Dahlias for beginners 2012 season

[robh]

i have a weston spannish dancer tuber it has been in the shed all winter i just came across it but that shows no sighn of life

[jrae]

My new dahlias hayley jane and fashion monger has started blooming but I think they have some sort of virus, the leaves have yellow spots and the blooms are deformed. I know that if it's a virus can't do anything about it but I don't want to throw it away. Would regular feeding help it cope anyways? It gets fertilizer only once a month like all my other plants.

[jrae]

It's already gotten some chelated iron as I thought at first it could just be a nutrient problem but it's still having problems with yellow spots on the leaves although the newer buds haven't opened up yet so I can't tell if they're fine or not.

[Tel]

If it first started on the bottom leaves and is working its way up the plant, it may be dahlia smut.
Look for a copper based fungicide, and take off the effected leaves and spray the rest of the plant.
Dahlia smut can stay in the soil and effect the dahlias next year, so if you can move your planting area, or spray your plants before the spots start.

Do your plants look like this, because i do not think you will have a virus.

[jrae]

Mine looks like a jigsaw puzzle Tel, large yellow patches here and there. The new buds have opened and they're deformed as well. Most of my dahlias are in pots and I've already moved them to my "plant ICU." I've noticed that the yellow spots starts from the leaf edges and then a day later most of it is yellow.

[steve2t]

I've got quite a few plants of noreen (pom) & the buds that are nearing maturity are showing a large amount of central disc like a single!!! they also look very poor. Can I do anything to rescue the situation? I had poms last year with no problems (milny carol) Or do I get the strimmer out!

[Tel]

Aug 19, 2012 22:08:44 GMT steve2t said:

I've got quite a few plants of noreen (pom) & the buds that are nearing maturity are showing a large amount of central disc like a single!!! they also look very poor. Can I do anything to rescue the situation? I had poms last year with no problems (milny carol) Or do I get the strimmer out!

Over the years i have had a few varieties that have flowered daisy eyed ( open centre) the plants were healthy enough, the following season the blooms were fine again. What caused it to happen i do not know, i put it down to the summer not suiting that particular variety that year.

[scrumpy]

Aug 19, 2012 22:08:44 GMT steve2t said:

I've got quite a few plants of noreen (pom) & the buds that are nearing maturity are showing a large amount of central disc like a single!!! they also look very poor. Can I do anything to rescue the situation? I had poms last year with no problems (milny carol) Or do I get the strimmer out!

I have not had a decent Noreen out of at least 200 blooms that have flowered. Not so much daisy eyed, just no centres. Strimmer in my case

[robh]

i have a few dahlias that are open in the centre clockfaced i think i will bin them they arnt what i expected

[steve2t]

Yep strimmer! Another lesson learned! Just a shame I propagated the 60 plants Although it could have been worse I could have spent £120 on plants . I don't have 3 varieties now for Chipping show.

[Moonlight]

Is there going to be a dahlias for the beginners in 2013 thread this year?

[Rosie]

There will be moonlight, we can easily start one up ;D

[Moonlight]

Thank you I am going to need it.

[Tel]

Jan 2, 2013 11:14:38 GMT Moonlight said:

Thank you I am going to need it.

I have started one off Moonlight, just need a Mod to make it a sticky.

[Rosie]

All stickied Tel ;D