Dahlias 2013 Season

[Moonlight]

Yesterday I entered this vase of 2 Jomandas and a Downham Royal...


and won the Novice Perpetual Challenge Cup.

[Moonlight]

I'd have put a post up earlier but I spent too long putting updates in my Diary and it's taking a long time to get going this morning after all the excitement and stress of a dahlia show straight after floods which ruined most of my dahlias and indeed everyone else who does not use covers, round here. There were loads less entries in this the Annual show to last year but the week before at the mini show there were was a lot higher entries to the previous year. Such a shame after all the hard work and dedication.

Looking forward to next year and the Intermediate classes. Not bad going considering this is my 1st year and I only have 1 plant of each variety with the exception of Downham Royal which is super special to me and Happy Halloween which isn't.

[markb]

Aug 25, 2013 22:41:43 GMT scrumpy said:

Don't give up.
As i've said many a time, you don't need 100's of plants. My 134 plants, with the majority 6 of each variety, with the occasional 8, and for mediums 5 of each variety, managed over 60 vases for two separate shows. And I could have done another show easily.
And I still reckon with a little effort I could use the same plants for September shows.

I agree totally. Even at the show today I was told "cut down on the varieties and grow more of each", my reply was that I'd already done that and it hasn't worked so it will be no more than 10 of anything and maybe 20 varieties.

I used to grow this way before and it worked for me as it does for you Scrumpy. I'll try and get them for early shows though as the September shows all ask for vases of five for anything smaller than a medium.

[Tel]

Well done Moonlight, especially after the awful weather before the show. the cup is yours now.
Onwards and upwards now.

[scrumpy]

And congratulations from me. Always nice to get your first trophy.

[scrumpy]

Aug 26, 2013 17:38:51 GMT markb said:

Aug 25, 2013 22:41:43 GMT scrumpy said:

Don't give up.
As i've said many a time, you don't need 100's of plants. My 134 plants, with the majority 6 of each variety, with the occasional 8, and for mediums 5 of each variety, managed over 60 vases for two separate shows. And I could have done another show easily.
And I still reckon with a little effort I could use the same plants for September shows.

I agree totally. Even at the show today I was told "cut down on the varieties and grow more of each", my reply was that I'd already done that and it hasn't worked so it will be no more than 10 of anything and maybe 20 varieties.

I used to grow this way before and it worked for me as it does for you Scrumpy. I'll try and get them for early shows though as the September shows all ask for vases of five for anything smaller than a medium.

The other thing to consider when choosing how many to grow of a variety is how many you grow up.
Things like Ryecroft Zoe, Ruskin Andrea, Mary's Jomanda, that I grow up as many as I can, you don't need as many plants as those that you grow 5 or 6 up, like the goldcrests.
I aim for one bloom per plant being ready on a particular day, so to do a vase of 5 that's a minimum of 5 plants. With an early stop, and a later stop, with 10 of a variety, you should be able to do September shows as well I reckon.
Best of both worlds that way

[markb]

Thanks Scrumpy. September shows would depend on weather conditions. Although our site is south facing it is very open and already this year heavy dews have caused some spotting. Should be okay on miniature decs as the ones I have are all weatherproof (so far): 'George Marston', 'Barbarry Pip', 'Barbarry Sunbeam' and 'Lillian Marston'.

We'll have to see what next term brings, but I want to be able to stage championship classes where possible.

[Moonlight]

:)Thank you guys. re. Next year, well I did go round and take notes of varieties that I liked and in particular the varieties that were used in the Intermediate classes.

[scrumpy]

Aug 26, 2013 19:31:31 GMT markb said:

Thanks Scrumpy. September shows would depend on weather conditions. Although our site is south facing it is very open and already this year heavy dews have caused some spotting. Should be okay on miniature decs as the ones I have are all weatherproof (so far): 'George Marston', 'Barbarry Pip', 'Barbarry Sunbeam' and 'Lillian Marston'.

We'll have to see what next term brings, but I want to be able to stage championship classes where possible.

Barbarry Pip has certainly withstood the elements for me. Also Loretta, which looks as if it can be grown a lot up as it is a lot bigger than the others and has huge stems. Not so sure about Ryecroft Jan as the thrips seem to love it.
But I've got them all growing nicely on the 2nd flush so we'll see what they look like in a few weeks time.

[derekbrooks]

The only class I couldn't enter at our show last Saturday was the medium decs. The only one I grow is Alf's Mascot and the flowers were daisy eyed. They were like this last year as well. Is this just a fault with the variety and do I need to get another variety for next year?

[scrumpy]

Aug 26, 2013 20:44:56 GMT derekbrooks said:

The only class I couldn't enter at our show last Saturday was the medium decs. The only one I grow is Alf's Mascot and the flowers were daisy eyed. They were like this last year as well. Is this just a fault with the variety and do I need to get another variety for next year?

I've had that before with that variety. Never had it with white charlie two.

[steve2t]

Tried to kid myself by looking for a vase for NWDS tomorrow. Nowt. Spent more time pulling plants up and when I filled the green bin, sprayed the other
virused ones with roseate. 6 poms out today (Rhonda) all daisy eyed, so I sprayed them with roseate, I suspected they were going to turn out like this
as they looked the same as last yrs Noreen.
2 blooms of Joan Walker look superb and a good size! (Thanks dc!!!!)
The last remaining plant of Heidi looks promising from the size of the buds, but one plant is neither use nor ornamemt.

Pig sick in Lancs.

[dcdahlia]

Well done moolight,no stopping you now.Pleased you like the joan walker steve.Finaly got both gardens covered just in time as everything is beginning to move.Got a little worried that I had been to ruthless knocking back but they should be ok only charlie two that looks like it might be a little later than the rest.Some blooms might be a touch smaller than usual as a lot are on wing buds and side buds.Touch wood (no damping off )I should have some good cuts for shows on the 7th,14,15th and 22nd of september.

[scrumpy]

Sounds promising....looking forward to the photos.

[lesley]

Can some one help me I have loads of foliage on two of my dahlia's plants and NO flower buds what am I doing wrong, one is Sir Alfie which I got from a cutting back in the spring and the other one is Hootenanny which was last years tuber.