Dahlia tubers?

[Anonymous]

Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

[Anonymous]

OP here--also what variety do you recommend for the DC zone? I like dinner plate size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here--also what variety do you recommend for the DC zone? I like dinner plate size.

I prefer smaller and single blooms because I like early and prolific flowers, but dinner plates will also do well in our area. There is a dahlia enthusiast in Damascus called John Spangenberg, who is very active in the DC dahlia community.He sells his tubers on crazy4dahlias.com. I think he will be sold out by now but the varieties he lists will all grow well here. Several of his dahlias won awards at last year’s dahlia show.
I have bought from Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s and they have grown very well for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

Poor quality tubers can have blind eyes. Those tubers will never sprout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

Poor quality tubers can have blind eyes. Those tubers will never sprout.

In that case it would not grow. It would not grow but not bloom, as Pp indicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

Poor quality tubers can have blind eyes. Those tubers will never sprout.

In that case it would not grow. It would not grow but not bloom, as Pp indicated.

OP here--not sure what happened. Several grew and looked like they would bloom but turned black and died. The others never broke ground. Planted in sunny spot of lawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here--also what variety do you recommend for the DC zone? I like dinner plate size.

I prefer smaller and single blooms because I like early and prolific flowers, but dinner plates will also do well in our area. There is a dahlia enthusiast in Damascus called John Spangenberg, who is very active in the DC dahlia community.He sells his tubers on crazy4dahlias.com. I think he will be sold out by now but the varieties he lists will all grow well here. Several of his dahlias won awards at last year’s dahlia show.
I have bought from Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s and they have grown very well for me.

Thank you--just bought from Brent and Becky's. Will check out local guy too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

Poor quality tubers can have blind eyes. Those tubers will never sprout.

In that case it would not grow. It would not grow but not bloom, as Pp indicated.

OP here--not sure what happened. Several grew and looked like they would bloom but turned black and died. The others never broke ground. Planted in sunny spot of lawn.

Dahlias tubers will rot very easily if the ground is wet before the sprout. I start mine in containers and then put them in the ground when they have a few sets of leaves. I also apply a lot of Sluggo until they get well established. Slugs can really do a number on the young shoots. Stake the dahlias when you are planting the tuber and tie the stem as it grows. Or be lazy like me and just use a tomato cage. I also pinch out the top shoot when the dahlias have several sets of leaves. This encourages them to form lateral branches and you will get a nice bushy plant with lots more blooms.

[Anonymous]

I agree, sounds like they rotted.

Op when you say lawn, you mean a bed within a lawn right? Not right into the grass?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree, sounds like they rotted.

Op when you say lawn, you mean a bed within a lawn right? Not right into the grass?

Sorry, yes--it was in a bed in very sunny part of the yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, sounds like they rotted.

Op when you say lawn, you mean a bed within a lawn right? Not right into the grass?

Sorry, yes--it was in a bed in very sunny part of the yard.

Also, when did you plant them? (Approximate date) When did they turn black and die? Did you amend the soil at all? Did you add any fertilizer during the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, sounds like they rotted.

Op when you say lawn, you mean a bed within a lawn right? Not right into the grass?

Sorry, yes--it was in a bed in very sunny part of the yard.

Also, when did you plant them? (Approximate date) When did they turn black and die? Did you amend the soil at all? Did you add any fertilizer during the summer?

I planted in May and they came up in early July. They turned black after I pinched them. I did not amend the soil or fertilize--I didn't know I had to!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swan Island and Brent and Becky’s have plenty of dahlias still available. Also Longfield Gardens.

Thank you, are these good quality? The ones I bought last year did not bloom.

That’s probably a growing problem and not a tuber problem. No offense intended, I just can’t think of
anything that would be wrong with the tuber that could cause that. It could not grow or have disease but I don’t think that would cause no blooms. Maybe not enough sun?

Poor quality tubers can have blind eyes. Those tubers will never sprout.

In that case it would not grow. It would not grow but not bloom, as Pp indicated.

OP here--not sure what happened. Several grew and looked like they would bloom but turned black and died. The others never broke ground. Planted in sunny spot of lawn.

Dahlias tubers will rot very easily if the ground is wet before the sprout. I start mine in containers and then put them in the ground when they have a few sets of leaves. I also apply a lot of Sluggo until they get well established. Slugs can really do a number on the young shoots. Stake the dahlias when you are planting the tuber and tie the stem as it grows. Or be lazy like me and just use a tomato cage. I also pinch out the top shoot when the dahlias have several sets of leaves. This encourages them to form lateral branches and you will get a nice bushy plant with lots more blooms.

PP, what type of containers do you use and what type of soil? When do you transfer?