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Post by ste b on Feb 17, 2016 12:55:45 GMT
Hi Ian the tubers where dotted up and down the bed so could have been lack of water or later cuttings I don't know , but still got a very big plant off a very small tuber, yes looking forward to Friday night , a good meal and good owd chin wag .
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Post by daisy on Feb 19, 2016 15:46:17 GMT
I joined the NDS just two weeks ago, I like the Honka's, Anemone, Cactus, Collarettes and the Bishops - although...I have to say I like them all really! :-))
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Post by daisy on Feb 20, 2016 12:46:17 GMT
Bit of advice Please!
I have Dahlias in the attic still in they're pots, no sign of any shoots yet should I, leave them in the pots and just water or take them out empty out and repot into new soil? The Honka's White didn't even produce one shoot last year - bought it from a very well know bulb nursery! Some of the Cannas have started to produce shoots - promising :-))
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Post by ian on Feb 20, 2016 15:20:41 GMT
Hi Daisy, if you intend just to plant the pot tubers back into the ground then yes wake them up take them out of the pots remove the top portion of compost to expose the crown top of the tuber neck. Then repot keeping the crown slightly exposed and water slightly. Keep these frost free they should start to show signs of growth which of course you can then take cutting if you like. Now as I said if you intend growing the tubers in the ground after the fear of frost is over then plant the pot tuber and just cover with soil then they will grow on. Now if you want may be two or three of the plants you can split the tubers with a knife and as long as there is a portion of tuber with a shoot the this will produce a plants. Hope this helps. Just keep on asking.
Just a point some tubers even if the look ok and firm they may not produce shoots they are 'blind' and therefore will not produce a cutting this is usually caused by taking internodel cuttings. Usually pot tubers show signs of life quicker than field tuber (field tubers are ones that are out in the open ground) often if a tuber is not throwing cuttings then splitting the tuber with a knife often shakes it into life, anotherr trick is to boil the kettle let I go off the boil then pour the waste over the crown of the tuber again this can shock the tubers into life. Ian
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Post by daisy on Feb 20, 2016 16:53:28 GMT
Thanks for all that info Ian, I will do as you suggest - we'll hopefully have moved house before they need to go into ground - but will keep them in pots, frost free for now. :-))
I'm ging to try the hot water on the White Honka see if that stirs it.
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Post by ian on Feb 20, 2016 18:25:29 GMT
Thanks for all that info Ian, I will do as you suggest - we'll hopefully have moved house before they need to go into ground - but will keep them in pots, frost free for now. :-)) I'm ging to try the hot water on the White Honka see if that stirs it. No problem, your not loosing anything trying the hot water treatment, it does work. Good luck |
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Post by daisy on Feb 20, 2016 20:51:44 GMT
Thanks again Ian :-)) Thanks for all that infoIan, I will do as you suggest - we'll hopefully have moved house before they need to go into ground - but will keep them in pots, frost free for now. :-)) I'm ging to try the hot water on the White Honka see if that stirs it. No problem, your not loosing anything trying the hot water treatment, it does work. Good luck |
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Post by Moonlight on Feb 20, 2016 22:35:42 GMT
Hi Daisy, if you intend just to plant the pot tubers back into the ground then yes wake them up take them out of the pots remove the top portion of compost to expose the crown top of the tuber neck. Then repot keeping the crown slightly exposed and water slightly. Keep these frost free they should start to show signs of growth which of course you can then take cutting if you like. Now as I said if you intend growing the tubers in the ground after the fear of frost is over then plant the pot tuber and just cover with soil then they will grow on. Now if you want may be two or three of the plants you can split the tubers with a knife and as long as there is a portion of tuber with a shoot the this will produce a plants. Hope this helps. Just keep on asking. Just a point some tubers even if the look ok and firm they may not produce shoots they are 'blind' and therefore will not produce a cutting this is usually caused by taking internodel cuttings. Usually pot tubers show signs of life quicker than field tuber (field tubers are ones that are out in the open ground) often if a tuber is not throwing cuttings then splitting the tuber with a knife often shakes it into life, another trick is to boil the kettle let I go off the boil then pour the waste over the crown of the tuber again this can shock the tubers into life. Ian |
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Post by Raymond on Feb 21, 2016 23:11:26 GMT
Got the Jack gott pot tubers away and my new collerette varieties already awake. Excellent tubers from Jack. He told me what he does but now not sure so need to ask him again . I know he removes the first shoot and bins that
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Post by ian on Feb 21, 2016 23:39:24 GMT
Raymond Jack roots his cuttings in sand
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Post by Raymond on Feb 22, 2016 13:06:49 GMT
Raymond Jack roots his cuttings in sand It was not the rooting medium Ian it was to do with the technique he uses to take the cuttings themselves. Something to do with not using a blade but taking it with your thumb. I need to ask him again. He says this is how his pot tubers are very rarely blind. I tried the sand method and they got fried . He does not use heat which I did. I may try it again but only if spare cuttings I made a note of the the internodal cuttings making blind tubers. I try to avoid any of these cuttings. |
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Post by diggie on Feb 22, 2016 18:17:05 GMT
Raymond Jack roots his cuttings in sand It was not the rooting medium Ian it was to do with the technique he uses to take the cuttings themselves. Something to do with not using a blade but taking it with your thumb. I need to ask him again. He says this is how his pot tubers are very rarely blind. I tried the sand method and they got fried . He does not use heat which I did. I may try it again but only if spare cuttings I made a note of the the internodal cuttings making blind tubers. I try to avoid any of these cuttings. Hi Raymond, I am following your discussion on taking cuttings and growing on. As with you I lost a few cuttings last season and have changed my set up this season which is proving to be successful. I have tubers throwing up plenty of shoots. It will not be long before I am rooting cuttings. |
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Post by Cat on Feb 22, 2016 19:17:50 GMT
I was asked today if there are any anti rabbit dahlias? My friend would like to grow some - possibly pompons - but she has rabbit issues and would like any advice you lovely people can give. Is it simply don't plant out too early or XXX variety works well - Or they Eat them all its a risk you take!! Thanks folks  |
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Post by Lou78W on Feb 22, 2016 19:24:53 GMT
I've not heard of bunnies liking dahlias to eat Cat........ |
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jay65
Junior Member
Posts: 69 
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Post by jay65 on Feb 22, 2016 20:38:20 GMT
Just got back from a weeks' break. Had a friend come on to water/spray the plants in the Polytunnel. Tubers were thick with growth, almost too much because I had about 80-100 cuttings to take to tidy them up, and about 40% of those were hollow stemmed sadly, due to them galloping away too much over the week we were away. Also lost a few cuttings due to damping off in one of the vitopods. Not a disaster, lost around 15 or so I should think. I think my own personal success rate at getting cuttings to strike this year is currently at around 80%, which is a bit down on last year as it happens. I think the Vitopods have something to do with this. Last year I didn't have them and ran at 98% success rate. I'm finding the Vitopods very sensitive and need almost constant tinkering with dependent on the ambient temperatures and sunlight on the Polytunnel. Also they are prone to giving off both dry spots and damp spots within the propagator. This makes watering/spraying of the cuttings and general care, to be very hit and miss.
For me, the simple method of heat benches worked much better last year and gave a consistency of strike rate.
On the plus side I have plenty of Mother plants potted on (around 130), so we're going to put up a new Potting Shed in the garden for around 200 to go in, releasing space elsewhere in the Polytunnel for the main batch to come 1st/2nd week of April.
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