|
|
Post by Tel on Feb 4, 2015 15:28:51 GMT
Eastwood Moonlight 40 years old this year, still the Number one, Medium Semi/Cactus, to beat on the show bench. The raiser must be well proud of his moonlight.  |
|
|
|
Post by Lou78W on Feb 4, 2015 15:31:23 GMT
wrong word even, in my case. never mind i know what i intended to say. lol I knew wot you meant Our Tel..  |
|
|
|
Post by ian on Feb 4, 2015 19:29:46 GMT
Now you two don't start hehe I am always getting my worms in a mucking fuddle. Cheers Tell oh and Lou
|
|
cici
Junior Member
Posts: 68 
|
Post by cici on Feb 4, 2015 19:47:00 GMT
erm, ok Hiya cici Have you ever ordered dahlias from the UK? Hello, Moon. I actually don't buy too many varieties each year, as I prefer to save my cash for growing expenses like mulch and sprays. Import fees are too high for my taste, anyhow. I am a trading addict. I'll be buying about a dozen varieties from vendors and receiving through trade between 60-100 varieties. Often I trade many more TO a grower then I receive, as payback to the growers that got me started the same way. I'll be dumping about sixty varieties I don't want to grow this year, and luckily a new bed is in the plans to put the surplus varieties. |
|
cici
Junior Member
Posts: 68
|
Post by cici on Feb 4, 2015 19:59:09 GMT
Do you ever have problems getting 'chicken leg' tubers to grow? Found it quite challenging getting them to grow. I have to tell you that it is SO hard to see pictures on this forum of pot roots sprouting with all those tubers so easy to divide sitting on that stem! I want to reach through the screen with my shears and snip off that juicy sprouting leg to bring back under my lights! The 'culture shock' of growing pot tubers for cuttings versus divided tubers directly into the ground is really quite amusing, as both are basically the same but with a slightly different method. With pot tubers, there is no need to learn how to recognize a dormant eye (future sprout location), as you plunk the whole mess into a tray and let it do its own thing. Many new growers over here chop a clump into unusable pieces, and bemoan the low rate of sprouts. It's a skill to be learned, like many dahlia-related things. |
|
cici
Junior Member
Posts: 68
|
Post by cici on Feb 4, 2015 20:18:49 GMT
POT TUBERS VS 'CHICKEN LEGS' I find it truly fascinating that Kenora Challenger is so wide-spread and popular in the UK, while it is dying out here in the US. I have heard multiple growers comment on how difficult it is to overwinter, and to cultivate for show. It is still winning over here, but not as much, most likely because it is not grown as much as a result of its keeping issues. In fact, I lost my prized tuber of it last season while it was still growing under the lights! Meanwhile Ian told me that almost everyone grows it because the form is impeccable and it keeps really well. Sounds like it either likes Britain's weather, or it does best through pot roots and cuttings! While Accord is avoided by some in the UK for soft petals (never heard that one before!), it is avoided in the US for long-necked tubers that break with the slightest of pressure when digging up. Again, it sounds like it might do best through pot roots and cuttings. Same for Millennium, which I have been drooling over since I started growing. It is in very low supply over here. Very bad tubers, but apparently pot tubers do splendidly. Obviously, pot tubers rule with certain varieties! WHY 'CHICKEN LEGS?' Not quite sure anymore!  Here's some reasons that may not have any TRUE merit...  -Space i have an itty bitty storage space under the cellar steps for over two hundred varieties, two plants each. Cut those clumps down and toss the stems, and I can fit quite a few more in there. (Around 2600 single tubers when divided up) -Mailing a tuber survives quite a bit of abuse in the postal service, where cuttings get fried or frozen much easier. -More tubers the next season cutting plants just don't produce as many tubers as a tuber plant does. The plants are the same, but the roots grow differently. |
|
cici
Junior Member
Posts: 68
|
Post by cici on Feb 4, 2015 22:02:28 GMT
This comment was based on earlier posts where 'Millennium' was in discussion... I assumed it was a fimbriated variety that I am familiar with. I understand now from a private discussion that you folks were discussing Trengrove Millenium. I have not run across that variety, though it seems to be widely available here after a quick look.
borrowed image of  Millennium |
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Feb 4, 2015 22:48:12 GMT
Took my first cuttings today.( 2 Sir Alf, 2 Rycroft magnum, 3 White Charlie and a Zoe ). Only 8 but it's a start but more will grow soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cat on Feb 6, 2015 7:26:58 GMT
Garden Friends progressing nicely.  Tel my youngest, Che, says "Oooh yes they are progressing nicely, looking forward to seeing them a bit bigger in a few weeks" - one smiley boy who loves to see what he will be doing in the future photo sharing |
|
|
|
Post by Raymond on Feb 6, 2015 7:42:54 GMT
Cat how old is your son ? There is a girl that shows in Kent called Ella she is 14 she won fimbriated class and collerette then went on to win at wisley. The youngsters are the future. Hope he stays keen and interested.
|
|
|
|
Post by scrumpy on Feb 6, 2015 8:48:35 GMT
Cici, the problem with the chicken leg method is actually getting dahlias to produce the chicken legs. Out of all my varieties I'd say only Mary's Jomanda produces them regularly. A few come close, but some, eg Ruskin Andrea, Winholme Diane, Brenda T are just one solid mass. No way of knowing where the eyes are. I have one plant of Ruskin Andrea with 14 eyes on it sprouting from all over the tuber. No way you could have dreamt of getting chicken legs from it. And those 14 eyes could end up with another 40 or 50 cuttings.
|
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Feb 6, 2015 9:52:15 GMT
I don't really think of them as 'Chicken Legs' more of 'Chicken Wings'.
These were last years order, I've included the key to give a clear representation of size.
This bag contains 7 tubers.
Of the 7 5 grew and 2 didn't.
Of the 2 that didn't one had been the replacement of one that hadn't grown the previous year.
We made more than 1 order from the US, I'll add those photos later.
Buying chicken wings is a gamble but it is worth doing if you are prepared to accept in advance that they may fail. However it can be intensly satisfying knowing that you are probably 1 of only a handful of people growing a new US introduction - especially as it does well in the shows. Another thing you have to be prepared for is that because there is so little to grow from they can take longer to get going and therefore flower later than you want if you are growing with an eye to exhibiting that year.
p.s. I am not going to name supplier.
|
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Feb 6, 2015 10:09:49 GMT
POT TUBERS VS 'CHICKEN LEGS' I find it truly fascinating that Kenora Challenger is so wide-spread and popular in the UK, while it is dying out here in the US. I have heard multiple growers comment on how difficult it is to overwinter, and to cultivate for show. It is still winning over here, but not as much, most likely because it is not grown as much as a result of its keeping issues. In fact, I lost my prized tuber of it last season while it was still growing under the lights! Meanwhile Ian told me that almost everyone grows it because the form is impeccable and it keeps really well. Sounds like it either likes Britain's weather, or it does best through pot roots and cuttings! While Accord is avoided by some in the UK for soft petals (never heard that one before!), it is avoided in the US for long-necked tubers that break with the slightest of pressure when digging up. Again, it sounds like it might do best through pot roots and cuttings. Same for Millennium, which I have been drooling over since I started growing. It is in very low supply over here. Very bad tubers, but apparently pot tubers do splendidly.
Obviously, pot tubers rule with certain varieties!WHY 'CHICKEN LEGS?' Not quite sure anymore! Here's some reasons that may not have any TRUE merit... -Space i have an itty bitty storage space under the cellar steps for over two hundred varieties, two plants each. Cut those clumps down and toss the stems, and I can fit quite a few more in there. (Around 2600 single tubers when divided up) -Mailing a tuber survives quite a bit of abuse in the postal service, where cuttings get fried or frozen much easier. -More tubers the next season
cutting plants just don't produce as many tubers as a tuber plant does. The plants are the same, but the roots grow differently.. Ordered 2 of 1 varieties in my previous post. 1 failed the other grew but was very late at getting going and hasn't made a particularly good tuber. So whilst the gamble paid off in the dahlia itself, only time will tell if my Dad can get any cuttings from the tuber. So it is mega  on that one. If he can get a good crop of cuttings from it, then next years tubers will be better.Even I have found out that some varieties make better tubers than others.
I think at the end of the day a skilled grower can get results but it is still a gamble when you order from another country whatever type of tuber or plant that you order from. |
|
|
|
Post by Tel on Feb 6, 2015 10:39:43 GMT
Garden Friends progressing nicely. Tel my youngest, Che, says "Oooh yes they are progressing nicely, looking forward to seeing them a bit bigger in a few weeks" - one smiley boy who loves to see what he will be doing in the future photo sharing I don't think he will be disappointed when they come into flower. Once they start flowering they will flower for months. He will be able to brag to his friends, he is the only boy in Cornwall, to have this variety of dahlia. |
|
|
|
Post by Moonlight on Feb 6, 2015 10:39:50 GMT
Also ordered from Dahlias by Les and Viv
They ship to the UK and you can choose between tubers (aka Chicken legs/wings  ) or pot roots. Where possible we went for pot roots:
So if you compare that Tammy with the shoot from Les and Viv with the Tammy from the previous supplier you can see a significant difference.
|
|
Here's some reasons that may not have any TRUE merit... 
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT