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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
Harrysmummy246 · 07/01/2023 17:29

superdupernova · 07/01/2023 17:12

What do you all have growing in your dahlia spot while waiting for them to be ready to go outside?

At the work garden they followed peonies. At home, well they go wherever they fit and don't get munched

AR77 · 08/01/2023 09:23

That's exactly what happened to me last year! I'm tempted to do some in pots this year and then save the tubers of the ones I like for next year and give the others away.

daisychain01 · 08/01/2023 12:17

What do you all have growing in your dahlia spot while waiting for them to be ready to go outside?

@superdupernova My long border which goes the full length of our garden has a few permanent shrubs (hydrangea, daphne, evergreens like hebe and hellebore) to give some structure and winter interest, with large gaps between where I plant Spring-Autumn flashes of colour like allium, peony, poppy (giant red papery leaved variety with those massive opium-like poppy seed heads), sweetpea and a few mixed annuals I plant in situ.

I heavily mulch the soil with huge piles of deciduous leaves this time of year which conditions the soil, so I'm happy to leave the gaps as is, as I quite like the "green space" punctuating the border. In the summer it gets busy and congested, so winter is a bit of respite and gives the soil a rest.

Come Feb-Mar, the worms 🪱 become very active and drag all the mulching into the ground, so I don't need to do any digging 👍

MmePoppySeedDefage · 03/02/2023 07:31

Sarah Raven has 25% off dahlias at the moment. I've just bought this collection

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Harrysmummy246 · 04/02/2023 16:47

I solemnly promised I wouldn't buy any tubers for myself this year. About to lift the boxes down and just check over my existing then order a shed load for my new job which is definitely curing any itches for more plants it has to be said

Bunnycat101 · 04/02/2023 20:12

I didn’t get a chance to lift mine so hoping I might get some coming back but it’s been so wet and cold I’m not convinced. I’ve been eyeing up some new ones today. Those Sarah raven ones look lovely.

P0ppy8557 · 04/02/2023 20:23

I was going to stick it out and hope my Totally Tangerines came back up but caved today and bought some more just incase. Will go nicely with the Waltzing Matilda’s, Molly Ravens… I ordered too.😱

Augend23 · 04/02/2023 21:22

I have no dahlias myself but if anyone is a dahlia lover and in the East of the country, Anglesey Abbey has an entire dahlia garden which is just super. It's all graduated in colours and is a massive sweeping bed.

Example photos below. Made me think I might see about planting some myself but they seem very tall and I don't think I'm dedicated enough to staking them (never mind overwintering).

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
Who’s growing Dahlias this year
PostThenGhost · 09/04/2023 18:20

After growing a stunning display from seed last year then lifting all the tubers and struggling with a few going mouldy, I spent all winter checking them and waiting to be able to pot them up. However, I never managed it. due to circumstances I never managed to get compost and when I looked at my tubers yesterday a couple of them had already started to sprout.

I quickly planted them all straight into the garden and will have to hope for the best and pray the slugs don’t destroy them all.

Typically the expensive ones I actually bought as tubers because I loved them so much look in really bed shape and have no shoots. I’ve put those in a planter so I know which ones they are, I will keep my fingers crossed they are still alive.

WobblyLondoner · 09/04/2023 18:49

I planted up my tubers last weekend, all into pots (otherwise they just get slugged). All purple gem (originally one tiny tuber but now, 10 years in, they are huge and have been divided a number of times). I have a small north facing garden and not much room for the pots but I'm trying something new this year too - blue bajou I think it's called.

OkyDoke · 11/04/2023 14:11

Ah I'm panicking a bit, I planted my tubers a couple of weeks ago and no shoots yet... what have I done wrong? They're inside on a window sill! How often should I be watering?

jacksnowdon · 11/04/2023 14:34

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Yellowdays · 11/04/2023 17:56

I can't plant mine until around 21st. Hoping they don't dry out!

applecatchers36 · 11/04/2023 20:23

Planted mine outside 2 from Lidls 'purple gem' and 'my love' and 3 from crocus 'rocco', 'table dancer' and 'genova'. Seem to have gone for a purple, lilac, pink mix will be interesting to see how they turn out..

Sockpile · 12/04/2023 10:12

I put mine in pots a couple of days ago, about 15 different ones. I have a pack of five mystery ones coming from Farmer Gracy.
They were so beautiful last year and I’m looking forward to some lovely flowers again. It’s a shame that last years tubers didn’t survive the winter but am lucky that I was able to start again.

YouveGotToGrooveIt · 12/04/2023 11:15

Mine have all gone in the ground now.

The ones I grew and lifted last year all looked healthy. Sadly, some I bought from Farmer Gracy and stored look very shivelled so it's 50/50 if they will make it.

The slugs are going to be a risk, but they are grown in the cutting bed on the allotment so I'm afaid they will have to just get on with it Grin

ThursdayLastWeek · 12/04/2023 16:52

I am delighted because it appears I did not kill my tubers by drying them out and overwintering them in my garage! Hurrah!

I can’t remember when I potter these up, maybe a month ago now. They’ll go into big pots on my patio (that’s all we have) in another few weeks probably when the weather warms up a bit.

Who’s growing Dahlias this year
PostThenGhost · 12/04/2023 22:27

I’m so envious Thursday yours have a lovely start there.

IcakethereforeIam · 13/04/2023 13:27

I planted mine a couple of weeks ago in pots. I got excited today because I could see green! Turned out to be ivy trimmings.

Is it too late to start some from seed?

TheGander · 14/04/2023 11:35

Shout out to Woolmans ( I have no commercial link to them) I found the dahlia I’ve been looking for ( Addison June, shocking pink pompon) was able to buy a single tuber at a good price, free P& P and very fast delivery. It’s for my allotment I already have happy halloween, chat noir and a cactus style dark one ( if they have survived the winter).

Spirini · 15/04/2023 12:31

@mummymummymummummum @whatwasIgoingtosay @ShowOfHands

I didn't lift the ones in my garden but I'm not seeing shoots yet, surely I should be seeing something by now?

TheGander · 15/04/2023 16:13

Not untilMay for me, and I’m in London.

mummymummymummummum · 15/04/2023 17:35

Spirini · 15/04/2023 12:31

@mummymummymummummum @whatwasIgoingtosay @ShowOfHands

I didn't lift the ones in my garden but I'm not seeing shoots yet, surely I should be seeing something by now?

I’m not expecting to see mine yet. Can’t remember when they normally appear, but it is quite late. I generally assume they’ve died!

Spirini · 15/04/2023 19:45

@TheGander @mummymummymummummum
That's v reassuring, thank you. I scraped back the earth a bit in the hope I'd see some shoots underneath but nothing.

My climate would be a bit cooler than London so I'll have to sit tight. @TheGander

ShowOfHands · 15/04/2023 21:02

I'm in East Anglia and mine started coming through 3 weeks ago. They're currently thriving. I seriously neglect them and they just keep coming back.