Who’s growing Dahlias this year

[Onionbhajisandwich]

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!

@Looseleaf

This is disappointing as I had my first year last year and have been watering my large dahlia pot expectantly until this thread when realised I should have dug them up or protected them! Perhaps I will use their pot for tomatoes instead now unless any hope they might have survived!

I never dig up mine and they come up every year. First time was an oversight, second was curiosity.

I’ve ordered tubers from Sarah Raven and I’m waiting for them to come. Chose Hollyhill Spiderwoman', 'Rebecca's World’, 'Engelhardts Matador’, 'White Onesta', 'Café au Lait Royal' and 'Thomas A. Edison'.

I bought three varieties of tuber from wilko last year and they were outstanding. Only a couple of pounds per tuber, if that. I can’t remember the varieties but they were a shirt white one, and two purple ones, one was spikey and one was daisy like. It was the first time I’d ever grown them and I was blown away by the amount of blooms and the length of the flowering season.

I have my fingers crossed for the Sarah Raven ones as reviews were mixed last year, some people saying they came to nothing.

I’ve got cafe au lait to plant. Mine didn’t do well last year but did super well the first year. Think I either started them too early or the slugs got them. I can’t be doing with lifting tubers so I’ll be interested to see if any of my failures from last year manage to re-grow from the tubers un the ground or not.

Can someone tell me what I need to do with tubers? This is my first time using them and not seed.

I have them set, but when do I need to dig them up, and how can I store them?

I bought a bag of 5 mixed Bishops tubers from J.Parkers and I have them in big pots sitting on the underfloor heating in. I put them in a week ago and two have started sprouting already. This year, if I get enough sprouts, I think I will try taking cuttings from them, as it said in my Garden News magazine that you get better, stronger plants from the cuttings than from the tubers.

@Whadda you don't need to dig them up in the autumn unless you're in a very cold spot, but you should cover them with straw once the leaves have died down. If you want to dig them up, then store them in a cool, dry place, but they don't always overwinter successfully. I leave mine in the ground and they're usually fine unless the winter is very severe.

I bought some tubers. Are they way to grow in pots? Or must I put them in the ground ?

Mine didn't flower last year. I think I may have overfed them.

@WellTidy

I’ve ordered tubers from Sarah Raven and I’m waiting for them to come. Chose Hollyhill Spiderwoman', 'Rebecca's World’, 'Engelhardts Matador’, 'White Onesta', 'Café au Lait Royal' and 'Thomas A. Edison'.

I bought three varieties of tuber from wilko last year and they were outstanding. Only a couple of pounds per tuber, if that. I can’t remember the varieties but they were a shirt white one, and two purple ones, one was spikey and one was daisy like. It was the first time I’d ever grown them and I was blown away by the amount of blooms and the length of the flowering season.

I have my fingers crossed for the Sarah Raven ones as reviews were mixed last year, some people saying they came to nothing.

Thats given me hope!! Despite looking at farmer gracey etc I have 2 lots of wilko ones which look pretty on the front so fingers crossed mine turn out as good as yours

[quote whatwasIgoingtosay]@Whadda you don't need to dig them up in the autumn unless you're in a very cold spot, but you should cover them with straw once the leaves have died down. If you want to dig them up, then store them in a cool, dry place, but they don't always overwinter successfully. I leave mine in the ground and they're usually fine unless the winter is very severe.[/quote]
Thank you @whatwasIgoingtosay

me! I went to the gorgeous Burford garden centre recently and bought some Cafe au Lait, Kiev (bought this in support of Ukraine obvs) and something else... went for the giant blooms in creams and oranges. I planted them into pots last week an they are in the cold frame, so I hope that's good.. will also peruse Sarah Raven this week

Do tubers in pots need heat to get going?

Im anxiously checking my sarah raven tubers for shoots but nothing yet. Might have over committed somewhat and greenhouse full of them.

I dont have mine on a heat matt @Sunflowersinthewind

Ahh blooming love dahlias! This year I’ve tried to be good and only bought 2 new varieties: Thomas A Edison (after seeing it at RHS Wisley) & Crème de Cassis.

To add to the collection of:
Wine eyed Jill
Arabian Night
Salmon Runner
Jowey Winnie
Cafe au lait
Gabrielle
And a couple of random ones from Sarah Raven which were completely not what I ordered and don’t match to the names I have for them when I google it… safe to say I won’t be ordering from there again. I like Farmer Gracy and Swan Cottage Flowers for tubers. Going to be brave and attempt to propagate from cuttings this year after seeing on gardeners world that the flowers are more vibrant if grown from cuttings rather than tubers!

@TheSpottedZebra I’m growing 49 different varieties (one of each) - all of them new to me. I grew about 20 different varieties last year and fell in love with them - Seattle, penhill dark monarch and Maya were my favourites. I’ll upload you some pictures of last years.

@ThursdayLastWeek no colour scheme. I’ve literally just ordered ones that I like the colours or shapes of. I’ve got a few earmarked for other people where they will fit in with colour schemes though.

@Looseleaf

This is disappointing as I had my first year last year and have been watering my large dahlia pot expectantly until this thread when realised I should have dug them up or protected them! Perhaps I will use their pot for tomatoes instead now unless any hope they might have survived!

I've never lifted mine. They come back bigger and with more flowers every year! Quite a sheltered garden though.

How often should you water the tubers when waiting for them to sprout? I read to do it once and then not again until they appear?

@TheSpottedZebra here you go

@MargotandJerrywerehot last year I just watered at the point of potting them then held off until I saw some shoots.

I’m another one with a packet of bishop’s children seeds! I’m on a serious budget this year and I have 18 seedlings for the princely sum of £2.50 so I’m delighted.

Me! I planted some for the first time last year. Massive slug attack but once I figured out how to get rid of them, they were gorgeous and kept flowering until nearly Christmas!

I am planting different coloured ones in different parts of the garden, but not until my spring flowers have finished.

Thanks op-ill hold my nerve!

first time growing them last year. i stored my dahlias wrapped with brown paper in a cardboard box in the autumn, i checked on them a couple of times, so i’ll plant them soon, hope they’re ok.

Rhubarb and custard
Bishop of york

I’m planting them for the first time this year. I have tubers rather than seeds. What are the pros and cons of each please? I’m so excited. I LOVE dahlias
My understanding is that April is when you plant tubers out.