Dahlias

[mick2me 3,033]

I got lots of dahlias coming up from tubers I bought from the 99p store.

I see you can take cuttings from them. Anyone had success from this method of propogation?

Do the cuttings develop tubers in the new roots?

[Beefsteak 305]

Would that my Father was still with us , he was a dab hand at taking cuttings and propagating? them.
I recall a visit to some gardens somewhere (It may have been Kew but my memory is a bit foggy as to the exact location) and my Dad would be filling little plastic bags with cuttings that he 'borrowed' !!

[Beefsteak 305]

I've just given my Mum a ring and asked her where it was and she tells me it was everywhere we went !! He also used to carry some plastic sacks in the boot of his car in case he saw any Horse poo in the road, and every now and then he'd disappear into woods and come back out with a couple of sacks of 'leaf mold' !

The last of the great larcenists slipped from this mortal coil in 1990.

RIP Dad (I've got a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat now !!)

[LizzieM 9,519]

That brings back memories of my Dad going round the local rose nurseries around Notts, pinching rose cuttings for the 'buds'. He seemed to have no fear doing this except at Wheatcrofts, where he reckoned Harry would sit in his house up the hill with his binoculars, watching for thieves like my Dad. Our garden was dedicated to rose growing in the 50's and 60's and I would help him with the pruning, then sadly he lost interest and lawn took over.

[jackson 301]

GROWING DAHLIAS: 'A Blooming Good Show Again'

My great grandfather: Mr William Hill, always maintained an annual, colourful show of dahlias in his back garden during the 50's.

As a girl, I thought his mass of home grown flowers a beautiful sight; I'd skip along at the side of the tiny, trellised fence surrounding great grandad's garden and consider him ever so clever for being able to grow his very own dahlias: pompom ones and spray ones and different colours from the brightest red, yellow and orange to those fused with white: lemon, pink and lavender. "A blooming good show again," great grandad would comment with pride and joy.

In my mind's eye I can see great grandad's flowers now: growing tall and bright, reaching out, assisting in the colouring of the neighbourhood Summer of the tiny, urban landscape of Radford Woodhouse.

So, from being a girl, I've loved dahlias; even visiting the Arboretum back then to admire their displays.

It's wonderful that Nottingham's Arboretum has maintained this tradition. Well worth a visit; it seems that you can walk for miles and miles admiring the long stretch of different varieties of dahlias with their wealth of colours. Let's hope that the constant deluge of rain doesn't ruin this year's offering ...........

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Don't they grow from Rhyzomes, (SP)???

[carni 10,094]

Beefsteak

You reminded me of Sunday mornings as a child,Dad would load as many of us kids in his old car (he called it a Susie) what reason i don't know? and off we would go down all the country lanes,dad stopping and jumping out with his bucket and shovel every time we saw some Hos muck,and i remember Granddads Allotment up St Annswell Road he grew Dahlias and he put bags over the top of the blooms,me not being a gardener i have no idea why,any ideas?.

[Beefsteak 305]

Now I may be wrong here (Stands by to get shot down in a shower of shit poo Strawberry's) But I'm pretty sure my Dad but bags over his Chrysanthemums not Dahlias.

[carni 10,094]

You,r probably right there,i don't know a Dahlia from a Chrysanthemum,i just remember the bags,you'r safe Beefsteak no strawberries this time.Lol

[Compo 10,328]

Ayupmeduks #6: tubers.

[Compo 10,328]

Here''s how and when to do the cuttings. I haven't tried this but SWMBO is going to do it next Spring. She intedned to have a go this year but everything was so late she has been forced to give it a miss:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/propagation_propagatedahlias1.shtml