Newbie question planning for 2017

[johnjess]

Hi everyone I have been growing Dahlias for around ten years now, I say growing by that I mean I would plant the tuber in a pot grow until I had a small plant and then plant the small Dahlia plant and what grew was what I lived with.  No reading up on keeping Dahlias, no pinching out no feeding etc.

This year I bought two new tubers and one of them (from Sarah Raven) came with instructions mentioning that you needed to pinch out the tips for best results.  I had never heard of pinching out before so thought I should do some research which led me into a whole new world. There's pinching out, growing 6 up, 8 up 10 up etc. High nitrogen feeds, High potash feeds , splitting tubers, taking cuttings ,etc etc.  I have watched and enjoyed numerous videos on Youtube and also picking up tips from this forum as well and feel I now know much more than in the Spring but still so much to learn.

Watching the Youtube videos took me to the world of showing where there were so many different Dahlias which I had never seen before Giants, Med Cactus, Med Dec Small Ball etc ( my tubers usually came from large garden centres  ) but now I've discovered Sir Alf Ramsey, Mary's Jomanda, Winholme Diane, Willos Violet just so many beautiful Dahlias. Discovering these new Dahlias led to research on where I could source these beauties for myself . This leads me round to my questions. The suppliers of these don't sell tubers as I know them , they sell pot tubers and mini plants. So my questions,

if I buy pot tubers will they grow and flower like the tubers I normally grow or are they just used for taking cuttings ?

If I went the mini plant route would I at the end of season be left with a tuber of that flower?

I have a few other questions but I've rambled on a bit for my first post so I'll save them for another time. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

I think I'm hooked!!!

[Cat]

Hi johnjess welcome. Pot tubers can be grown on no problem and if planted with no root restrictions become the field tubers you are used to. They can be used for taking cuttings or as many do also to keep stock for future years. Yes, if you buy mini plants you will get a tuber at the end of the season it just needs more growing on than the pot tuber and like wise a field tuber, the tubers grow lots at the end of the growing season especially if you cut down all stems to about 1/3 (must still have foliage!) About end September October depending on your region. This encourages tuber growth . Ask any questions we all started somewhere!! I am fairly new to it all too and I hope I will be corrected if I have guided you wrong. Welcome to dahlia addiction!!

[johndoe]

Welcome to the forum John, and welcome to the lovely world of dahlias .  It can sometimes seem a bit daunting, but if you need to know something, just ask, there a many knowledgeable dahlia growers who are only to happy to help.

I'll try and answer your question as best I can.

If you but a tuber, you can grow as you have been doing, but many growers will use a tuber to propagate as many cuttings as possible from mid February till the end of April.  This gives you more stock, plus a first year cutting will always give you better blooms.

Buying mini plants(cuttings), depending on variety, will grow into a tuber by the end of the season. You can then lift the tuber and store it through the winter, before putting on a heated bed and taking your own cuttings, a much cheaper options.

Some places to buy healthy plants are, Halls of Heddon, Station House, Ridgeview Nurseries. Also, if you go on Dahliaworld.co.uk, run by Dave Bates, you will find a list of many growers selling plants or tubers.

Hope this helps, and good luck

Mark

[SueA]

Welcome to the forum johnjess, glad you took the plunge & joined after looking in for tips. I'm sure all the dahlia experts on here will be very happy to help & answer any questions you have, good luck for next season, you'll probably be hooked forever then!

[grindle]

welcome johnjess our dahlia people certainly know their stuff so you're in the right place

[johnjess]

Hi guys thanks for the warm welcome. Thanks for answering my queries,this forum has been great for reading trying to pick up tips throughout the summer.
Cat , thanks for the tip on swelling tubers , that was a new one for me. Can I ask how you know when the time has come to reduce the growth to help swell the tuber?

Johndoe, thanks for the list of nurseries, I'll admit to spending quite a bit of time recently browsing Halls of Heddon website, but the others are new to me. Also Dahliaworld will be another site for me to look at.

I'll ask another question now if I may, the suppliers like Halls of Heddon have a huge choice of Dahlias. Are they all suitable for general garden growing eg Giants, Large Cactus /Dec or even Medium cactus/dec or are they just meant for growing under covers for the show bench? I ask as when watching Youtube videos the larger varieties all seem to be under covers and Poms and Small Ball/Dec are often outside, or is this just because the video has been posted by someone who does show their Dahlias ?

I'd like to try some of the larger varieties but if they're not suitable for garden growing I'll have to have a rethink.

Thanks again for the welcome.

[johndoe]

Morning John, in answer to your questions about Halls dahlias, I would say they can all be grown for the garden.  Only a few from each class can be suitable for exhibition purposes.  This is clearly marked in the catalogue with an E, for exhibition, G for garden, or C for cut flowers. On the website each variety states which it is best for.

The only reason some growers use covers is to protect the blooms from rain damage, mainly mediums upwards. But if you are growing for the garden it doesn't matter if your blooms get a little damage, so you won't be restricted to what size dahlias you buy.

Hope this helps

[johnjess]

Aah it makes sense now. I'd seen the letters on each flower and wondered what they meant. Thanks John that's good news.

[Deleted]

Hello John, nice to see a new face on here . All the above great advice. I'd suggest you join the NDS if you haven't already. They'll send you a few books (well worth the £15 membership) telling you in a clear concise way how to grow quality Dahlias. You tube videos can be confusing, people do things differently and the advice isn't easy to grasp.
I use the field tubers for propagation, never pot tubers, they develop great from that little rooted cutting in one season. You'll get a lot of cuttings from one. Or chop the tuber up for multiple plants if you prefer. I don't cover preferring weather resistant varieties. Keep it simple is my advice!

[johnjess]

Hi David, thanks for taking the time to reply. I think you're right about keeping it simple. I will order some mini plants from Halls for next year but will pick plants suitable for gardens.Mini plants also have the bonus of being cheaper as well so possibly an extra plant or two.

I do quite fancy having a go at taking cuttings though so if I can get my existing tubers through the winter I might try with them.

I'll look forward to the Beginners 2017 thread to help me along.

Thanks again .

[Rosie]

Hello johnjess and welcome to the best dahlia forum around , not that I'm biased you understand I'm sure you will get all the information you need from our experts here

[diggie]

Hi johnjess, A warm welcome from me also. I have not exhibited this year due to health reasons. I go into hospital tomorrow. However the cuttings I took earlier in the year I have grown on into plants in small pots to produce pot tubers. I only grow smalls and miniatures. I am sure I will have more tubers than I require. If you would like a couple to start you off please let me know.

[SueA]

Hope everything goes well for you diggie with the hospital & your dahlias too.