I'm surprised there isn't a Dahlia forum here, but I have always thought of them among tender summer bulbs- their tuberous roots are certainly bulb like in many ways.. These Dahlias have overwintered in the ground the last 3 years. I gave them a little extra attention this year, and they've produced some of the largest blooms I've ever grown. They sure make late summer sparkle!

Your Dahlias are gorgeous, Neal !
I am seriously thinking of planting some in my garden !

Thank you Ceci! Do you see Dahlias grown in your area?

Oh yes, and they'll be beautiful right up until it freezes. I can overwinter them here along Lake Michigan in extreme southeastern Wisconsin with a few inches of coarse woodchip mulch. But I have to dig and divide every two years, otherwise I get too many small, crowded tubers. And I think they like being planted in fresh new soil anyway. I usually just dig and dry after they freeze and then store them in an unheated garage or cold cellar in old wash tubs filled with sand. Maybe mix in just a little Captan powder fungicide in the sand if I have it handy.

I agree--A dahlia forum would be enjoyable

Hi Neal ! Dahlias grow very well in my area.
My garden is not very big, and it is somewhat crowded. That's why I must choose very carefully what I want to have.
But I think that some dahlias will grow soon there.

These tall dinner plate types do take up a lot of space, and prefer good air circulation between them, but there are a lot of wonderful smaller varieties that aren't such space hogs. Shorter varieties with large blooms are offered from mail order sources.

That is so cool! Congrats on having these repeat so strongly! I especially love the fluffy white one with hints of purple.

Your lovely gardens look fairly well established, been around for a while. Do you use a lot of organic matter, mulch, compost, leaves? I do believe cover on top helps a lot, but don't think the increased drainage that occurs in an area over time from repeated applications of OM gets enough credit for helping create a microclimate, and zone-pushing in general. It's rained so much here this summer, one of mine looks like it has rotted to death. Wish I'd realized sooner in time to lift the bulb, bummer. But of course I was inside because of all of the rain. I've taken a few cuttings that still look great, perky, flowers still blooming since this past Friday. Hope they make roots! It's a twin to your one on the left on the bottom row above.

Thanks Tiffany! I've lived here 6 years now, and started the gardens upon moving in (well, a couple of months beforehand actually). The soil is dark and loamy, but does have a fairly high clay content- just enough to make for good moisture retention. I typically only use compost to amend the soil, but did toss some granular organic fertilizer around those beds in early summer. I mulch those beds too. I'm so bad for over crowding, and there are several heavy feeders in those beds, so that's about the only place I fertilize (except for some targeted fertilizing on Japanese Irises and certain Roses). I plan to lift all the Dahlias this fall. I'm sure they need dividing anyway, and I feel we're due for a "normal" winter- whatever that is, LOL.

I've only rooted a Dahlia cutting once, but it rooted quickly and easily. What are you rooting them in (soil, sand, etc)?

Your garden is admirably lovely! Well done. Since I was taking the cuttings to save the rotting mama plant if possible, they're in water. No suitable dry spot in the ground. They sell them every spring, but this one didn't look like the pic on the package, I like it better - LOL! Somebody must buy all of the purple ones instantly, I hardly ever see anything but pink for sale, and happened to get a purple one in a pink bag. I've enjoyed looking at the flowers for a whole 'nother week, even if the 'bouquet' doesn't take root. We had sand here until the rains washed it all away...

Does anyone grow Tree Dahlia (Dahlia imperialis)? Even if it won't bloom it looks like a nice architectural addition.

Purchased 10 Dahlia tubers from 'Country Dahlias' Australia ,4 more mini pom poms, 4 orchid dahlias and 2 Exhibition..$129 to my door....I competed In novice Dahlia section at a show, in April, and won mini pom section

The dahlia pictures are great!
I had not heard of "minis" before.

They are truly a great sight ,Caroline...Dahlia showing here is a hard area to enter.. The Dahlia 'Bastion' look lowly on new competitors... In turn, 'I give them absolute hell' ....Quite the opposite with liliums, 'we encourage new people'!

gwhizz said:The Dahlia 'Bastion' look lowly on new competitors... In turn, 'I give them absolute hell' ....Quite the opposite with liliums, 'we encourage new people'!

Kudos to you! I don't like plant snobs in any area, just like bullies.

I didn't find this thread when I was poking around for dahlia info this morning so I asked if we could get a dahlias forum:

The thread "could we have a dahlia forum?" in All Things Gardening forum

Can anybody answer the question I posted this morning in the perennials forum?

The thread "Dahlias!" in Dahlias forum

crittergarden said:Can anybody answer the question I posted this morning in the perennials forum?

The thread "Dahlias!" in Dahlias forum

It looks like the answer was posted up-thread, Critter.

Roosterlorn said:Oh yes, and they'll be beautiful right up until it freezes. I can overwinter them here along Lake Michigan in extreme southeastern Wisconsin with a few inches of coarse woodchip mulch. But I have to dig and divide every two years, otherwise I get too many small, crowded tubers. And I think they like being planted in fresh new soil anyway. I usually just dig and dry after they freeze and then store them in an unheated garage or cold cellar in old wash tubs filled with sand. Maybe mix in just a little Captan powder fungicide in the sand if I have it handy.

I agree--A dahlia forum would be enjoyable

I grew some in containers this year, and had one re-seed itself in the garden from last year. That's about it for my dahlia experience...so far.

Reseed??? I didn't know they could be started from seed....

Yes, it was answered over there, too.

NOW I KNOW that I can leave them out "until the clay pot would crack" just like all my other house-wintering plants.

Easier than I thought, which is good!

crittergarden said:Reseed??? I didn't know they could be started from seed....

Yep...and then you can lift those tubers at season's end and save them as well. My yellow one from seed last year is just now starting to open blooms.
I had forgotten it in the closet. I found it mid-August and it was growing so well (in a bag..in the dark...without water... ) that I tossed it in a pot of soil. I didn't expect it to actually make blooms in time this year, but it looks like it's going to have a few.