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Post by lilliepop on Jun 15, 2014 20:31:29 GMT
Hello. I have been growing dahlias in containers so far. So today as I had so many I thought I would plant them in the ground. I used all purpose compose really didn't know if I was doing right. My soil isn't that good lots of stones. Anyway put the plants in Watered them first, then dug the hole, put some compose in covered them up watered again oh and some slow release food. Have I done it right? Hope so because my back aches  I must say I much prefer to do container planting. I will be so pleased if they flower though. |
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Post by Cherry on Jun 16, 2014 5:04:15 GMT
Sounds good lilliepop. If they are normal size and not bedding dahlias, it would be a good idea to put a couple of canes in beside them. |
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Post by sweetpea on Jun 16, 2014 13:07:27 GMT
Hello. I have been growing dahlias in containers so far. So today as I had so many I thought I would plant them in the ground. I used all purpose compose really didn't know if I was doing right. My soil isn't that good lots of stones. Anyway put the plants in Watered them first, then dug the hole, put some compose in covered them up watered again oh and some slow release food. Have I done it right? Hope so because my back aches I must say I much prefer to do container planting. I will be so pleased if they flower though. No such thing as, 'Right'. If it works for you then it is fine, if not then try another way. Usually I would icorporate some stable manure during the winter preparation and that would be all I did. Stable manure cos I couldn't get any other and I used that too for sweetpeas, veg and fruit. if you look about you will notice that most if not all plants grow without human intervention of any kind. It's just that in the garden and especially for exhibition we try to give our plants the optimum conditions possible therefore all the ground preparation, weeding, feeding and tying up aginst the weather etc. etc. With what you have done you will get your flowers ok and if you want more flowers do some pinching out to encourage more shoots. if you are thinking of exhibiting follow the advice from Tel and some others and you won't go far wrong. |
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Post by daitheplant on Jun 16, 2014 18:37:47 GMT
Dahlias can be a bit fussy, they don`t really like stony ground or competition or a lack of water. But as sweetpea says you will get flowers, it just depends on whether you want show bench standard or not.
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Post by scrumpy on Jun 16, 2014 18:54:55 GMT
It is possible with dahlias to plant them in the garden still in their pots. Roots grow out of the pots , thus utilising your soil nutrients, and at the end of the season produce a nice little tuber so easy to store. So you could have the best of both worlds.
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Post by lilliepop on Jun 17, 2014 11:18:56 GMT
Thanks for advise. I'm keep my eye on them because of the snails and slugs. Read that eggs shells are good, put in bag smashed up and put in pot or maybe outside pot. Anyone heard of this?
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Post by Cherry on Jun 17, 2014 15:52:02 GMT
That's right lilliepop. I use grit because I am lazy and it does look better. However, the result is the same. |
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Post by sweetpea on Jun 17, 2014 15:59:51 GMT
Thanks for advise. I'm keep my eye on them because of the snails and slugs. Read that eggs shells are good, put in bag smashed up and put in pot or maybe outside pot. Anyone heard of this?Yes and don't the snails just love it  it is virtually impossible to get rid of slugs and snails completely but late evening early morning inspection and removal helps. Apart from any 'Special' plants I don't bother much with control methods. i will use pellets in g'house but tend not to do so outdoors. A few leaves being eaten doesn't make much difference and only if I get much too many do I take action. |
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Post by daitheplant on Jun 17, 2014 18:48:09 GMT
Slugs and snails put down a slime trail for one reason, to get across sharp grit and broken eggshells. The old way of preventing slugs and snails from getting at the leaves/flowers is to smear the stems with Vaseline.
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Post by Cherry on Jun 17, 2014 20:15:34 GMT
daitheplant I would need barrels of Vaseline. I have slug pellets on the lettuce bed. They don't seem to bother with the spinach and silver beet. Just saw the tiniest rabbit cross the front grass. This means there is another litter to try out all my plants.
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Post by daitheplant on Jun 18, 2014 19:25:16 GMT
Simple answer Cherry, use slug pellets, or beer traps.
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I must say I much prefer to do container planting. I will be so pleased if they flower though. 
