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Original poster

Who’s growing Dahlias this year

490 replies

Onionbhajisandwich · 26/03/2022 20:40

What varieties are you growing this year? I’ve got some Babylon Bronze and Kelvin Floodlight (among quite a few others) that I’m really looking forward to growing this year!

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119
IcakethereforeIam · 30/07/2022 00:21

I think I read somewhere there are 60,000 different varieties. That can't be right, I want to grow them allll bwah ha ha...cough.

SheeplessAndCounting · 30/07/2022 02:17

Ahahhaaa I would not be surprised!

I comfort myself that actually it's a reason to grow more: you might discover a nee variety!

SheeplessAndCounting · 30/07/2022 02:18

*new

Stupid typing

Whitney168 · 30/07/2022 07:13

SheeplessAndCounting · 29/07/2022 23:32

I think this is my favourite so far of mine.

That is gorgeous, Sheepless - which variety?

Whitney168 · 30/07/2022 07:19

Yours is a ‘fimbriated dahlia’, Sheepless - I learnt that great word watching Gardener’s World the other week.😆 One (or more) of those is definitely on THE LIST for next year.

I think I probably have about 30 on the go this year, and THE LIST 😆 is already growing for next year, sigh. I grow for indoors as well as outdoors, and love the fact that I have flowers everywhere. Saw the first colour on an opening chrysanthemum bud yesterday, so they’ll soon be joining the party.

I can never work out whether dahlias and chrysanths have now been bred to be more attractive, or if I’m now just of that age to love them.

Whitney168 · 30/07/2022 07:27

Re. the genetic instability and doing odd things or growing wrong …

These two white dahlias are exactly the same plant. It was given to me as a My Love cutting (the semi cactus one), but grew as a waterlily type last year. Weird.

The dark one was bought as Karma Choc, which I loved so much last year I bought three more this year. None of them seem to be KC and no two are the same. 🤣 I think this one might be Ripples, but it’s very welcome whatever it is, producing lots of gorgeous flowers.

Now, I must break myself away from my obsession and take the dogs out, then I can do the morning rounds and see what they’re all producing me today to refresh my vases.

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
SheeplessAndCounting · 30/07/2022 12:34

It’s called Claire Obscur. I planted 6 of them!

SheeplessAndCounting · 30/07/2022 12:36

So weird aren’t they! These two are apparently the same variety. 🤔

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
SpiderVersed · 04/08/2022 10:51

Mine seem very much behind everyone else’s! First flower opened this week.

daisychain01 · 06/08/2022 07:13

You and me both @SpiderVersed well, actually I planted mine in pots at various different times this Spring and some have thick buds on but nowhere near ready to flower.

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
daisychain01 · 06/08/2022 07:17

I'll post up some photos later of my pots which haven't flowered yet. Nice leaves and plenty of buds but no flowers yet!

daisychain01 · 06/08/2022 07:19

@Whitney168 yours are beautiful. Aren't dahlia such amazing flowers, spidey ones and those smooth lacy honeycombed ones that remind me of those Christmas decorations made of tissue paper that you open up.

SpiderVersed · 06/08/2022 08:25

This is the one flower - it’s such a beautiful colour!

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Coastalcreeksider · 06/08/2022 10:13

Penhill Dark Monarch. Bought last year and still only getting one enormous head. I have to grow in pots as they get massacred in the garden. Will grow in a much bigger pot next year and see if I get more blooms.

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Unbored · 06/08/2022 10:36

Has anyone planted this late in the year?

I ordered some tubers yesterday- 50 for £5 and thought that I could put them away for next year but read that dahlias don’t like to be stored without being grown that year.

SheeplessAndCounting · 06/08/2022 11:14

I planted some of mine just a few weeks back as I had been too busy and they have shot up, are flowering already.

halfpasteleven · 06/08/2022 20:24

Need some help with my dahlias please..
The flowers are doing ok (although to look at them you wouldn't think it) but the leaves don't look well at all..
Any ideas please a to how to fix them?

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Whitney168 · 06/08/2022 20:46

This is mildew - presumably something to do with the mad weather, as I have one with it this year too, for the first time. Fortunately mine is in a pot away from the cutting beds, as it was a late purchase of a grown plant. It is still flowering fine.

I believe the advice is to remove the affected leaves (don’t add them to compost heap it you have one, although it is meant to be dahlia-specific). I did find a bug friendly mildew spray, which seems to have helped.

halfpasteleven · 06/08/2022 21:50

Thank you @Whitney168 I'll do what you have recommended and hopefully all will be well as they were flowering so well.

SeaRabbit · 07/08/2022 09:11

Some of mine aren't flowering yet either Daisychain. In part it's because I cut off all the buds when we went on holiday 4 weeks ago as I didn't want them setting seed, and possibly stopping flowering. I can't wait for Café au Lait. According to Sarah Raven 'Gerrie Hoek' is always the first to flower, and it is very early and is so lovely. The ones on her website have a bit of yellow in them, but mine doesn't. I'll take a photo and post it.

However one variety which I grew from seed years ago, a lovely tall pale yellow and orange one is just really late. It may break out a flower today. Curiously the one in the garden is doing no better than one I put in a pot, that was one tuber that broke off, but then I have been watering and feeding the pot. I've only started watering and feeding the ones I the garden recently.

For years I just grew them in pots, then planted them out and left them, but then I read that you should treat dahlias like teenage boys and give them lots of food and water. I did that last year, and they flowered so much better (and it was also really wet last year)

hoochyhag · 09/08/2022 06:57

Gosh glad Im not the only one. Lush growth from my five little beauties, but only one is intermittently producing flowers. I give them what water I can but its looking as if frosts may catch up with them before they do anything interesting 😔

hoochyhag · 09/08/2022 06:59

I like the teenage boys metaphor 😂
I am already thinking about overwintering and where to place them next year.
Looking around the local area (usuallybig on dahlias) not much sucess to be seen.

hoochyhag · 09/08/2022 06:59

Success even

applecatchers36 · 14/08/2022 21:26

Some cut dahlias from the garden

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
sunglassesonthetable · 15/08/2022 10:44

oh dear ! help!

Who’s growing Dahlias this year