Life of the Dahlia-Chapter 9 September

Sungate's Dawn

Dahlia News from Eric

The dahlia season is quickly winding down as we see earlier sunsets and cooling temperatures. There is only one Federation dahlia show left at the end of the month in Wenatchee, but this dahlia exhibitor is going on vacation! Seems like the weather throws us a curveball every year, this time with no rain. North Perry loved my watering routine, sometime watering every day during the hot weeks this summer.  Wish I had my own well!  

September is the time to start hardening off dahlia tubers for winter. To do this discontinue all fertilizing and limit the amount of watering through September and October.  This is also a good time to double check your dahlias and make sure their names match the blooms.  I use fluorescent tape (purchased at Home Depot) to write the name and tie around the base of the plant.The label also helps remind me of the dahlias I want to donate to the club and dahlias I want to no longer grow because of the quality of the blooms.  Each club garden will soon ask for your help to identify and label dahlia plants to assure accuracy for next Springs tuber sale.

As seasons change and daylight decreases, the number and size of blooms also decreases, especially for the larger blooms.  If have an interest in growing your own dahlias from seed, you still have time to collect seed pods. The dahlia tuber will almost always produce a plant of the same variety.  However, since dahlia are hybrids, seed will always produce varieties different from the seed’s parent. Leave the blooms which you want to gather seed on the bush until it has dropped all of its petals and the seed pod has closed tightly. It may be necessary to remove petals to prevent rot. Pick your seed pods leaving a good 6 to 8 inches of stem.  Label the seed pods for each mother plant and hang seed pods to dry. There will be more discussion about collecting seed at our next meeting!

There is still time to tour club member garden this month.  David Tonnessen’s garden is open on Tuesday, September 19 and Karolyn Sly on Saturday, September 23. Those members who attended club garden tours were able to enjoy many beautiful blooms, network with the garden grower, and enjoy great snacks.  If you attended one, two or all the tours, all the garden hosts had different growing techniques to grow beautiful dahlias.  Hopefully everyone had a chance to add varieties to your wish list for next year.

Finally, as the season slowly comes to an end and the days become shorter and the blooms smaller, share you flowers with family and friends and those living in assisted living and nursing homes.  Our beautiful blooms always brighten everyone’s day!