Back to the Basics with Dahlias
Get back to the basics with dahlias to ensure success in your garden this summer!
If you are new to dahlias this post should give you some help to get started. If you’ve been growing a few years, this will be a good refresher course. So Back to the Basics we go!
1. Before you buy a tuber, survey your yard, add any compost- let’s get our mindset in place. Growing plants is a life long journey. Perfection won’t be gained in year 1 or 10 even. It’s a journey we embark upon to learn more about the natural world, to bring beauty into our lives, to teach us many lessons (least of all patience), and to share the beauty/bounty we grow with others. There is no succeed or fail, only lessons learned, knowledge gained, and relationships formed (with people and nature).
KA Mocha Katie
2. Remember what plants need- Every plant needs light, water, and something to grow in (usually soil). Dahlias specifically need full sun (6+ hours a day), rich soil with good drainage, and moderate water during the green growth stage and more water when blooming.
3. Dahlias need support. Most dahlias are tall plants- tall enough to need support. So place a stake or wire cage when you plant or install support netting over a full row.
4. Dahlias are hungry plants. So don’t skimp on the compost or fertilizer— Make sure your soil has enough nutrients to feed your plants properly. They prefer soils higher in phosphorus and potassium, lower in nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will create lush green plants with little to no blooms. Get a soil test from your local extension so you have a baseline to begin.
5. The more you cut, the more they bloom. I often hear of new growers being afraid to cut their blooms but the more you cut, the more the plant is triggered into producing more blooms! If you pinch out the central growing tip when the plant is around 18”-2’ tall, it will cause the plant to branch and give you more stems.
6. Dahlias are the ultimate generous gardener plant. Place one tuber in the ground in the Spring and dig up a whole clump in the fall. Or if you live in a warm climate, overwinter them in the ground and divide your generous clump in the spring and turn all your friends into Dahlia Lovers too!
Sonic Bloom
So if you read through this and thought- but I still didn’t have the results I wanted with my dahlias.
***Read through again. Really look into each step and evaluate your growing. The majority of issues with growing dahlias can be traced back to the simplest things. ***
For example, for years, I always told myself- I’ll get the netting up before they get too tall! HA!!! And for years I had so many floppy plants- lost loads of stems that I could have sold! So now I put my netting up as soon as a row gets planted. The planting is not finished unless the support netting has been installed.
For the first several years, I didn’t soil test and I had lackluster blooms. They would be small or misshapen. I finally tested my soil and found I was very low in the crucial nutrients that create bountiful blooms.
It took me several years to really believe that I could cut 2’ stems on my dahlias without damaging the plants. But then I grew a variety that was 8’ tall. I had to cut long stems in order to keep it manageable. That taught me that if I cut the first stems long, then I would continue to have long usable stems throughout the season (instead of short weak ones).
All that to say— Don’t Ignore the Basics!!! When I see new growers who have bountiful blooms on healthy plants, I can always trace it back to following the basics.
So go grab a few tubers to try this year and then over the next few months, begin to plan how you will implement the basics in your garden. Follow along with me here, lots more info coming. Also lots of info already available.
If you are ready to go deeper, it’s time to think about joining our Dahlia Growing For Beginners Virtual Course!
Keep or Cull? 2021 Dahlia Trials Results
In 2021, I conducted the largest dahlia trial I’ve ever done. 120 new (to me) varieties! I was looking for some very specific things but also trying out some fun stuff too. But before I get started here’s some details on the trial.
What I was looking for:
- I needed some new varieties in peach, blush, lavender, and yellow. So you’ll see a lot of those colors here.
- All the trial varieties were grown inside my unheated hoophouse. This particular hoop house has some of the best soil on the property and also I’ve found that being able to control the water supply enables superior tuber growth over field dahlias. (Hoophouse growing has many other challenges for growing dahlias so it’s not all rosy but that’s a post for another day.)
-Hoophouse growing does produce slightly different coloring in the dahlias because the light intensity is reduced so keep that in mind when looking at these pictures.
- I was looking mainly for cut flower varieties.
- Last but definitely not least—- I knew going into this trial that I would have to be ruthless because there is no way I could keep all 110 varieties. So you’ll see some really good stuff on the cull list. This is not meant to say these varieties suck in any way. It’s just they weren’t what I needed for my operation. If you love something on the cull list— Grow It!!
In this post, I’m going to tell you about my top favorites on the keep list and a few on the cull list (and why). There’s a complete keep/cull list at the bottom and hopefully this winter I’ll have time to write about these more in depth.
To Keep:
My favorite new dahlia has to be a tie between Coralie, Sugartown Sunrise, and Hapet Champagne. They are all fabulous!
Coralie- This dahlia has all the good stuff. Excellent color - mine came off muted because of the lower light intensity but I think it’s actually more beautiful that way. Good tuber maker, great plant habit- strong stems, not overly tall, threw off a nice flush of blooms at once. I was able to get 2 nice flushes off it, could probably get 3 in my climate with an earlier planting date. You’ll be seeing a lot more of this variety around here.
Sugartown Sunrise- Pale muted yellow with the occasional hint of peachy/pink- Yes Please! This dahlia is just adorably cute and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Good tuber maker too— I got 13 off of my one plant! Two flushes of blooms but longer flushes, a bit more of a steady producer instead of all at once. I’m going to field grow this one next year which I’m sure will intensify it’s color some but that’s ok— I don’t think it will hurt, she’s still going to be gorgeous!
Hapet Champagne- I’ve been wanting this one for years and she didn’t disappoint! I love frilly dahlias with lacinated edges. Her color can’t be beat- cream, pinky, peachy- total champagne goodness. Great tuber producer (9 off one plant), not a heavy bloomer but enough to be a keeper. I wouldn’t grow loads of this one b/c I know her style is not for everyone but you will see more of her next year!
Last Dance- I ordered this one on a whim because I was looking for more lavender dahlias. She’s really more of a white with lavender flush. But she’s a good producer- bloom and tuber (13 off one plant). Similar to Meagan Dean but Last Dance has a darker stem and foliage which makes for a beautiful plant/bloom combination. (these things are important if you grow dahlias for their beauty in your garden).
Hollyhill Finlandia- Another ‘on a whim’ purchase. This dahlia is a large dinnerplate size and a cactus type. Those 2 things don’t make for a good combo for my cut flower sales but they do make for great showpieces in your garden. So I allow for a few new big fancy types each year. There’s just nothing like a dinnerplate dahlia. Hollyhill dahlias are always well bred and I know I can count on them to be quality varieties with great blooms and good tubers. Finlandia followed suit with other Hollyhill dahlias I’ve grown.
Good Day- This is the beauty you saw me posting on Instagram— and most of you loved it!! I wouldn’t grow lots of this one because it’s size and coloring are not super popular in my cut flower business. But it lives up to it’s name— you can’t help but have a good day when you see it. It’s also very productive for a dinnerplate dahlia- I lost track of how many blooms I got but at least 8-10. Also it won the award for most tubers off a new variety- 21!!!
Coseytown Bounty- This is a new introduction by LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Dahlias. Bounty couldn’t be more on trend if LeeAnn was a fortune teller— How did she know Bounty’s coloring would be so popular when she released it?!! It’s perfect in my climate— bronzy in warmer weather and then adds in a bit of rust as the weather cools— which is perfect b/c my wholesale customers ask for rust as the weather cools! Great production bloom wise and tuber wise! Definite keeper!!
Marshmallow- wasn’t looking for a new white but you can never have too much white! Marshmallow is very puffy and fluffy. A bit more of a steady bloomer rather than flushing. Strong stems, a bit taller plant habit than I like but still usable. I’ll definitely be keeping this one for a second year evaluation.
Winholme Diane- I tried this one 2 years ago but unfortunately my tubers rotted. But she’s so beautiful I had to try again. So glad I did! She’s a great muted yellow, sometimes can have a bit of pink. Long stems, decent (but not great) tuber production. Definitely going into my second year test evaluation.
To Cull:
A lot of my test varieties will be kept for a second year. I try to grow something for 3 years before completely chunking it if it’s not working. So a large majority of this year’s varieties will be kept around. However I do have a few that I’ve been testing for a few years now that are getting the boot:
Chilson’s Pride- I really want to like this dahlia but the picture you see above is the only good bloom I’ve ever gotten out of it in 2 years. There are a lot of lt pink/white dahlias so I’m moving on. The plants are floppy, don’t bloom a lot, it’s just not working for me. I know this will be an unpopular opinion because a lot of people really love this one. (So if you have a secret to it- tell me quick!)
Moonstruck- I bought this a few years back in my quest for light yellow dahlias. But first off, it’s always been more cream than pale yellow - not necessarily a bad thing. But it also doesn’t tend to produce consistent bloom size- some will be small, some full size- also plants are floppy for me. Moving on… there are plenty of pale yellows out there.
Creamy- I know I know— You are probably saying— What??? This dahlia has become increasingly popular over the past few years. I was really excited to try it 3 years ago. But each year it has consistently underperformed. I’ve tried field grown and hoophouse- Inconsistent bloomer, weaker stems. Also I’m not a huge fan of smaller dahlias (this one is 1-1.5”) for cut flower production. So I’m letting it go.
Genova- Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of this one— that’s how inconsistent it’s bloom was. I think I’ve regularly gotten 1-2 blooms per plant for the 3 years I’ve grown it. It’s beautiful but that’s far from enough to earn it’s keep around here.
Gabrielle Marie- I actually use to grow a lot of this one because it’s an early bloomer and nice coloring. However, I think there are varieties that have better coloring- a bit more subtly to them. Gabrielle Marie comes off a bit more orange than peach in my hot climate. I’d recommend this more for cool climate growers. (Can’t find any pics of this one either unfortunately)
Karamel Korn- I really kinda hate to let this one go because it has amazing color but it can’t hold it’s form to save it’s life. I get 1-2 decent blooms and then it just starts throwing open centers and it’s not a pretty look for her. If you have a more stable climate that doesn’t go hot/cool/hot during the season or get sudden massive storms or long periods of dry, then it might perform well for you. (Do stable climates exist anywhere nowadays?)
There are a few others that are potentially on the choipping block but I haven’t decided yet:
Andrew Charles- Great dahlia but I don’t sell much of it’s color.
Mystique- Love the color but it had the most elastic floppy bendable stems ever.
Sebastian- Again, beautiful color but puny little plant
Miss Brandy- Great color combo but she’s kinda short. If I sold exclusively at farmer’s markets, I would grow loads of this one because she fits perfectly in a Fall harvest bouquet!
Soulman- beautiful color, one of the few burgundies I tried, threw lots of blooms but the singles don’t seem to form well in our hot climates. May give it a second year though.
So out of the 120 varieties, here’s who is on my definitely keep list (keep in mind that some of these are only first year trials so still could eventually get the boot)— but I feel confident about these for now:
Keep:
Coralie
Hapet Champagne
Sugartown Sunrise
Last Dance
Hollyhill Finlandia
Good Day
Coseytown Bounty
Winholme Diane
Polyventon Supreme
Beatrice
Brown Sugar
Caramel Antique
Diana's Memory
Pink Pearl
Rose Toscano
Sandia Brocade
Second Year evaluation varieties are those that show potential but I’m not sure about yet so they stay in trial mode for another year. Most likely some of these varieties will move to the cull list before spring. I need to narrow this down but I’m still working on it.
2nd Year Evaluation:
Blyton Softer Gleam
Bracken Rose
Bracken Sarah
Brookside Cheri
Dreamcatcher
Fiona
Formby Alpine
Danny Boy
Happy Hour
Hillcrest Jonathan
Hilltop Lost Treasure
Honeydew
Honeymoon
Isabel
Jabberbox
Jasmine Pearl
Just peachy
Lilac Bull
Mary's Jomanda
Mingus Toni
Narrows Brett
Narrows Pam
NTAC Mia Li
Tahoma Curve
Tahoma Surething
Touche
Wizard of Oz
Cull:
Creamy
Chilson’s Pride
Gabrielle Marie
Genova
Karamel Korn
Moonstruck
Cafe Au Lait (Just kidding— just wasn’t sure if anyone was still reading by this point!)
Now— that list obviously doesn’t add up to 120 varieties— there are some I’m still undecided on. Also, there were unfortunately about 40 dahlias that didn’t sprout (as in no live eye on the tuber). This is why it’s important to learn to recognize eyes on your tubers so you know when they arrive if you have a viable tuber or a dud. The unfortunate thing is that when ordering from small growers, you often can’t get a replacement, just a refund. But I’d still rather support small farms with my tuber dollars when I can!
Speaking of small farm tuber sales— You may be wondering if any of these will be available in our New Year’s Day sale. The short answer is Yes! About half of these produced a decent number of tubers so I will sell a few. There will be a limited category in the sale that will feature varieties that we don’t have many of but would still like to share with you. Also the cull varieties will be available. Remember, just because they didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean they don’t work for you. I talk to growers all the time who can’t stand a variety I love. Each growing environment is different and each grower has different ideas/goals so if you like it, try it.
Lastly, if you are local, I will be selling some rooted cuttings at our Spring Plant Sale in April. Rooted cuttings will not be available for shipping, local pick up only. My plan is to have some of the new varieties that I really love as rooted cuttings. I can make more plants this way rather than selling one tuber so more of you will get a chance to try out a fabulous new variety!
I’ll hopefully get to more in depth discussion on some of the other varieties that I’m keeping throughout the winter in 2022. I highly recommend conducting your own trials - home grower or commercial— Doesn’t Matter! It’s a great way to learn about dahlias, find great varieties for your environment and also just a great excuse to buy more!! Saying you’re buying it for your “dahlia trials” sounds better than feeding your addiction ;)
Winter Dahlia Care- Part 3
Part 3 of our Winter Dahlia Care series- Storage and Monitoring
Dahlia Trials- Year 2 (2020 test varieties revisted)
Last year I trialed a small selection of dahlias and posted about my results here. I’d recommend jumping back and reading that before you continue. I wanted to post an update on the varieties that I decided to give a second year.
First up- the varieties I didn’t keep: Lucky, Sunkissed, Silver Years, Foxy Lady, Karma Naomi, Crazy Legs, Mirella, Mr Jimmy, Baron Katie. For the most part, I think the reasons I chose not to keep them is listed in the original post.
Next - who I kept: Mary Jo, Moonstruck, Gabrielle Marie, Andrew Charles, Karamel Korn, Tapioca, Innocence, Chilson’s Pride, Mingus Toni. Out of these, Innocence rotted during the pre-sprout phase and all but one of my Moonstuck rotted after planting. I do plan to reacquire Innocence because other than the tuber issue— it was one of my top 2 choices last year.
Thoughts on the others: unfortunately I haven’t seen Karamel Korn yet this year. I have a bad feeling it has rotted. I’ll need to check up on it. My one remaining Moonstruck has ceased to wow me. Poor growth, tiny blooms, won’t be keeping for a third year.
Mary Jo is growing and blooming well. But there is still the issue of the heavy head/weak stem. Need to find a replacement.
Mary Jo
Gabrielle Marie just threw it’s first bloom this week- that’s kinda late. Also with all the other peachy/yellow dahlias I’ve tried this year- it’s probably getting the boot. There are other earlier and more productive varieties.
Tapioca and Andrew Charles are both doing well. Tapioca is proving to be a good basic dahlia. I’ll admit, it’s not really the most special but it’s a good size, neutral color and decent producer. Andrew Charles shines a bit more as the weather cools and the color is very fallish so it will probably stay another year.
Tapioca
Chilson’s Pride- I really want to like this one. It’s blush, has lascinated petals (which I love) but the growth habit is weak and the stems seem to be floppy. If you grow this one and love it— convince me I should keep it.
Mingus Toni has convinced me- this is actually a third year test. I wouldn’t ever grow loads of a flecked dahlia. To me, a little goes a long way with these types but I just smile every time I see her. Combine that with decent productivity and great growth habit and yeah— I’ll keep it.
So why do I test multiple years? Because I’ve learned that it often takes 3 years to learn a varieties intricacies. And often I variety can do poorly it’s first year but have a particular aspect that makes it worth giving a second or third try. However, sometimes I will axe a variety on the first year b/c I know there are similar varieties out there and that I have a high likelihood of finding a better replacement. One of the benefits of growing dahlias is that there are 1000’s of varieties so usually more than one good variety of a particular color and bloom type.
Check back in November for the results of this year’s trials.
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