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Post by sweetpea on Jun 10, 2014 15:55:15 GMT
All the bedding dahlias that I got earlier have yellow flowers, so far. Supposed to be mixed and they are re the leaf shape and colour. Strange!
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Post by candyblue on Jun 10, 2014 21:04:18 GMT
I am going to try and answer all of your questions, thanks for all the interest!
We don't have an irrigation system (yet) I have made the holes large to be able to water well as I managed to get the 10 year matting really cheap off ebay locally. Up until this year we have always covered the beds which are approx 1m wide, with the 1.5m wide one so we could dig in at edges.
The matting we got this year was 2m wide and I was messing around when I saw how much we had and jokingly said we should cover the whole plot, which Rob said was a good idea hence we have covered the paths as well.
The plants are approx 24 inch apart, except I broke the measuring stick and kept finding more plants to put in so managed to squeeze a few more in (including 3 on the path) This is despite having another bed this year for the giants on the other plot!
Last year we used chicken wire along the edges of the beds for support, but this year we will be tieing them into canes and we have used the chicken wire to keep the deer out by making a fence along the sides, but the fox managed to get over the top! leaving muddy paw prints across the matting.
As for shows our first one is meant to be Sandy in August, however last year they weren't ready and I suspect it will be the same this year as we are a bit behind. We then have a show to go to for the first 3 weeks of September fingers crossed
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Post by candyblue on Jun 18, 2014 20:12:02 GMT
Pot tubers now in position, approx 105 pot tubers!  |
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Post by snute2008 on Jun 19, 2014 10:00:42 GMT
looks good candyblue, what size pots do you use for your pot tubers? do you feed or just water.
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Post by candyblue on Jun 19, 2014 11:09:02 GMT
looks good candyblue, what size pots do you use for your pot tubers? do you feed or just water. This is the first time we have done them like this, I think they are 2 litre pots and we will water them and feed them too but not as much as the ones in the ground.According to my other half he says we must keep them short so the tubers will build up |
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Post by Lou78W on Jun 19, 2014 13:45:09 GMT
looks good candyblue, what size pots do you use for your pot tubers? do you feed or just water. This is the first time we have done them like this, I think they are 2 litre pots and we will water them and feed them too but not as much as the ones in the ground.According to my other half he says we must keep them short so the tubers will build up Nice lot of pot tubers there!!....I keep mine in quite small pots so they don't take up too much room in storage over winter. I water and feed as the other plants. I'm no expert...but would have thought feed was essential to build up the tubers?....perhaps our more experienced growers could give us a definitive?....Hope you have a good season... |
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Post by scrumpy on Jun 19, 2014 16:11:31 GMT
The idea of pot tubers is to use a smaller pot and don't mollycoddle them. 4" square I use. Initially, just enough water to keep them going. I keep the pots in carry trays so that the roots don't grow into the soil.
As the season progresses, reduce the water. This fools the dahlia into thinking the season is coming to an end and then it starts producing the tubers. I don't feed them. I only use pot tubers as back up.
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Post by Lou78W on Jun 19, 2014 18:27:39 GMT
The idea of pot tubers is to use a smaller pot and don't mollycoddle them. 4" square I use. Initially, just enough water to keep them going. I keep the pots in carry trays so that the roots don't grow into the soil. As the season progresses, reduce the water. This fools the dahlia into thinking the season is coming to an end and then it starts producing the tubers. I don't feed them. I only use pot tubers as back up. That's great......thanks scrumpy |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 16:58:20 GMT
All the dahlias in their place, some already flowering, others just chilling out. Trying the upside down pots with straw in to catch earwigs, and yes it works, they think it's the best hotel in the world, till I wake them and shake them out to be squashed.  The pot tubers are now on their bed of peat to help rooting, but running out of room, still got loads in the greenhouse to sort out. Was thinking maybe could do without sweetcorn this year, and use the bed for the rest of the pots, but the thought of a Barbie without home grown corn was to much.
 Just have to find somewhere else to put them 
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 17:02:39 GMT
Just a quick add on from my post about Myrtles Folly changing colour. Well it's back to normal, what can I say   
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Post by Cherry on Jun 20, 2014 20:09:04 GMT
You have made your dahlias a really pretty feature @markymate. Your garden looks fabulous. Love the onions hanging up to dry.
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Post by snute2008 on Jun 21, 2014 15:38:19 GMT
The idea of pot tubers is to use a smaller pot and don't mollycoddle them. 4" square I use. Initially, just enough water to keep them going. I keep the pots in carry trays so that the roots don't grow into the soil. As the season progresses, reduce the water. This fools the dahlia into thinking the season is coming to an end and then it starts producing the tubers. I don't feed them. I only use pot tubers as back up. That's great......thanks scrumpyYes, that's what I was told. I am using Pot Tubers for two reasons, one is as an emergency backup but the second is to keep pot tubers for varieties that I don't really want to grow this year but don't want to lose the stock of. |
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Post by Tel on Jun 22, 2014 17:25:25 GMT
I noticed to day that some of the dahlia's have smut already, down with the sprayer tomorrow morning now.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2014 17:43:06 GMT
I noticed to day that some of the dahlia's have smut already, down with the sprayer tomorrow morning now. What spray do you use for smut Tel. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2014 17:46:49 GMT
You have made your dahlias a really pretty feature @markymate. Your garden looks fabulous. Love the onions hanging up to dry. It's an ideal place Cherry, as long as it's dry. I'll string them up before the rain comes, and they'll do us throughout the summer . |
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