Obviously a bit of a quiet month but well worth inspecting the tubers and removing any that are diseased or broken. When storing the tubers it is so important to keep them away from any moisture, especially the stem. Pack in a dry, fibrous compost - dare I say peat :( - and keep in a dry, frost free place.
December is a good time to consider next year's planting plan and getting your order in to your nurseryman as most will dispatch in the order that they are received and it is so helpful to the nurseryman to know what the likely requirements are going to be.
Our own tubers are now well on the way to being dried, we shall be cleaning and trimming in a week or so ad preparing the benches to begin propagating in early January. Starting early enable us to have very well established plants for early planting giving us an early start to the cut flower season. We then have late batches of plants prolonging our cut flower season as those later planted later obviously are well behind the early ones. These, by the end of September will have produced up to 20 blooms each so are getting weaker producing blooms that are not to the quality we are happy sending to New Covent Garden Flower Market.
Friday, 2 December 2011
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Tubers, when to lift?
It is best to wait until the plants have succumbed to frost as the sap is driven into the tuber making it nice and solid aiding long term storage. However, if you intend propagating then the tuber needs time to rest before being started off again. As I'll be starting mine off in mid-January I'll be lifting now although they are still in full flower; damping off quickly and colours faded though.
To lift or not to lift?
Tubers will survive the winter cold, unless it's permafrost! if they are well mulched. However, this raises the question of whether one grows from tubers or plants. We raise all our premium cut flowers from plants; the stems are stronger, the colour is better and the bloom is a better size. So, if your are exhibiting you should be raising your plants each year. However, if you want a colourful display in the border then using tubers is good as they will produce a profusion of blooms all summer long; as long as they are dead-headed regularly.
I would caution against leaving tubers in the ground year after year though. After time the plant will weaken, lose colour, lose stem strength and revert to type. We have all seen those plants with faded, daisy eyed blooms on drooping stems; old tubers. It is better to lift and split them, this will prolong their life.
To lift or not to lift?
Tubers will survive the winter cold, unless it's permafrost! if they are well mulched. However, this raises the question of whether one grows from tubers or plants. We raise all our premium cut flowers from plants; the stems are stronger, the colour is better and the bloom is a better size. So, if your are exhibiting you should be raising your plants each year. However, if you want a colourful display in the border then using tubers is good as they will produce a profusion of blooms all summer long; as long as they are dead-headed regularly.
I would caution against leaving tubers in the ground year after year though. After time the plant will weaken, lose colour, lose stem strength and revert to type. We have all seen those plants with faded, daisy eyed blooms on drooping stems; old tubers. It is better to lift and split them, this will prolong their life.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Dahlia jobs in November
November is a tricky month lately; last year deep in snow, this year still in full bloom, although getting a little tired. If your dahlias, like mine - see photos - are still in bloom and untouched by the frost, it is as well to leave them for a while in the hope that there will be a frost soon! Frosting of the foliage kills the capillaries forcing the sap into the tuber both swelling them and enriching with the sugar content. (Remember about the sugar content? It is why wasps eat the stems)
Two images taken a week ago, the filed looks pretty much the same today. I am still cutting selectively, a number of cultivars are still going well with fully formed blooms and good colour.
If you lifted your tubers last month it is time to check that the stems have drained, face them upwards and remove as much soil as possible. When dried, lay the tubers in shallow boxes, dust with flowers of sulphur and keep in a frost-proof room. When the weather is suitable burn all the foliage to destroy any possible disease being carried. Ground preparation: manure and dig over roughly to allow the frost to break the soil down.
Two images taken a week ago, the filed looks pretty much the same today. I am still cutting selectively, a number of cultivars are still going well with fully formed blooms and good colour.
If you lifted your tubers last month it is time to check that the stems have drained, face them upwards and remove as much soil as possible. When dried, lay the tubers in shallow boxes, dust with flowers of sulphur and keep in a frost-proof room. When the weather is suitable burn all the foliage to destroy any possible disease being carried. Ground preparation: manure and dig over roughly to allow the frost to break the soil down.
Friday, 30 September 2011
October jobs in the Dahlia garden
October is a time for house-keeping your dahlia garden and preparing to lift the tubers. I am hoping that we can continue cutting for 2/3 weeks into October as the plants are still strong and robust, probably because they had a delayed start. There is now no need to water the plants. Look out for the onset of Dahlia Smut; this occurs in cold, damp conditions and appears as paler spots on lower leaves that may spread to all leaves. To control culturally, if at all possible remove all affected leaves. To control by intervention use a fungicidal spray such as Bordeaux Mixture. The fungus may lay dormant in the soil so clear away and burn all affected leaves. However, there should be no long term damage to the tuber if dealt with promptly.
If you have been cutting frequently, as well as dead heading, you will see that stems have the remains of the main shoot and the two primary side shoots, see image 1. To promote continued strong growth prolonging the flowering season as long as the weather permits these should b, in effect, pruned back. That is, cut the stem back to the leaf node below that has side shoots showing, See image 2.
All plants that are to be discarded should be either removed now or clearly marked to prevent any mix up should they be frosted. If your bed is to be used for spring bedding it would be time to cut back and lift the tubers in the middle of the month. However, ideally one can wait until the frost blackens the foliage forcing the sap back into the tuber. Cut the stems back to 12 / 13 cm before lifting. Trying to lift before cutting the foliage back may result in the stems splitting and damaging the crown of the tuber. Label clearly, bring inside and place upside down to drain all the sap out.
Later in October bring into the greenhouse all pot tubers lying them down on their side to dry off.
Remember to pay your National Dahlia Society subscription due in November!
If you have been cutting frequently, as well as dead heading, you will see that stems have the remains of the main shoot and the two primary side shoots, see image 1. To promote continued strong growth prolonging the flowering season as long as the weather permits these should b, in effect, pruned back. That is, cut the stem back to the leaf node below that has side shoots showing, See image 2.
Image1: Before pruning back.
Image 2: after pruning back, the side shoots can be seen by the leaf node.
All plants that are to be discarded should be either removed now or clearly marked to prevent any mix up should they be frosted. If your bed is to be used for spring bedding it would be time to cut back and lift the tubers in the middle of the month. However, ideally one can wait until the frost blackens the foliage forcing the sap back into the tuber. Cut the stems back to 12 / 13 cm before lifting. Trying to lift before cutting the foliage back may result in the stems splitting and damaging the crown of the tuber. Label clearly, bring inside and place upside down to drain all the sap out.
Later in October bring into the greenhouse all pot tubers lying them down on their side to dry off.
Remember to pay your National Dahlia Society subscription due in November!
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Dahlia jobs in September
September is a month when the jobs are a continuation of August; keep feeding and well watered until the end of the month as necessary.
Keep dis-budding as required and maintain the dead-heading; this will stimulate and speed up the growth of more flowering side shoots.
Make sure all plants are labelled while in flower! It is so easy to forget and identification when frosted is difficult. Keep the routing hygiene going and stay on the look-out for the dreaded insects; wasps, earwigs and caterpillars.
If you have the opportunity do visit dahlia nurseries to see exactly how the different cultivars grow in terms of height and habit.
We've had a terrific August as we are now supplying New Covent Garden Flower Market with blooms twice a week and am getting great feedback from both the market and the market customers. When we scaled the operation up there was always that doubt that we would not be able to get all the blooms to the consumer, through New Covent Garden we are. The real barrier for British cut flower growers is getting the florist trade and consumer to insist, where possible, on British grown cut flowers.
£2.2 billion is spent on flowers in this country, that is more that the music industry, over 85% are imported. Flowers are flown in from Africa, South America and Asia; just think what that does to the UK carbon footprint! Not only that but it has over the past 20 years as imports have risen, put many British growers out of business. However, do not expect British cut flowers to be cheaper because they are British! But you do get a quality product that is supporting the local horticultural industry and it will, over time, reduce the carbon footprint.
Keep dis-budding as required and maintain the dead-heading; this will stimulate and speed up the growth of more flowering side shoots.
Make sure all plants are labelled while in flower! It is so easy to forget and identification when frosted is difficult. Keep the routing hygiene going and stay on the look-out for the dreaded insects; wasps, earwigs and caterpillars.
If you have the opportunity do visit dahlia nurseries to see exactly how the different cultivars grow in terms of height and habit.
We've had a terrific August as we are now supplying New Covent Garden Flower Market with blooms twice a week and am getting great feedback from both the market and the market customers. When we scaled the operation up there was always that doubt that we would not be able to get all the blooms to the consumer, through New Covent Garden we are. The real barrier for British cut flower growers is getting the florist trade and consumer to insist, where possible, on British grown cut flowers.
£2.2 billion is spent on flowers in this country, that is more that the music industry, over 85% are imported. Flowers are flown in from Africa, South America and Asia; just think what that does to the UK carbon footprint! Not only that but it has over the past 20 years as imports have risen, put many British growers out of business. However, do not expect British cut flowers to be cheaper because they are British! But you do get a quality product that is supporting the local horticultural industry and it will, over time, reduce the carbon footprint.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Dahlia jobs in August
Tie all shoots and disbud plants as required. Keep the watering going if at all dry and hoe if the surface is hardening up to prevent it "panning" otherwise water will run off rather than soak in.
Remove all dead flower heads as soon as possible, especially in the case of all types of bedding dahlias. This promotes new flowering shoots to keep your dahlias blooming well into the Autumn.
Keep the hygiene programme going, looking especially for caterpillars and earwigs, the evening is a good time to do this. Feed with a balance fertilizer in the early part of the month and change to a high potash content towards the end of the month to promote tuber growth and to retain and improve colour.
I have sent off a batch of postcards and a few dozen blooms to the Chicheley Hall Flower Festival as a proud sponsor of this event, occurring Friday 5th August until Sunday 7th see http://bit.ly/mZmeYn co-organised by
Judith Blacklock.
We have now begun our cut flower season, a little later than I expected as a result of slow growth through July. However, the blooms coming on now are very good colour and formation so I mustn't grumble!
Remove all dead flower heads as soon as possible, especially in the case of all types of bedding dahlias. This promotes new flowering shoots to keep your dahlias blooming well into the Autumn.
Keep the hygiene programme going, looking especially for caterpillars and earwigs, the evening is a good time to do this. Feed with a balance fertilizer in the early part of the month and change to a high potash content towards the end of the month to promote tuber growth and to retain and improve colour.
I have sent off a batch of postcards and a few dozen blooms to the Chicheley Hall Flower Festival as a proud sponsor of this event, occurring Friday 5th August until Sunday 7th see http://bit.ly/mZmeYn co-organised by
Judith Blacklock.
We have now begun our cut flower season, a little later than I expected as a result of slow growth through July. However, the blooms coming on now are very good colour and formation so I mustn't grumble!
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Dahlia jobs in July
All plants should be growing well now and showing signs of budding up, indeed, some will be showing colour.
Now is the time to place all plants being kept for pot tubers in the garden frame. If at all dry, and we are certainly not! start watering to prevent the newly growing shoots from hardening.
Keep hoeing in order to keep weed free and to keep the soil from becoming panned; this aerates the ground and enables the roots to 'breathe'. Dis-bud shoots as soon as buds are large enough to handle. For full details dis-budding techniques see the web site "How to Grow" pages.
After hoeing mulch around the plants as this will not only allow nutrients to trickle into the soil but will also retain moisture and keep weed growth down.
Keep the outdoor hygiene programme going to prevent disease and pests.
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