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Dahlias & 'mums'

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Mrs Ava:
hmmm...doesn't stopping the plant mean pinching out the first flowering shoot to encourage lots of side shoots which will produce masses or flowers.......?

Palustris:
Now I feel really old. I used to get a penny (pre-decimal) a bud for dis-budding 'mums. Never could bring myself to grow them though.

Hugh_Jones:
Jethro, I`m afraid you`ve got me foxed on Cactus `mums - as far as I know there ain`t no such animal. Are you confusing them with cactus dahlias?  The big `mums are usually categorised as Decoratives and Incurves.

Are you going for the late flowering or the mid-season `mums?  I think you would be better with mid-season in a polytunnel.  Late flowering would be ok under unheated glass, but you might have problems with ventilation and condensation under poly in November - they`re b*ggers for mildew in damp conditions.

As to soil, I assume that you will be growing them in pots throughout since you`ll want them outside during the summer, and only bring them in to flower.  If so you simply can`t do better then good old John Innes - once the cuttings are well rooted in whatever medium you prefer pot them straight into J.I. no 3 in 10" pots.

As to acidity/alkalinity, the J.I composts traditionally work out at about pH 6.3, which is fine for pot growing.  If you want to plant in beds (probably not a good idea under poly) a pH level of 6.5 to 7 should be aimed for.

Stopping, as Emma Jane says, means taking out the central bud - not only to induce branching, but also to prevent premature flowering.  Some varieties need only one stopped once, others can be stopped twice.  However, if you want dinner-plate size, you will not want masses of flowering shoots - only 3 or 4 for the largest.  The dates for these operations depend entirely on whether they are mid-season or lates - I can give you more information when I know what type you are growing.

Unfortunately have to terminate here for the time being but will come back again re dahlias later.

Hugh_Jones:
Back again Jethro.  Since my last posting I`ve been wondering whether your idea is to grow the `mums and dahlias entirely in the polytunnels, in which case I`m a bit out of touch.  In my growing days not even the exhibition specialists housed their plants during the summer, but only brought them inside from September onwards.. The plants are pretty hardy, you know, and only require protection from autum onwards.

As to Dahlias, you will presumably receive the tubers or rooted cuttings in late March/early April, when they should be potted up into J.I. No.1 or a good soilless compost in 6in. pots until they can be hardened off for planting out.  The soil requirements for final planting are pretty well as for most veg. crops.  A pH level of about 6.5 is ideal. Plenty of humus in the soil plus a good balanced fertilizer.  Occasional liquid feeds of balanced fertilizer throughout the early summer, changing to high potash fertilizer as soon as the first buds start to form.

I think you have enough there to start you off, but if you have any queries on what I`ve said so far don`t hesitate to come back, it does me good to get the old brain working occasionally.

jethro:
Hi Hugh, get the 'old brain working' eh your just a young whipper snapper really. Right lets start :-/ the tunnel has mesh sides so ventilation shouln't be a problem. Sorry it was dahlias ( cactus) :-[ the reason i'm growing them in tunnels is that all the lads & lasses on the site that show them grow them in tunnels and have fantastic results ;D. They put paper bags over them to stop earwigs chewing them :P .

Another question ??? how far apart do you plant them to let the air circulate?

Heat the tunnel with the turbine? welllllll it's just might happen but, i will have to build a new one as the one i've got is not powerfull enough :-/ , it's only 5 watt.

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