. I need to change the blade in my xacto before I do so. Keeping disease at bay and the cutting healthy and happy. I'll be interested to see if it sends up an extra shoot - let's hope!

I'll keep reading on fertilizer. I think part of my issue last year was sunlight, a pooling of water from my soaker hose as the bed is partly with a slope and I forgot to factor that in. In fact I should open my bag of bone meal and see if this brand is stinky. Last year I had a miracle gro organic this one I think is burpee. I just don't need the dogs digging.

Mary: yes keep a journal - I find it helps me in decision making and what to do when I reverb when I start to see the first blooms we long for. Is your dad happy you are taking over more space or have you moved into your own locale? I know you were mentioning such last year.
🌼 Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
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Mar 16, 2021 1:01 PM CST
Name: Mary
(Zone 6a)
Annuals Bee Lover Butterflies Cat Lover Composter Cut Flowers
Dahlias Region: Pennsylvania Zinnias
I'm still at home lol. I got dog fence flags and marked out 2 out of 3 of my dahlia sections to get a rough idea of how much I need to expand. The new dahlia patch and walkway between it and the rest of my existing garden is going to add about 7 feet of width along most of my garden, but idk if I can go any higher up that slope since our little sinkhole seems to be coming back Grumbling

I may look into renting a sod cutter since normally I like to get the sod turned a good bit before I till over it and we are getting close to a month out from when I want to plant. Hoping to get that digging done this weekend so I can avoid the rental. I (I mean greg and I Rolling on the floor laughing ) turned most of my new annual beds last fall- I hope everything fits! I have a lot to fit, but I am hoping that I can fit a lot given that they will be nice even rows.

I want to plant a few dahlias at Greg's house this summer, but sigh, his front yard is north facing with no sun, so I won't get to plant as many.

I forgot to mention earlier I finally caved and bought a dahlia while out shopping. My local grocery store had some small boxes of various bulbs and bare root things for $3. There was one called Rosella. It is a shorter variety with up to 10 inch pink blooms according to google. which makes it a great replacement for my Arthur Hambley which got cut from my order. I though after that to try and find a Cafe au Lait Rose which I grew in 2019 and was STUNNING, but I'll see how this one goes since it was a LOT cheaper than I'd be able to find CAL Rose I'm sure.
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Mar 16, 2021 2:14 PM CST
Thread OP
NW Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
Bee Lover Butterflies Dahlias Seed Starter Winter Sowing Region: Wisconsin
Mary: keep your eye out at Walmart - I know - but I had luck w my bag of CALs. All of them were different not one specifically w a name other the CAL but may be something to look for I think the bag last year was 4/$10-15. I had one more mocha-ish, one pinkish and one kind of ivory-ish. ISH being the important descriptor in their colors. If you aren't particular I found mine to be good producers.

My hubs agreed any price for a sod cutter is worth it. He's usually the manual labor for digging and I direct Rolling on the floor laughing good luck I'm still eons away before we can do the same. In between there I need to get my patio screen replaced as my kids have been good to lean on it and stick their feet through the bottom inadvertently.
🌼 Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
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Mar 16, 2021 2:20 PM CST
Name: Shawn S.
Hampton, Virginia (Zone 8b)
Annuals Butterflies Dahlias Irises Morning Glories Orchids
Peonies Region: United States of America Zinnias
If I can't make a Dahlia root, on it's own, I give in !
I thought they'd be fairly easy. By the time I buy rooting gel, had that sent, & paid for the shipping, I may as well have ordered more Dahlias waiting upon their delayed delivery !

I haven't tried before, though figured it might be comparable to just about as easily accomplished as rooting any old (newer growth) "geranium" (Pelargonium) cutting !

The rooting gel may take so long to get here by now, it might be too late, to do a Dahlia cutting !
(I suspect, it has grown for about a months time, already.)
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Mar 16, 2021 2:26 PM CST
Name: Mary
(Zone 6a)
Annuals Bee Lover Butterflies Cat Lover Composter Cut Flowers
Dahlias Region: Pennsylvania Zinnias
I'll keep checking lowes and wal-mart. I did see some at walmart but not much that sparked my interest. I think it was lowes I saw somethign that looked like a romantic mix but i'm always weary of mixes. usually don't get what you think you are
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Mar 16, 2021 2:32 PM CST
Thread OP
NW Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
Bee Lover Butterflies Dahlias Seed Starter Winter Sowing Region: Wisconsin
Shawn: I rooted one in water in my window last year. I broke it off and wanted to see if it would work, it took a while but it did and it did grow for the rest of the summer - I planted in July to again see what it would do. You can also use a fresh willow stick or an uncoated aspirin to help root too. Look that up. I have tried neither. But rooting powder comes from the willow I think or maybe that's an aspirin Confused

Mary: my two little store boxes I grabbed were Mrs Eileen and crazy love. I'm hopeful maybe Home Depot has some single boxes this year. I didn't see them when I stopped the other day but they didn't have all their bulbs yet that they usually do by now - no cannas or other items. Everyone seems behind and they'll tell you covid when you ask so I don't ask often. I'll be so glad when that excuse goes way of the dodo bird.
🌼 Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
Last edited by ScarletTricycle Mar 16, 2021 2:49 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 16, 2021 2:45 PM CST
Maryland (Zone 7a)
Bookworm Roses Region: Maryland Peonies Hibiscus Herbs
Dahlias Cut Flowers Cat Lover Region: Canadian Garden Photography Butterflies
I rooted a rose with honey.
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Mar 16, 2021 3:59 PM CST
Name: Shawn S.
Hampton, Virginia (Zone 8b)
Annuals Butterflies Dahlias Irises Morning Glories Orchids
Peonies Region: United States of America Zinnias
I'll just throw a little soil mix, around the sprouts, for now. They're the ones that grew, & had sprouted quite early, while underneath another pot.

I think the Aspirin gets that Salycilic acid or Salycilate, from Salix, (Or, Willow bark ?)
None are widely grown around here, that I can even think of !
Maybe I could try "cheapo" aspirin.

Unless it also shows up, in pussy willow about now, at Florists display, & that'll work, also ?

I'd never heard of honey, for Roses, though I know may have antibacterial quality. (Not for children, under age 2.)
Now, I just want another Rose, 'Rouge Royale' !
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Mar 16, 2021 9:05 PM CST
Name: Melissa
Omaha, NE (Zone 5b)
Annuals Region: Nebraska Daylilies Dahlias Cut Flowers Cat Lover
Butterflies Bee Lover Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Photo Contest Winner 2022
Scarlet- I hope you're feeling ok after getting the vaccine. I'll be last in line to get it anyway (if my employer requires it), but I've heard of non-horror and horror stories after receiving it.

I saw a story on IG where people are rooting dahlia cuttings in water, using a TurboKlone system. Very interesting, as I am not a fan of soil growing inside my house (a couple of my cats always think they're doing me a favor unrooting things). Found out my boyfriend has one, so maybe dahlia cuttings aren't too far off in the future.

Lowe's here has their dahlias out, nothing new caught my eye, seems to be the usual suspects. They didn't look bad, but I don't like that they have them displayed in the front entryway (where people walk in). I marched out into the garden center to grab a few steel 'tree stakes' as they label them (please, they are dahlia stakes). There was no one out there, and it was nice. :)

My feedback on Floret's "Discovering Dahlias" book...may I never be too old to buy a book just to look at the pictures. It's very pretty.
Last edited by Melissamaeday Mar 16, 2021 9:15 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 16, 2021 9:51 PM CST
Name: Shawn S.
Hampton, Virginia (Zone 8b)
Annuals Butterflies Dahlias Irises Morning Glories Orchids
Peonies Region: United States of America Zinnias
I have not seen it, though I'm sure it shows Dahlia blooms, quite nicely. "A picture is worth a thousand words." As the old saying goes.
Always nice to have, to look at.

Once the sun comes out, I'll try producing an old style, rooted cutting.
I wondered, if I ought to use some diluted fertilizer first, to have a more healthy growing piece, to cut.
As I doubt I used much at all, last year. Too many distractions were going on.
.
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Mar 17, 2021 6:30 AM CST
Thread OP
NW Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
Bee Lover Butterflies Dahlias Seed Starter Winter Sowing Region: Wisconsin
Happy St. Patrick's day dahlia friends!
🌼 Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” – John Harrigan
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Mar 17, 2021 7:34 AM CST
Port d'Envaux, France (Zone 9a)
A Darwinian gardener
New to dahlia growing as I tend to focus on other things and generally fewer flowers...other than roses. Anyway, I have decided that I have an area in the potager/veg garden that could do with some brightening up this year and have decided to devote a space to dahlias. The soil improves each year as I mulch and care for the veg garden more than many other areas in my garden. Soil is clay and limestone, actually not as bad a combination as it sounds as it retains moisture but still drains fairly freely. Having read as much as I could find here and in my gardening books I am open to any and all first-hand advice for a dahlia newbie.
I'm committed now, though, as one of the larger french nurseries has offered some discounts on varieties that are a bit less commonly found as the local nurseries all seemingly carry only the same two or three. Second in my decision making was the belief that given our climate here I won't necessarily have to dig and store the tubers - which is unlikely to happen given my penchant for procrastination.
All information gratefully received. Thanks.
I find myself most amusing.
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Mar 17, 2021 8:12 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
As a dahlia grower of many years, my only piece of advice would be: place the stake for each dahlia before you plant it and keep them tied to the stake.

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