The Dahlia Guy

Fall is here -- FROST!!

2010-10-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Date line: October 16 & 17, 2010
Frost has finally come to my neighborhood. The tops of the plants are "toast." Now is the time to begin tuber harvesting.

For those who grow dahlias for fun or show (not commercial growers), the dahlia society to which I belong suggests that the dead stocks should be cut off about 12"-16" above the ground. Be sure to mark which varieties are which -- many people use surveyor's flagging, write on it with permanent marker and tie it the stalk. Wait for about a week and then dig up the tubers. This will allow the growth eyes of the plant to grow in size and makes dividing the tuber clump much easier.

It’s March!!! What should I be doing concerning dahlias?

2010-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

There is always something that a dahlia enthusiast can be doing that is dahlia related. March is the time to begin gearing up for dahlia season.

Things to do:
• Check the dahlia tubers that you have stored over the winter: Now is the time to take a peek at those stored dahlia tubers. Did those tubers make it through the winter in good condition? Some friends of mine are introducing a new dahlia this year. They were so excited when it scored so well in the Washington State Dahlia Society show. They recently looked at their store tubers and were shocked!! Almost all of the tubers had rotted! It is time to make sure that your tubers did not rot or get too dried out. Please note, tubers that are slightly withered and wrinkled will probably still grow. Replace those tubers that did not store well. Get rid of those tubers that are rotten—they will spread the rot to other tubers that they come in contact with.
• Order or purchase new dahlia tubers for your garden. Online dahlia retail businesses (like mine at dahliaguy.com) are selling out and beginning to stop taking orders. Get those orders in ASAP.
• Support your local dahlia society. Many dahlia societies are having tuber sales to help fund their annual shows and other events. The Washington State Dahlia Society (the club I belong to) has several upcoming sales. The first sale is this coming weekend (March 20-21) at the University of Puget Sound field house. The annual Women’s League hosts the Flea Market. The hours are from 10 am to 5 pm.

What the dahlia grower can do in January…

2010-01-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

There is always something that can keep the dahlia grower busy through the year. Here are some things that I will be doing:
• Check on your stored tubers—Tubers that are stored in peat moss, cedar shaving, sawdust and vermiculite can get too dry. A quick check of the tubers will reveal any issues in this area. In years gone by, I stored tubers in peat moss. In January I would put a damp towel at the top of the peat moss in each box. This increases the humidity in the box. Tubers stored in plastic wrap do not usually get too dry.
• Order new dahlia varieties—Now is the time to dream! A few of the larger dahlia growers have beautiful catalogs. Most growers cannot afford to print such catalogs and opt for an online presence. The dahlia Big List Locator (http://www.dahlias.net/dbiglist.htm) is a great source to locate dahlia growers that sell online. Check out my site at: http://dahliaguy.com/. Recognizing that the families are still having a difficult time in making ends meet, we are still selling all of our dahlias at $2.50 per tuber!
• Get those seeds ready—Some dahlia growers wanting to produce new varieties harvest seeds from selected plants during the growing season. Now is the time to remove the seeds from the seed pods, if you have not already done so. Yesterday I removed seeds from the seed pods while “watching” (I should probably say listening) to the NFL playoff game.
• Check out the home and garden shows—The Seattle Home and Garden Show is at the end of January. We went to the Puyallup Home and Garden Show yesterday. Disappointment! Only two exhibits had anything to do with the garden!
• Get garden machines working properly—Now is the time to take the rototiller to the shop for maintenance. I need to do that this week!
• Get ready to take cuttings—Thrifty gardeners may want to try taking cuttings to increase their quantities of select dahlias. Many sources are available to describe how to take cuttings. (Note: We will be making videos of how to harvest seeds and take cuttings this year)

Get orders in now!!

2010-01-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

In the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving and Christmas I have failed in my keeping this blog updated. The web site is up and open for business. We are beginning to sell out of many varieties. So, get your order in ASAP!

Our online store is opening for 2010 orders.

2009-11-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that our online store (Dahlia Guy web site) has not been up and running. A family illness and death have necessitated my being out of state many times. Thankfully, things are getting back to normal and our inventory process is almost complete.

Check out our online store and place an order. A few of our offerings have limited quantities.

Remember: dahliaguy.com

YouTube videos.

2009-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have three videos on YouTube dealing with growing dahlias. These videos ARE NOT professional quality. These videos try to help the beginning or average dahlia grower as they grow their dahlias.

The first video is on how to divide the tubers in the fall. We made this video last October. Check out the video here: dividing tubers.

The second video is on how to plant tubers. Check out the video here: planting tubers.

The third video is on how to "top" or "stop" dahlias. Topping dahlias make the plant have more branches, stronger branches and more flowers. Check out the video here: topping dahlias.

Keep those tubers from freezing!!

2008-12-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

Attention!! Keep your dahlia tuber from freezing. Freezing = dead!

I live in Washington State, near Tacoma. Winter has hit.

If you have your dahlia tubers stored in a garage:
1. Keep the storage boxes away from an uninsulated wall.
2. Cover the storage boxes with blankets for insulation.
3.Be careful about using heat sources in the garage--don't burn your house down. If the garage temperature drops to 32 degrees (yes, I have my outdoor remote for my thermometer in the garage for my dahlias) I use an electric heater for an hour (only if I am home and can monitor it).
4. I have my heating pad (used for my cuttings in the winter) on top of my storage boxes (and under the blankets) and run it from 4am to 5am.

If your tubers are still in the ground:
1. Put mulch over the tubers. The temperature is to drop to single digits in the coming days. Mulch can be straw, compost, etc.

Check out my web site: The Dahlia Guy.

Dahlia tuber dividing video

2008-12-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hey there dahlia fans. Have you ever wondered how to divide your dahlia tubers? I have place a video on YouTube showing how to divide tubers. The video can be found here.

Also, check out my new web site--The Dahlia Guy.

Web site up and running

2008-12-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Check out my new web site (here). I am offering quality tubers at a rock-bottom price. Here is my thought process:

1. This is the first year that I am selling dahlia tubers. A good way to enter the market is to offer tubers at EXTREMELY reasonable prices.

2. Too many people are hesitant to grow dahlias because of the cost of the tubers. My first dahlia's were "no name" dahlias purchased at a "big box" store. I want people who grow dahlias for the first time to grow quality, named, dahlia varieties.

3. The economy is in the toilet. People are worried about their families and the economy. People will be cutting back on unnecessary expenditures. I find it is relaxing to come home from work and check out my dahlia garden. I want other people to experience the same type of relaxation and joy that dahlias bring me. I am offering inexpensive tubers to make this possible.

4. These tubers will not last long at this price. Order today.

Once again, check out The Dahlia Guy web site here.

Open for U-Cut Dahlias on Saturday, August 23, 2008!

2008-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

I will be open for U-Cut dahlias on Saturday, August 23, from 9:00 a.m. - noon.

Cost: $6 per dozen.

Only one A (8"-10'') or AA (10+") blooms per dozen. Extra A or AA blooms are $2 each.

Map: click here.

Directions: I am in the Fredrickson area (south of Puyallup and Tacoma and east of Spanaway.

From Hwy 512: Go south on Canyon Road for 4.3 miles; turn right on 176th St. E and go 1.1 mile; turn left on 38th Ave. E and go 0.2 miles. My house is on the left and the garden is behind the house.

Cuttings and leaf cuttings

2008-03-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

My goal for this year’s dahlia garden is to produce enough blossoms that I can sell some of them as cut flowers. I will have at least 600 plants (up from 100 plants last year), and possibly as many as 800+ plants. It is too expensive to purchase multiple tubers of the same variety of dahlia. So what is a person to do?

Last year I discovered the world of cuttings and leaf cuttings. The photos at the beginning of this post are of tubers prepared for taking cuttings.

Here is a brief description of how it is done:

Place a tuber in potting soil with the “eye” out of the dirt.
Label each tuber with the name of the dahlia variety (such as “Sparticus”).
Place the tubers on a heating pad in a warm room.
Keep the soil moist enough to keep the tubers from drying out.
Some people put plastic covers over the tubers.
Wait. And wait. And wait.
The eyes will begin to grow a dahlia plant.

I will continue to write on this topic when my tubers are at the point of taking the cuttings. I will include of taking both types of cuttings.

Photos 1-3: Photos of dahlia tubers planted with eyes out of the soil.

Photos 4-7: Photos of “eyes” developing into plants.

Click on each photo to see the full sized picture.

Plastic Wrap Storage

2008-03-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Dahlia growers are passionate about how dahlia tubers should be stored. In past years I would leave the tubers in their original clumps (marked with their name) and stored in either peat moss or cedar sawdust. In the spring I would divide the clumps. I had to be very careful to keep the tubers from drying out.

I have become much wiser in how to deal with dahlia tubers. First, after the first frost I cut down each dahlia plant, leaving an eighteen inch stalk sticking up out of the ground. Survey tape is tied to each stalk with the name of the dahlia written on it in permanent marker. Leave the tubers in the ground for at least ten days before digging up the tubers—this allows the eyes to enlarge, making the dividing of the tubers much easier.

After the tubers were divided they were wrapped in plastic wrap. Place a tuber on the plastic wrap and then have one wrap of the plastic around the tuber. Then, place another tuber with the first tuber and have one wrap of the plastic around the two tubers. Continue until there are eight to ten tubers in the bundle. Only one type of dahlia tuber is in a bundle. Mark the bundles with the type of dahlia and the number of tubers in it. The plastic keeps the tubers apart so that if one tuber rots the other tubers are protected.

I have packaged 91 tubers for our church’s garage sale and found only two tubers that were rotten. I have checked most all of the bundles and there appears to be little if any loss. I am very please with how this storage system works.

I placed cedar sawdust in the bottom of a box, put in a layer of tuber bundles, added a layer of cedar sawdust, etc. until the box was full.

The journey for my 2008 dahlia garden

2008-03-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Dahlia Guy. This blog is about my love for growing dahlias. Photos of my 2007 dahlias can be found here.

In 2008 my garden will be at least six times the size as last year--in number of plants. I plan on have at least 118 different varieties of dahlias. On top of that, I am growing some dahlias for the seeds I harvested from some of last year's plants.

Join me on this journey.