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Post by Raymond on Aug 4, 2015 21:27:19 GMT
Kiwi will like the comfrey I would not give them potash straight seaweed and tomato feed will be fine. Kiwis are usually have a good strong stem. Thank you Ian. I will give the kiwis comfrey at half strength three times before flowering or might even give at quarter strength at each watering. They have had straight maxicrop seaweed and also with sequestered iron. All other plants have had soluble sulphate of potash at 20grams per gallon and about a pint or pint and a half per plant for the likes of kenora sunset and senzoe that has rubbery or thin stems. I will give the plot bar the kiwis comfrey at full strength ( using the pelleted form for now that you soak for 10days ) ratio of 1 part tea to 25 parts water. My co Frey plants they recommend not to harvest in first year. Will give the plot bar the kiwis one or two vitax high potash foliar feed also with some straight seaweed added. Can you give the kiwis potash after flowering to help the tuber formation ? |
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dahliadave
Junior Member
"Chocolate" red seedling 5 plants in a 70cm pot in July.
Posts: 77 
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Post by dahliadave on Aug 4, 2015 21:43:16 GMT
All this talk of securing buds and most of ours are still standing at only about 45cms! They hardly grew over a 10 day period while I was away- too many cold nights! some exceptions which are traditionally early such as old favourite Doris Day and Indian Summer. growth has been very uneven and unpredictable this year. we had a touch of frost on some just after planting on June 14th or thereabouts which didn't help and 2 nights last week were temp was below 6 degrees! They are noticeably growing this week thank goodness.
Ian, your sentiments regarding David Boyd will be echoed by many across the Dahlia world. He was a good friend of my Dad's and there was many an interesting debate on Sunday mornings way back between my Dad, the late Alan Dunlop and David, while they discussed the merits (or not) of Alan's latest crop of seedlings which we used to grow on our fields. Whether it was Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, and more latterly alpines, his growing skills and dedication to achieving perfection will seldom, if ever, be matched.
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Post by ian on Aug 4, 2015 22:57:38 GMT
Good to hear from you David hope you and yours are all well, yes I am sure that the cool nights will catch some Dahlia growers out if they have knocked them hard back I believe one or two in the North East caught a frost early on just after planting. My plants are fine and thought I was going to be early with quite a few varieties but these cool nights have slowed down their progress, which should make for better development of the blooms. I wanted to show at Southport and I probably will but will only be cutting the first few blooms to take the Bank holiday weekend should be better for the Midlands.
Yes very very sad the death of David Boyd a fantastic grower and always saw the positives in growers entries when he judged a very 'kind' judge. Although David admitted on having help with his Dahlias he was without doubt a tremendous grower and a very keen eye for the finer points. He left Dahlias far far too early and left this earth far too soon @ 60 years young. An incredible grower RIP David 'simply the best'.
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Post by Raymond on Aug 5, 2015 11:17:10 GMT
scrumpy this morning tagged 45 buds all at different parts of development labelled and dated . Some crown some wing . I did not think I would have Andrea for my first show. It is budding. Very strong plant and now seeing it and zoe together I wish I have put them at least 24 inches apart. I used 20 inches and battling to tend to them they are all massive. My tiddler senzoe have caught up the big ones you sent me Graham. Also in bud. Tel loads of buds on garden friends so tagged some of them as well. Also tagged wyns with one plant all 7 growing points in bud.the other I have played with taking a couple of stems down and running a lower shoot to see how long it takes. Just pea size no wings showing so hopefully timing is just right for 6th of september for this plant. I want to show wyns and zoe sport . Tom mcclelland a min cactus trialling one plant did not think it was going to bud in time but buds forming now. Stopped it the same as pirate. Parkland rave and Hapet daydream both trial ones I propagated myself also in bud. Gonna be like Christmas all these new dahlias to see ! Hehe the first one will be a kenora sunset stripped down it is a much large bud. Sitting right on top of a much better stem still a kink in the stem but stronger and straighter .
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Post by dianthus on Aug 5, 2015 14:43:29 GMT
You are getting all excited, already, @raymond 
Don't forget to eat, sleep and sell shoes in the next month!!!  |
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Post by Raymond on Aug 5, 2015 14:57:16 GMT
Sleep would be good dianthus ! Don't get much of that at the mo. Tied in garden friends today tried it "au natural" Tel and a couple of stems went to the ground. Trying this new collarette kilncroft Becka in bud now. Strange habit stems grow outwards not up. Will need some training in I think. I like the habit of Clearview Daniel squat but stretching up compact plant. Marys jomanda is huge and the stems from the laterals come out bowed. Then straight. Kelsea Carla a leggy sparse foliage plant. Not sure about that one but if blooms nice we shall see also in bud. |
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Post by robh on Aug 6, 2015 18:27:20 GMT
raymond i use comfrey for feed it stinks but its great stuff
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Post by Cat on Aug 6, 2015 21:53:35 GMT
Spent the evening watching Dave Gillam you tube vids. Discovering what I have done differently and thinking what I may change for next year...an interesting evening
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Post by ian on Aug 7, 2015 6:43:10 GMT
Cat the videos of David are a great source of a successful grower, and I have a lot of time for David. Please do not start to feed as much as he does it is not good and if you want tubers that rot then ok but very few of your tubers will keep if you do start to feed heavily. The clips are very very good indeed but very much aimed at the Dahlia showman, I would never feed as much as he it only builds up problems in your soil eventually.
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Post by Cat on Aug 7, 2015 17:51:55 GMT
ian, thanks for the tip. Not planning to show just yet lol. Want a season or two to get used to it all and get my basic set up right. Just keeping stocvk over winter this year is my next hurdle 
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Post by Raymond on Aug 8, 2015 22:35:15 GMT
Well I am now starting to soil myself with stress . Hehehe
I have lots of buds forming but will they flower when I need them . Mary's is ahead to late to knock back so guess off wing buds. Same with zoe but I have a feeling they would go oversize. Got a bloom opening before I thinned down and it looks big.
No sign of buds on the kiwis . Good looking plants still time. Another 3 to 4 days if no buds then for later show.
I knocked back the collarettes looks like my timing is about 15days or so. Trying to get a bigger flush about 10 to 12up.
Learned so much the other day at Arthur dashwoods and John Carter's plots. They can grow ! Superb plants the tying in and habit of them I was in awe . Arthur at 91 knows his stuff a man with huge knowledge of many types of dahlias as does John with collarettes and a great eye for form on all types of dahlia. A real treat and an eye opener.
I have overfed with nitrogen plants to big and spacing wrong . That's just the tip of the iceberg ! Hey ho always next year.
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Post by Cat on Aug 9, 2015 11:58:01 GMT
Well I am now starting to soil myself with stress . Hehehe I have lots of buds forming but will they flower when I need them . Mary's is ahead to late to knock back so guess off wing buds. Same with zoe but I have a feeling they would go oversize. Got a bloom opening before I thinned down and it looks big. No sign of buds on the kiwis . Good looking plants still time. Another 3 to 4 days if no buds then for later show. I knocked back the collarettes looks like my timing is about 15days or so. Trying to get a bigger flush about 10 to 12up. Learned so much the other day at Arthur dashwoods and John Carter's plots. They can grow ! Superb plants the tying in and habit of them I was in awe . Arthur at 91 knows his stuff a man with huge knowledge of many types of dahlias as does John with collarettes and a great eye for form on all types of dahlia. A real treat and an eye opener. I have overfed with nitrogen plants to big and spacing wrong . That's just the tip of the iceberg ! Hey ho always next year. You may surprise yourself!  |
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Post by Raymond on Aug 9, 2015 16:50:26 GMT
I doubt it Cat ! disbudded the mediums tried to tackle Mary's jomanda which is a total beast. Knocked a load of buds of it left some tiny ones letting it run. You need a lot of space for that one to grow well. |
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Post by Cat on Aug 9, 2015 17:20:50 GMT
Raymond space for mj to grow well... not here you don't. something has eaten half a dozen assorted dahlias inc mj down to the stems since yesterday. Mix of front and back garden. Gutted.
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Post by Raymond on Aug 9, 2015 18:36:48 GMT
Raymond space for mj to grow well... not here you don't. something has eaten half a dozen assorted dahlias inc mj down to the stems since yesterday. Mix of front and back garden. Gutted. The whole plant cat ? To the base ? Or all the leaves ? Has to be something much bigger . Maybe a deer or something ? So gutted for you. Which others got ruined ? |
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