Dahlia fields

We have had pretty good weather the last 2/3 weeks, plenty of light rain that has soaked the ground well, now nicely moist with the underlying clay well soaked and retaining the rain.  Looking forward to a few weeks of sunshine and warm nights to bring them on!

All my dahlias are now planted with the later ones in yesterday which will start blooming a little later and, hopefully, bloom on a little longer in the late summer / early autumn and giving a flowering season lasting from mid-July through to end of October, frost permitting.

The first top dressing of a 7.7.7 fertiliser is down and will repeat in around 4 weeks time.  Then, in mid August, a top dressing of bone meal will go down to strengthen the plants, maintain the colour and help the tubers develop.  

All grass areas and pathways mown, time for a little relaxing before there is a need to concentrate on dis-budding.

Dahlia jobs in June

Is it nearly June already?

If you haven't planted out now is the time to do so, just check there are no late frosts forecast but I'd say that for this year they are now past.  Begin the outdoor hygiene programme by keeping the ground well hoed to prevent weeds and to keep the ground aerated.  Stake all dahlias if not done before planting.

7-10 days after planting the first top dressing may be applied.  A good general purpose fertiliser, fish, blood and bone is used at Withypitts Dahlias.  Tomorite is also good, not just for tomatoes!

Sending emails to xx@btinternet.com

Let me start with a simple question: If I send you an email how do you know that you haven't received it?

I send emails from a number of different email accounts, both personal and business, and have learnt, only recently, that there are people with @btinternet.com accounts that are not receiving mail from me.  It is only later when it has become apparent that they should have had an email that they realise they haven't.  After a little research and a conversation with the btinternet.com support desk that the reason starts to become clear.

I understand that if an email sent to a btinternet.com account is "from" an account that is not in the recipient's address book it is very likely that it will be stored in a central, server based Spam folder and not downloaded to the email client.  It is the account holder's responsibility to check this server based folder and retrieve any mail that is not spam, educating the spam filter in the process.  It is only when an email client, Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird for example is used so using the webmail facility avoids this issue.

I agree that spam is the bane of our online lives and that BTInternet/Yahoo are striving to block it, but surely there must be a better way?  Because if an email enquiry is sent to me and I reply, the chances are you will not get the reply without going through this process because it is very unlikely that you will have added me to your address book when sending the enquiry.

So, a message to my customers on btinternet.com, check your server spam folder and add me to your address book please!

Dahlia jobs in May

All your plants should be in 5 inch / 125 mm pots by the middle of May.  Stop plants when 5 to 6 inches, 125 mm 150 mm, tall or after 4 -5 pairs of leaves depending on the number of main flowering stems you wish to have.  Plants, whether seedlings or cuttings, should now be in your cold house or frame hardening off; do protect from frost!, if real chill threatens a fleece covering will do a great job.

Take any late cuttings should you need to produce more plants.  These will grow on but not begin flowering until, probably, mid-August but will consequently go on longer if there are no frosts in late October / early November. Keep your hygiene programme going.

In the south and south-west start planting out dahlia plants when the weather is suitable and there seems to be no risk of a late frost.  As things are at present with the weather I anticipate beginning the planting out around the 3rd weekend in May.

Nursery Update

Back in January I posted a video clip of the nursery, - http://bit.ly/lyeK6i - that showed it to be a bit overgrown!

I weed killed in March and the first picture shows the results, this is the "before" cultivating last week.

I under estimated the hardness of the ground and over estimated the capability of the rotavator;  result, instead of taking two days it took four.  Still; job done!  See below

Could do with some rain on it now before planting out begins, probably around 3rd weekend in May.

Rooted cuttings preparing for dispatch

We are now in our busy period of packing and dispatch.

We put rooted cuttings in polythene sleeves before packing in the cartons.

 Here are rooted cuttings in the propagating trays before being transferred to the polythene sleeves.

Now in polythene sleeve ready to be packed into the carton.

Both rooted cuttings and the more mature ex 90mm pot plants are packed tightly into the carton and air pillows/bubble wrap is used to fill the voids to prevent any movement during transit.  

Rooted cuttings are sent by Royal Mail in flat cartons.  Plants are sent by next day delivery courier in larger, but essentially flat, cartons.

Just heard that one package sent on April 7th by Royal Mail First Class recorded delivery still hasn't arrived, they say "Your item is still in transit"; words fail me.

Demand for Dahlias

Demand for dahlias appears to be up this year.  I have already sold out of a number of cultivars and, speaking with other growers around the country, they seem to be in a similar situation.

Another pointer to the increasing popularity of the dahlia!

Alternatively, of course, it could just be that many dahlia lovers have now checked their tubers and found them to be damaged beyond redemption by the severe weather in November and December!