Topic: Dahlia

[saddad]

Hi cut this because it was bent over in the rain...


 8)

[Pesky Wabbit]

Nice,     but what is it - besides being dahlia ?

[saddad]

Sorry Wabbit I don't know... probably from a packet of from seed Dahlias..
 ???

[valmarg]

Its a beautiful flower.  Well worth digging the tuber up and trying to save it/propagate from it next year don't you think?  I'd certainly give it a go.

valmarg

[Lauren S]

Do you HAVE to dig up dahlias each year, or can you leave them in situ and perhaps cover them with straw for some protection?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

isn't Non Edible Plants the wrong place for dahlias? I thought you could eat the tubers

[saddad]

Allegedly RT but I've never tried it.. you could leave them out with protection Lauren and if Winter is as mild as last years then you might get away with it. Waterlogging is more of a problem with most tuberous plants...
 :-\

[Froglegs]

isn't Non Edible Plants the wrong place for dahlias? I thought you could eat the tubers

You can eat them  :o..tell me more. ???

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I think they were first introduced as a root crop, and then people liked the flowers more or the roots less. I'm sure some bolshie people put them in Edible Produce displays at flower show just to get disqualified and then they can deliberately cause a fuss

All this Food For Free stuff is supposed to make us think of wonderful food that we've forgotten about, but most of the time it makes you think just how blooming starving people must have been to even try it

[ACE]

I can just see it now, Delia's delicious dahlias

[saddad]

Asparagus peas are definitely in that category R-T  ;D

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

and so is ACHOCHA - and I got the seeds from YOU saddad!

wild cucumber indeed. They've gone all squirty now

[saddad]

They do if they get frosted on the plant yet freeze fine for using in stir fries!
 ???

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

the last time I saw pods like that was in "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" and he wants me to put them in a stirfry  ;D

[gwynleg]

I really want to have a flower area on my allotment this year with lots of dahlias (cactus and pompom) - where do people get the tubers - is there a good seller that you could recommend?
Thanks

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

all the garden centres and Wilco's etc will have tubers in the spring. They grow really easily from seed if you're willing to wait a bit longer for flowers, and if you want a lot of plants. There are lots of different types of flower, some are lovely, but some are a bit too much IMHO. It's down to taste

[valmarg]

I agree with RT, re growing from seed.  It is much cheaper.  I get good germination rate.  Most seed catalogues have packets of 40 seeds for under £2.00, whereas you can pay more than that for one tuber.  If you sow in Spring they will flower the same year.

I agree packets of mixed seeds are a bit of a mystery, ie the beautiful one at the top of this post, but you may get some you don't like, which you just dig up and sling.

You can either dig them up for Winter and keep them, or mulch over them and leave them in the ground.  I think it's easier to leave them in the ground, as they are quite difficult to keep.  They need to be dried out completely, and stored somewhere dry.

If you want larger quantities of seed Moles Seeds (www.molesseeds,co,uk) have a selection of 'taller cut flower types' at 2 1/2 grams (120 seeds per gram) for £3.60 plus VAT.

valmarg

[Baaaaaaaa]

Tubers a more expensive, but you get named vaieties and know what your going to get. Would you sow seeds from a packet that was just labled "tomatoes", or just plant "potatoes" and hope? If you want the best, pay the extra.

Seeds are ok for mass planting, last years Gardeners World trial recommended Bishops Children. 

I get mine as rooted cuttings from Winchester Growers. Their web site (http://www.wgltd.co.uk/) has loads of pictures - but I find their latest incarnation of web design difficult to navigate (unless you know exactly what your looking for).

And yes, they are edible, the slugs enjoy every last bit !

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

you could try to have the best of both worlds - buy some tubers, start them off early, and take some cuttings from them before they flower to increase the stock. They'll all be the same obviously, which is either a good thing or not. If you're growing them to attract insects then chose single flower varieties rather than doubles.

[valmarg]

Tubers a more expensive, but you get named varieties and know what your going to get. Would you sow seeds from a packet that was just labelled "tomatoes", or just plant "potatoes" and hope? If you want the best, pay the extra

No Baaaaaaaaaaa anymore than you would buy seed just marked lettuce, carrots, etc.  Dahlia seed packets are marked cactus, pompon, decorative, etc.

When it comes to buying named varieties, I've had very bad results from Wilkos, insofar as the colour/variety of the plants grown, has borne no resemblance whatsoever to the colour /variety on the label.  Having paid the 'extra' I have definitely not had the 'best'!!!

You pays your money, and you takes your choice, but if you want a good, reasonably priced display, I would always go for growing from seed.

valmarg