First time growing Dahlias . . .

[Deereamer]

I’ve managed to grow this beauty. Not much else seems to have gone to plan this year - rubbish sweet peas, slugs have demolished my favourite hosta, I’ve a massive massive black fly problems but this just makes it worthwhile

What’s gone well in your garden so far this year?

That’s lovely.
I’m a fairly new dahlia enthusiast, I had always left the tubers in the ground in the couple of years I’ve been growing them. Gutted that this year they had rotted.
My new border of pollinator plants have been attracting lots of bees which I’m thrilled about.

@Heyyeahyouwiththesadface I’m going to try leaving the dahlias in the ground. We have a fairly sheltered garden so I’m hoping they will be ok. Your foxgloves are a really lovely colour! I like seeing all the bees - there seems to be lots this year!

My dahlias have not gone to plan at all. It was my first year so I bought some cheap tubers from Sainsbury's. They were about 40-50cm tall when I finally planted them out... then the slugs and snails devoured them in about 2 days. They weren't quite dead so I left them there and they keep trying to make a comeback. I was overjoyed to spot a flower growing last week but rather than the bright pink or yellow I expected, it's a deep burgundy. Lovely in isolation but sticks out like a sore thumb next to my pink roses. Im still tempted to try again next year but using nematodes to keep the slugs at bay and buying specific varieties online.

Gorgeous - well done OP

Mine have leaves - and that's it.

Lovely flowers, both the dahlia and the foxglove. I grow dahlias in pots and in the ground. They always do much much better in pots - harder for slugs and snails, better control of water etc. These are the ones in pots - the ones in the ground haven't flowered yet and are quite tatty because of snails etc. They are definitely having a good year.

Gar!

Sorry, can't seem to post a photo.

Lupins have gone well for me. Grown from seed last year and this year much bigger

Mixed bag for me this year, slugs and snails have had a field day with my sunflowers and dahlias and my nasturtiums are covered in little black creatures but, I have one or two dahlias that have made it.

Lovely to hear people are seeing more bees 🐝 this year. I’m definitely going to add some foxgloves and lupins for next summer the colours are gorgeous.

Oops photo didn’t work, trying again

I'm not bothering with Dahlias again. I bought tubers, carefully put them in a tray with compost, potted them on, watered and pinched them out and let them take over my sitting room because of the late frosts.

They were about 18 inches tall when I planted them out. Of the ten healthy plants that went out two have produced a couple of lovely dark red flowers each. The biggest ones have produced wishy washy orange flowers - almost salmon coloured, very disappointing and not very many.

The rest still look exactly the same as they did a month ago despite feeding and watering and loving care.

I'm not going to bother again.

This is my first attempt at growing dahlias from a tuber. It’s been trial and error really, they seemed to be dying for a while but are now doing really well.

@StormzyinaTCup that’s really lovely! I’m definitely going for more yellow dahlias next year.

@TurquoiseBaubles I must admit, I haven’t done any of that with mine. Just stuck them in a pot with compost, watered once then pretty much left them until they had shoots. I haven’t fed them either.

They are stunning. One if my neighbours has dozens of different types. I only noticed this year and asked what they are. I have no luck with flowers so debating whether to try tulips or dahlias next year

I had to give up on dahlias due to slugs and snails, despite trying all sorts of deterrents. Though I did have one dahlia which was indestructible, and coincidentally turned out to be a very ugly colour - maybe the slugs thought so too!

Dahlias here too. I am amazed at how good they are, just cheap tubers from wilko. I planted them in three pots in April and they went straight out into the garden. I brought the smallest two in overnight for a couple of weeks but the heavier one stayed in situ. I’ve watered and fed but that’s it. I am in awe and will definitely plant more next year, but maybe buy more of one variety and then look to plant them in the beds once they’re bigger.

I love Dahlias they are my favourite flower.
I love Pom Pom dahlias best.

Oooohhhh @DuesToTheDirt talking of ugly colours, I’ve grown some black eyed Susan’s this year and they are the exact same colour as sick . . . .

@ArcherDog wow! You have some really beautiful colours! I bet your garden looks amazing!

Another dahlia novice here but I have no idea what they look like as they are only just forming buds.

I bought some cheap mixed tubers and initially put them in pots, then planted them out once the torrential rain in May stopped.

It's interesting because the slugs and snails definitely seem to eat some of them more than others.

The slugs and rabbits have absolutely destroyed my dahlias, and I’m gutted. They were big and bushy beauties, now they’re half dead and I’m debating internally about whether to do something to help them or leave them alone and see what happens.

I’ve had a fair amount of success with some rock plants and growing plug plants on my windowsill!

I was gifted a couple of dahlia seedlings a few years ago. They only had one or two flowers each so I just left them in the ground but they never did much. Felt sure I would have lost them as this last winter was so severe but they are still alive and looking good now. Such a bright pink it makes me smile every time I see it.

I would like to move them to another bed so am thinking of digging them up this winter but scared it might kill them.

@that1970shouse wow what a lovely colour!

[quote Deereamer]@that1970shouse wow what a lovely colour![/quote]
The photo isn't quite true. It's a very, very strong "in your face" hot pink, not quite as red as it looks in the pic.