Dahlias

We just bought some yellow and orange dwarf dahlias. Instructions said to remove the dead flowers to promote growth of new ones. What is the best way to remove these....just the flower itself - leaving the pod, or the whole head and leaving a stem? Which is better...pinching it off or cutting? Thanks

I cut my spent flowers heads off as close to the leaf junction as I can. Works great for promoting new blooms.

Thank you very muck rikerbear, and I will follow your lead!

Enjoy your dahlias....I should warn you they are addicting :-)
Soon you'll be planting dinner plate dahlias, mark my words LOL

Rikerbear, I love dahlias but I am not really crazy about dinnerplates. We raise a very small commercial field(about an acre)of dahlias and about 100 varieties. Only three are dinnerplates. We are thinking we should get a few more dinnerplates as there seems to be those like yourself who love those big fellas.Do you have any special color favorites?

I bought several yellow-flowered 'Dahliettas' at Home Depot. They are supposed to be dwarf.

I had never even noticed dahlias before (duh!) and thought that they didn't grow here. Now, after researching dahlias and seeing some of the gorgeous blooms, I think I'm hooked. And how!

Never having seen dahlias actually growing in anyone's garden, can anyone tell me the 'average' size of the plants? Aren't they usually two- to three-feet in height?

Jean

It depends on the variety of dahlia and on the growing conditions. I have some as low as 10 inches and others that top off around 5 feet.
For me I have had best success by planting in good morning and early afternoon sun, with dappled and or shaded sun in the hot mid and late afternoon. I keep their roots cool by underplanting whenever possible rather than mulch, as dahlias don't like wet feet. They like a good deep watering once ever week or so.
Always deadhead the blooms to encourage more bloom production....and if you want larger blloms be sure and pinch off the side forming buds leaving only one bud per stem. I only do tis on some of my dinner plates....I like the full look of the dwarfs....but that's just me.
Dahlias are indeed a passion, and HIGHLY addicting. :-)

RikerBear

Thanks riker. I had planned to plant them in full sun (as directed on the tag), but after reading your post, I think I'll give them a little more protection, as the late-afternoon sun, here, would probably fry them to a crisp.

Enjoy them, as I know you will. The biggest tip I could give you would be to stake the dahlia at the time of planting....this minamizes the risk of damge to the tuber by plunging the stake though it while buried.

I had a few dahliettas last year, they are very new. Such pretty little miniatures.

So Polymorphus how did your dahlias do this year?

Mine have grown so fast. Don't know what kind they are, and there seems to have been 2 in one pot...but I love 'em!

sandi

Oh my...I *do* love my dahlias...and everyone else's too. :-)
You guys that live in the warmer climates probably don't have to lift and store your tubers, but I do...and it's a small price to pay for such wonderful plants and gorgeous colors. Not to mention the fabulous forms available. But my favorite purpose for growing dahlias is that they make *wonderful* subjects for flower and macro photography.

~julie~

Here are a few of my dahlias....they make the best arrangments

Second Pix

Last one :)

R.B. Those are GORGEOUS!!

~julie~

I do believe if Dahlias had fragrance they would be a near perfect flower.
Thanks for the compliment Julie. :)

Oh, my glad I checked this thread. I posted a message under "Garden Talk" yesterday regarding Dahliettas. I have Powder Puff Blue Bayou Dahlias that do exceptionally well each year and that I faithfully lift each fall and store. I now understand from this thread that the Daliettas are relatively new which I guess is why I haven't heard much about them. I got no responses to the question I asked regarding these little beauties, even a local nursery was stumped. When I bought several of these dwarf dahlias, they were in 6 in pots and I planted directly into a south exposure flower bed. They have done wonderfully well and have tripled their size in only a few weeks. What I want to know is whether I treat them like a Dahlia and expect to see a tuber under there when I dig them up that I can store, or are they just annuals? Anybody?

Thanks for any info.

Donna

Yes Donna, treat them as any other dahlia....and yes you will find tubers under them when dug for Fall.
Any pix? I've not seen the Podwer Puff Blue before....................

Lenjo, I am SO sorry I didn't see your question regarding dinnerplate color favorites....dated 3-27-04
My favorites are purples, whites, and rose pinks......but truly any are great.
It never fails that the bigger the flower the bigger the Ooohs and Ahhhhs are when I take arrangments to work.

Thanks so much rikerbear. You are the first person i've talked tothat knows for sure. I will treat it like an other Dahlia then. They are real littel sweethearts. I'm going to look forward to having them bloom in my garden next year. Here is a pic of a Powder Puff Blue Bayou Dahlia. Very showy. I get lots of compliments on mine.

Very sweet looking....my only Dahliettas are a deep burgundy color with a yellow eye, very showey.
The tuber/bulb you'll find under the plant will look more like that of say a crocus, than the traditional dahlia 'finger' tuber. Good luck over wintering them....I'm lucky I don;t have to dig mine :-)

Ok, Ok, don't rub it in! LOL The pic that I posted is that of a normal full size Dahlia. I didn't know if you realized that or not. My Dahliettas are yellow, burgandy and a rosy pink in color.

Oh wow, the flower looks so much like my dahliettas, or mini dahls :-) Some how I just assumed by the name and by the flower shape that it was a mini....sorry :-)
Oh and sorry for the rub rub (hehehehehehehe)

R.B. says "Oh and sorry for the rub rub (hehehehehehehe)"

I say...."Yeah, RIGHT!" (hehehehehehe) Just a little "zone envy" going on here, what with first frost looming just around corner, and me with LOTS of dahlias, cannas, and bunches of other stuff ...yeah..."zone envy." :-)

~julie~

Well if it helps I know all about zone envy.....I visit the Tropical forum to often :-P Other than maybe this week, I would love to live in Florida and grow gorgeous 'stuff' all year.
My years in San Diego were wasted, as I was not into gardening much than....a little, but not like I should have been.

In hurricane season I don't have *that* much zone envy either. ;-)
I'm hoping all our gardening members in THAT path are safe and sound!

~julie~