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dahlia
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:16 am
by david71
i have only one dahlia plant, in a pot, which flowered last year. it was so good that i would like to grow it on again next year. can anyone advise me as how to keep it and get it to flower again next season ?
thanks in anticipation
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:58 am
by alan refail
David
Snap! We have just one in a pot this year. What I'll do is what I used to do when I grew a lot of dahlias.
When the foliage is dying down, take the tuber out of the pot and clean off the compost. Keep frost free, about 40F is fine. Next year put it on a bit of compost and water it slightly. It will start to sprout, and you're away. You can either divide the tubers, making sure that each one has a growing shoot, or leave it longer and take cuttings.
All the info is here:
http://www.jrg-dahlias.co.uk/how_to_grow_dahlias.htm
Alan
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:56 pm
by strawberry tart
Tks for that link Alan. S.T.
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:49 pm
by oldherbaceous
Dear Alan you certainly have come up trumps with that link.
Something new to me, i never knew there were dahlias with a scent.
I will be pawing over this site when i have a little more time.
Thankyou again.
dahlias
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:49 pm
by david71
Thank you Alan, I have several tubers in the pot, do I split them up at this stage?
Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:51 pm
by alan refail
I'd be inclined to leave splitting till later.
Alan
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:27 am
by Johnboy
Hi Alan and David,
With Dahlias there is generally only one growing tuber and the growth will come from that only.
Although there maybe several tubers the ones other than the main one are stored food for the plant and generally speaking do not produce shoots. The one to concentrate on is the one with the remains of last years stalk. Do not be tempted to split the tubers up as that is the route of disaster.
I no longer grow them here because of very late frosts and then later on in the season very early frosts so the growing season here is too short for them and they get cut off in their prime so to speak. When your plants are up and growing and you want to bush them out you take the tops out and they too will strike and make quite good plants by the end of the season. These must be taken before the stem goes hollow as hollow stems very seldom strike.
Hope this helps you.
JB.
dahlias
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:07 am
by david71
many thanks JB for your advice
David