Dahlia Season 2016

I'm new to the forum, so be gentle guys eh?

Just wanted to share my year and get some ideas and pointers.

Well, all my tubers have been set up on my heat benches for a few weeks already. Most are going well, but still a few slow starters I'm afraid, but guess that's normal. Fingers crossed for this year.

Hi Ian,

This is just my 3rd year of Dahlia growing, so a mere novice in comparison to many. I don't do exhibiting yet, as I don't have enough knowledge yet about the science involved and in particular what exactly judges look for. As time goes on, I may dip my toe. But I don't enjoy all that getting too competitive mode that some people let get the better of them sometimes.

I'm growing about 30 different varieties this year. As I said, most of my tubers were set up end of December, but I've just had a few extras come in this week, that I've just set up in my Poytunnel in trays.

Of the first tubers I set up, I've already got about 75 cuttings and potted on 8 plants so far. I'll use all my early cuttings as mother plants.

Its good to have new dahlia members..Hi jay65.....where are you based?.... Most of us will wait a little while before setting our tubers....

Thanks guys.

Yes, I know I'm pretty early, but I wanted to kind of trial a few varieties because with only 3 years experience, I have a lot to learn when it comes to knowing what works for me, and what doesn't. So the way I look at it, is that if I were to go with lets say Dikara Superb, and it didn't propagate well for me, then I would be kind of 'stuffed' for a small Dec for example. So if I run with Dikara Superb + Barbarry Pip + Blyton Golden Girl + Marston George + Ryecroft Brenda T + Winholme Diane. By doing that with each group, using the same growing method side by side in the same year, I feel that's the best way for me to get a feel for a Small/Min Dec that suits my growing methods best. I do the same with all the groups, and this means that I can narrow things down to specialize in the varieties that suit me best. Obviously have 36 varieties this year is going to be full on, but I will cut that down to probably half that next year, safe in the knowledge that the ones I'm growing what works well for me.

I know that some will be more successful than others, that's normal for everyone I guess. I just don't want to set my stall out and go all in with 6-8 varieties then 3 are failures, I'm only left with perhaps 4 good varieties. Whereas if I trial 36 varieties and 10-15 are poor performers then I'll still have 20-25 strong performing varieties.

These are the varieties I'm doing this year:

Hamari Girl
White Alvas
Alvas Supreme
Cafe Au Lait
Trooper Dan
Kenora Challenger
Hillcrest Duncan Edwards
Sir Alf Ramsey
Andrew Mitchell
Kenora Wow
Oakwood Goldcrest
Vals Candy
Avoca Amanda
Hillcrest Royal
Ruskin Harmony
Red Diamond
Hillcrest Candy
Grenidor Pastelle
Trelyn Kiwi
Kiwi Gloria
Weston Stardust
Ruskin Avenger
Westerton Folly
Jomanda
Marys Jomanda
Daves Choice
Blyton Softer Gleam
Barbarry Pip
George Marston
Blyton Golden Girl
Dikara Superb
Winholme Diane
Winkie Lambrusco
Karen G
Harriet G
Carolina Moon

I have 2 polytunnels, and a allotment, and as I said, it's going to be 'full on'. I just hope it's going to be good year for us all!

Thanks Cat. I really look forward to picking up some tips as I go forward, and maybe posting some Pics of how my set up is progressing through the season, but for me, this is all about learning. I had a really good year last year, so I thought I would expand things quite significantly this year, much to the frustration of my long suffering 'other half'.

That's right. If I get some good cuttings from Winkie Lambrusco, I'll see how the sizes differ depending on how many up I will grow it. So that will be a good experiment. I only received my Winkie Lambrusco tubers this week, so they're only just set up, and obviously still asleep. Whereas some of my early tubers that were set up around Christmas are galloping away. Kenora Challenger is doing well, and Hamari Girl are going nuts. I had 3 tiny awful looking weedy Hamari Girl tubers and thought they wouldn't be up to much. Just shows that sometimes just because a tuber is fat and plump, doesn't guarantee success. 

My Oakwood Goldcrests are still asleep after 1 month on the benches (nothing new there), and Red Diamond too, and my Bracken Ballerina are shooting only from the top of the stem, which makes the shoots very thin, small and weedy. At the moment, I think they're the ones that will be my main issues this year, but still very early to tell obviously, just a feeling! It's a shame about Bracken Ballerina because it's my fave Waterlily. I may pick up some mini plants from Halls of Heddon, so that I can grow them on and have a better stock of tubers next year.