Dahlias 2014 Season

[ian]

The judges were Ron Guest and Terry Bratcher

[dcdahlia]

Is there anyone who grows ryecroft pixie or ryecroft jan and has some spare tubers I could buy or swap for any varieties I have.

[Raymond]

dcdahlia they should have ryecroft pixie in Kent in Nov tubor sale I know who grows it. Very short in height.

I am looking to get it myself. If they have a tubor do you want one ?

Let me know

[scrumpy]

Oct 2, 2014 19:35:14 GMT dcdahlia said:

Is there anyone who grows ryecroft pixie or ryecroft jan and has some spare tubers I could buy or swap for any varieties I have.

I can sort you out Ryecroft Jan.

[dahliadave]

Thought the dahlias would have been finished off last night as we had a sharpish frost this morning- had to scrape the windscreen before travelling the 2 miles to work. Signs of frost on the ground by the Dahlias but they are still going. Took these photos this afternoon.

Field of Collerettes were alive with Red Admirals

Bryn Terfel flowering outside- late flowering as we get planted late.

 

and Clearview Sundance- one of the varieties in our trials. Flowering better now on later flushes and more breaks. Had very heavy centres earlier.

[dahliadave]

 

And a few more-

Elma E

Sue's Kilmorie, a sport from Kilmorie secured by Terry Bratcher

and Westerton Harry- flowering on 2nd flush

[Lou78W]

Frost already dahliadave!!....eek.....will have to get my skates on if I want to see the fields this year

[Moonlight]

Oct 2, 2014 21:10:26 GMT dahliadave said:

and Clearview Sundance- one of the varieties in our trials. Flowering better now on later flushes and more breaks. Had very heavy centres earlier.

Thought your comments about Sundance very interesting, my Dad grew it and had the same problem. Put him off growing it again. Disappointing.

Have you grown Clearview Audrey? Not fussed on that either which has loads of blooms. Both my Father and I haven't been able to show any because they aren't as good as Ryecroft Zoe, Ruskin Myra and Oakwood Goldcrest. The photos on their website are very good but difficult to tell until you grow them yourself. Ordered others from the US that haven't been a disappointment but not necessarily excel in the shows.

There are some good varieties from the US that have good features that fulfil the characteristics of classification classes but don't seem to break through because there are other dominant popular varieties that seem to always to win but technically don't fulfil the characteristics of a classification. I'm thinking of ball dahlias in particular.

n.b. I'm growing both Clearview Jenny and Candy Jayne but they're not the ones I mean. I grow these for fun, for me there is something quite satisfying seeing a dahlia that has had a tin of paint thrown at it.

[scrumpy]

There's a lot to be said for 2nd Flushes. Almost like having 2 plants for the price of one.
Now that I've found a few later shows I shall put a bit more effort in to getting them a bit better, especially the mediums.
Certainly works well for smalls and miniatures, especially Jan, Blyton Softer Gleam, Zoes, Ruskin Andrea and Brenda T.
Have got some nice looking Dianes but the stems are a bit weak, so I'd cane those to sort that out.
And I have got some nice White Charlie Two and Vals Candy in bloom at the moment.

[Moonlight]

Oct 3, 2014 10:04:51 GMT scrumpy said:

There's a lot to be said for 2nd Flushes. Almost like having 2 plants for the price of one.
Now that I've found a few later shows I shall put a bit more effort in to getting them a bit better, especially the mediums.
Certainly works well for smalls and miniatures, especially Jan, Blyton Softer Gleam, Zoes, Ruskin Andrea and Brenda T.
Have got some nice looking Dianes but the stems are a bit weak, so I'd cane those to sort that out.
And I have got some nice White Charlie Two and Vals Candy in bloom at the moment.

scrumpy Louise was the same but was alright for you. So I was thinking of giving Audrey another chance. I know that Dad won't be and he won't be growing Sundance either. Dad is planning on spending more time on his seedlings and it will cost less than buying expensive dahlias from overseas when he thinks that his seedlings (The ones that make it for the next growing season) are better.

When my Dad suggested I grew Trooper Dan last year I didn't want to because I thought it was ugly, from the ones that I had seen at shows but I've grown it this year and it is beautiful. I love it. I really like Oakwood Goldcrest which to me looks like a mini Eastwood Moonlight. I wonder if I could ever time it right to get a display together of each. I think that would look lovely. I like the dark reds like Pirate and deep purple of Marston George. Seems strange to me that I would like the yellows but tastes change.

I'm planning changing things around a bit. I'm thinking of growing Sir Alf and Hill Crest Candy alongside each other with maybe an Audrey. I've tried a lot of dark colours together this year with the hopes of potentially getting some dark seedlings next year. I think my best is a white lilac semi cactus, I don't grow enough dahlias to get loads of seedlings but the ones that I've had come up this year seem to have quite a lot of Jomanda dna which I think spoiled them. So next year I won't be growing any Jomanda anywhere near my darks of yellows or pinks.

Now's a time of reflection of what worked this year and what I want to avoid doing next year. I desperately want to go out petal plucking but I'm waiting on a phone call. So near yet so far.

[scrumpy]

Unless something is particularly bad, I always give them 2 seasons. 1st season gives you an idea, then pick the best of the plants and try an get all your cuttings off that one. Got one Louise that looks better than the others so that will be my reference plant. I will keep another tuber just in case.
Oakwood Goldcrest I can't get any decent length stems, always a nice bloom, but after 3 years it's on it's way for me.

[Tel]

Collected a few seeds from Garden Friends this morning.

[dcdahlia]

Been up the allotments tonight and managed to cut some Brenda T,oakwood goldcrest,willos violet,gurtla twilight,minley carol and some winholme diane as clean as a whistle so I am gonna give it one last bash tomorrow.Can't believe the winholmes are so clean this time of year first time I have grown it for ages the last time I grew it it damped off in august.Binning byton golden girl,marston lilac,kenora valentine and daves choice so if any one would like a tuber of these let me know.

[Tel]

Oct 3, 2014 19:50:47 GMT dcdahlia said:

Been up the allotments tonight and managed to cut some Brenda T,oakwood goldcrest,willos violet,gurtla twilight,minley carol and some winholme diane as clean as a whistle so I am gonna give it one last bash tomorrow.Can't believe the winholmes are so clean this time of year first time I have grown it for ages the last time I grew it it damped off in august.Binning byton golden girl,marston lilac,kenora valentine and daves choice so if any one would like a tuber of these let me know.

Why you binning Marston Lilac DC ?

I have not shown one Leopold Chloe all season, the early blooms were dropping their petals, then the main flush, there was not one clean bloom amongst them.

[MarkE]

frost had his first taste of my dahlias on Wednesday night!