marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 16, 2012 7:59:30 GMT
I have decided today that Bracken Ballerina looks like becoming compost. The tubers are not sprouting, and are not as firm as they were. Disappointing, because I enjoyed it so much last year. On the other hand, I guess it creates space for something that is doing well. I will certainly get it again next season.
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Post by Rosie on Oct 16, 2012 8:34:20 GMT
I have a collarette. That was not actually part of the grand plan. Last time I was rummaging through the tubers, the club president suggested I take a Mary Eveline. I said no thank you, because I did not really plan to grow collarettes at present. She told me it was in one of the classes I was after, so I took it. I'm newish to Dahlias, so I thought I must have it wrong. I am now wondering whether she knew perfectly well what it was but was keen for me to enter more classes in this season's shows! I have looked it up and it's definitely a collarette. It's the top one in this picture below. I think that is Keith Hammett's Yella Fella beneath it. Both are New Zealand cultivars.  I really like the red and white one Mary ;D Have you seen our Tel's 'Terrycotta'. It's just gorgous. ;D |
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 16, 2012 10:36:53 GMT
I have seen a picture or two, yes, and would like to see more. I am reading through old pages, and I saw where someone mistook Terrycotta for Jomanda. A pretty extreme compliment, that suggests it has a bright future. Jomanda has beautiful form.
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 16, 2012 10:39:35 GMT
Another thing I have picked up from the old pages which I have been reading through - when your Dahlias have rubbery stems, you don't seem to give them Epsom Salts, but only potash. Are British soils naturally high in Magnesium? It is what we try first here when stems are underwhelming.
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Post by scrumpy on Oct 16, 2012 18:58:00 GMT
I don't think adding magnesium would make any difference. Magnesium is needed by leaves to help photosynthesis, so unless leaves look wrong, ie, yellowing, then your soil isn't deficient. They don't have anything to do with stems or flowers.
It's only potash that stiffens up the stems.
Also, adding magnesium to the soil doesn't guarantee it will be available to plants, as an excess of Potassium means magnesium won't be absorbed by the plant. Better to use a spray.
I've never added "chemical"magnesium of any sort to my soil. I use natural products like seaweed and composted manures to provide all the micro nutrients, etc. Then it's fish, blood and bone prior to planting.
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 17, 2012 5:20:10 GMT
Magnesium is found in all plant parts, and I understand deficiency stresses a plant before that plant shows old leaf yellowing (caused by the plant moving the Magnesium from older leaves to newer ones). I'm going to assume that as everyone at the Dahlia Society here swears by it, that it does something, on our soils anyway. They don't strike me as excessively prone to spending money on things that don't work.
I don't think you could do much damage experimenting if you had a plant with inadequate stems there, and Potassium didn't solve the problem. By all means, spray it or add it in biologically based products, but I would be interested to know whether it works there, as it is claimed to here.
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Post by Tel on Oct 17, 2012 6:28:36 GMT
I have decided today that Bracken Ballerina looks like becoming compost. The tubers are not sprouting, and are not as firm as they were. Disappointing, because I enjoyed it so much last year. On the other hand, I guess it creates space for something that is doing well. I will certainly get it again next season. I tried Bracken Ballerina, lovely bloom, but i just could not get the flower stems straight. it is no longer in my collection now. I could never get waterlilies to look right on the show bench my blooms always looked too deep compared with other exhibits. Then i found out why, when it came to staging them at one show. One exhibitor was pulling petals out from the back of the bloom until the bloom was the right depth under NDS rules for waterlilies. |
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 17, 2012 7:03:02 GMT
I don't think my Bracken Ballerina was especially deep, but personally, I like a bit of depth in a waterlily. I know what the rules say, but I hope not to let them ruin my appreciation of other kinds of beauty!
New-to-me waterlily Dahlias I will be trying include Joal Louisa and Porcelain. I am going for huge variety this year so that I know which ones are good cut flowers under local conditions. Next year, I will have a more sensible assortment.
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Post by Tel on Oct 17, 2012 12:44:43 GMT
The NDS have told judges not to use rings on waterlilies this year. i do not think they have changed the rules on depth over here though. i think it is a stupid rule, when exhibitors have to pull petals out of the back of the bloom, to conform with their rules though.  |
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 17, 2012 23:42:42 GMT
I think having to take the bracts of poms is unnatural, so I wasn't going to grow any, but my daughter is going to sell some of ours as cut flowers this summer, and we know a florist who wants poms, so we have a few.
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 19, 2012 9:08:43 GMT
Has anyone grown "Arnside Rose"? It says it is a UK cultivar. It has uneven petals in some photos online. I was wondering whether it always does or not.
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Post by Tel on Oct 19, 2012 14:28:31 GMT
Not grown it myself Mary, it is not in the dahlia classified directory.
It was bred by George Fallows in Arnside Cumbria England and named after his wife Rosie.
G,Gott a well known dahlia showman, won a bronze medal with it at the Arnside show in 2003
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Post by dcdahlia on Oct 19, 2012 18:13:58 GMT
Began lifting tubers tonight managed to get 100 up before it got too dark.I will finnish the uncovered area tomorrow.
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marynz
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Post by marynz on Oct 19, 2012 18:48:23 GMT
Thanks, Terry.
How many more uncovered, dcdahlia? 100 is a lot to dig and relabel in one session.
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Post by Tel on Oct 20, 2012 6:15:01 GMT
Going to cut the dahlias down today on the allotment, weather for next week is to remain dry and mild. Will lift them all next week, i would rather do it then while it is mild weather, than wait until it is frosty weather, i hate the cold at my age now. ;D
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