150 New Dahlias and a Strange Plan

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Every year I plant 100 or more dahlias, with very little financial success, and say that I'll never do it again (only to find myself tempted into buying another case or two the following year). But this time its different! Not because I didn't buy 3 cases of dahlias, that I definitely did, but because I have a new plan for how to grow them.
Instead of planting into farm beds in the open field as early as possible, this year I am planting my dahlias into a greenhouse in the beginning of June, in hopes that I will have happy and healthy blooms in the fall. I will keep everyone posted on my great dahlia experiment.
But to tide you all over till I have blooms, I'm sharing how excited I am about the 6 new varieties that I'm trying out. Ruth Ann, Milena Fleur, Sweet Natalie, Sweet Suzanne, Wizard of Oz and Isabel. I'm also sharing details about how I like to use them in my market bouquets and when designing floral arrangements.
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Ian and Serina of YOU CANT EAT THE GRASS feel that every small change can make a big difference to the world we live in. Every garden planted leads to a better future. We hope to inspire and motivate others to make positive changes in their lives by sharing our journey towards greater sustainability as we build our family farm. It's hard work to build a life worth living, and completely worth it!
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[@nano-ry6wc]

Great Silence dahlias are relatively easy and productive with good stems. They start out in shades of peachy pink, and the center develops more yellow as the flower ages. I love them.

[@pchoward]

You should grow them under 50 percent shade cloth. That is what we do for showing when it gets too hot. It will help save the color and the plants.

[@jeffhingson159]

Shade cloth is the answer.

[@tracycrider7778]

Bought sweet Natalie last year and it was my most prolific dahlia❤

[@caitegraceify]

I got the Cafe con Leche Mix from Eden brothers. It’s my first time growing dahlias. I used to drool over them in the catalogs but I lived on a farm and my father said they were frivolous. I finally have my own land - I’m growing them! I don’t even care if I get flowers tbh im just so proud I bought them ❤

[@Victoriaxx08]

It’s so exciting getting your hands on flowers you’ve been seeing online for years! I grew cafe au lait last year after waiting for years and it was great!

[@everafterflowerfarm]

Aw I love Sweet Nathalie!

[@lisajelle714]

My Milena Fleur dahlias overwintered in the ground here in zone 6A central Ohio, with no protection, came back just fine. Also Sylvia and about 90% of all the dahlia tubers I left in the ground as an experiment! I am so excited I can leave my tubers in the ground and skip the digging, storing, potting up, and planting out! (I’ll always order a few tubers each year just in case they all freeze.)

[@MlleMarisol]

Here also a fan of Cornel family for beauty and productivity!

[@pnwgardenergal1325]

Like the Sweet Suzanne and the orange

[@rachelj4970]

I love boom boom yellow and pompon white aster dahlias. They are small ball varieties and very productive.

[@anapaulacrawford5837]

I just love them , i don't know anything how to grow dahlias but i guees i will learn with time . I got a few in my garden. Southeast Texas here where it gets hot to not even want to get out from may to November....

[@vivherman2296]

I love Maarn/Sylvia dahlia. It's very productive for me.I've cut way back on dahlias because of the blooms not opening up all the way. Only half of the bud opens....I never find any bugs and plant looks healthy. I ordered 5 tubers..and I'm going to plant them at another location to see if it makes a difference. I can't spend the money if I can't get the blooms! I also loved Pooh.

[@osmia]

Good luck. Sounds like a grand dahlia plan

[@patty8991]

If you can get your hands on them, Crichton honey is super productive and makes beautiful yellow, peach, pink blended ball dahlias.

[@denisewyatt1877]

Zone 7A Kentucky here and it’s hot and extremely HUMID! I planted Dynamite dahlias this year next to my Dynamite Crepe Myrtle. Results remain to be seen, last year I planted too early and we got a hard frost so some of my tubers died. The ones that didn’t bloomed late September/October.

[@Undine532]

i grow cabana banana and strawberry cream as test this year

[@YanickaQuilt]

You "influenced" me into buying and planting 200 bulbes of Gladiolus and this morning I saw 2 little bud peaking out of the ground. All this is so exciting lol.

[@tamerarogers6170]

Haha same. Just not as many

[@freckles2437]

I have fallen in love with Dahlias, sadly lost my tubers last year as we had unusually cold winter. Good excuse to buy more, I have gone for a purple mix. I also grew some Bishop's children from seed, these are all dark stem & foliage and single flowers. Can't wait for them to flower to see what colours I have. Jo UK 🙂

[@everafterflowerfarm]

I love Maarn too! I got a bunch of them this year.

[@cherylannesley937]

Such enthusiasm. A love story, Ian s soft side and your business side. Hey, all is complementary.

[@crzyforaz6473]

You really look nice today.

[@dawnelleodom8829]

I love your pink outfit!

[@laurenclark1439]

I love your outfit in this video

[@littlemissbekah9722]

Ever since I started watching your channel I get so much more excited about certain flowers at the garden center. We went today and they had the most beautiful dahlias! I was so excited and got a pretty magenta one. They're a perrinial in my zone.

[@BrittanyS143]

I love your outfit❤

[@victorybeginsinthegarden]

[@maureenbrophy7852]

And earwigs 🪳( more legs) love living in petals & if u don’t shake them they can fall out on the table or wherever u have your vase💗

[@lilacmile]

Sounds like a good plan. I think dahlias are more sun-loving than heat-loving, there’s a difference. They’re from mountain regions, too hot and they’re not at all happy.

[@rickyt3961]

thank you! 🌺

[@hobbithause9481]

I like seeing your excitement.

[@katherinelipari6610]

I’ve found that playing around with planting time has been great for me here in California. Our summers are hot and dry so most things planted in the spring get scorched. They just aren’t established enough by the time the rains go. Instead planting during the fall and letting them grow their roots during our winter rainy season really helps their health. I’m already well past the end of planting by May and we’re preparing to ride out the next five dry months.

[@cecilmontano8674]

Just found this video online, was wondering if you use "Nolo" Grasshopper bait to control grasshoppers. I buy it online. I use this product in my garden with good results. It's a naturally occurring product that only affects hoppers and is not toxic beneficial insects, birds, pets, and children.

[@katipohl2431]

New varieties, decorative and ball style: Isabel, purple/fuchsia pink ball. All varieties listed in video description.

[@marcusseidel6824]

Last year due to heath and drought... Dahlias didn t move till august... Best flowers were in Oktober even November... Strange isn t it? I kept some in the ground as an experiment... This year... many Dahlias survived and grow more vigorous, strobg and healthy than the new ones I ve potted up in april. Also strang. Dahlias are full of surprises. I spray them with a garlic liquid to make them unattractive for slugs and snails. Give them tomato fertilizer and never cold water... water that is a bit adapted to the temperature outside.

[@bhavens9149]

Those arabian nights ones look fabulous, seems like they would be pretty with either the orange or some pink yellow or hey maybe with some chamomile, now that would be some contrast!

[@nano-ry6wc]

My Arabian Knights dahlias were a much darker burgundy. Smaller decorative with shorter stems but striking color.

[@LifeMoreColorful]

Rip city did really well for me in Florida zone 9. Gorgeous deep purple. Shiloh noelle was also very productive, but I tended to have a lot of bug damage on those. I would say I only got to use 1/3 of the blooms, so it’s a good thing they produced a ton of flowers.

[@grannyanniesfarm4972]

I just watched your radish seed pods video but comments were turned off. I bet they would be great pickled! My turnips are seeding so going to try the pods. New subscriber here.

[@bluebirdhomestead]

Wow so may dahlias! I added a lot of new dahlia varieties to our garden this year too. I am just a home gardener, but so I did not add nearly as many as you did, but our raised beds should have a lot of beautiful flowers this year. I am excited to see all of these blooming for you guys! -Cara 😄

[@pinnaclefarms4640]

I think your heat is the big problem. Dahlias hate extreme heat and need lots and lots of slow deep watering. I water mine with a drip tape for 2 hours, 3 times a week. I have about 350 this year.

[@julievanerem9578]

PLEASE put out the Mothers Day Market video!!!!!

[@liseforget1687]

Great information. Thorough. Good luck.

[@oasen-pa-asen]

Wine Eyed Jill! Super duper produktiv! Has really long steams as well. And the perfect mixture of colors that matches EVERYTHING! /Flower farmer in Sweden :)

[@anamachado7508]

Hi guys you both work so hard god bless you and your children ,I, hope that you doing good with the flowers these summer take care🇨🇦💜💛💚🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🌺🌼🌺🌼🌻🥀🌺🌺🌺

[@victorial3293]

For me, the most productive and a florist fave is Cornel Bronze. Excited about trying a new one this year- Winkie Lambrusco 🤣 With that name, I just had to try it! Good luck with your experiment.

[@g.christelbecker6349]

What a wonderful name, Winkie Lambrusco!!

[@Rebecca.Robbins]

I always chuckle at how you never remember when Canadian Thanksgiving is! This year it’s October 9th! So pretty early on in October!

[@amyschmelzer6445]

What’s the rule? American Thanksgiving is the fourthThursday in November. I always cringe when people say it’s the last Thursday. It often is but during a year with five Thursdays in November it isn’t.

[@ritamajsai964]

Hello Serina, can you give an update about your dahlias? Thanks,

[@Lovelifealways16]

Have you thought of shade cloth for the Dahlias 💜😊

[@mmcreads]

Super cute jumpsuit btw 😊

[@helenobrien60]

Big fan of the Cornell series and sports (I actually think Isabel is one of them) for productivity. But my favorite dahlia hands down is Lights Out! It is definitely not great producer but you just cant beat the color, it is sooooo dark and goes with warm or cool tones like a dream, especially for fall flowers.

[@plaisirdelanglais]

17:23 Who said ORANGE out loud as I did? 😀

[@SammieSea]

Serena, just. thought, might it be profitable for you to grow and arrange specifically for weddings? You could market as straight from the farm to the table and potentially plan you upcoming year on your confirmed and deposited orders)

[@deshgouri]

Love the colors and varieties you picked. ❤ I fell in love with 'creme de casis.' Can't wait for them to begin blooming! What a unique and stunning color!

[@lesw3803]

I live on the Florida gulf coast and I just started planting my dahlias two days ago. There were some that I left on the driveway over winter and they are actually budding out. So I’m calling them the survivors.

[@honeysuckle-end]

I think you would LOVE 'Daisy Duke"!! Small decorative/large ball in coral, salmon, fuchsia pink. Lovely, stocky plant, doesn't need staking and produces well!

[@coloradotulips]

Awesome help with identifying productive dahlia varieties! Thanks!

[@marley9904]

I love dahlias, I love the peach/orangy color. They're beautiful 🎉

[@terrigodfrey8260]

Orange!

[@lisal9488]

"My milkshake flowers brings all the customers to the stand..."

[@kele1264]

Of the dahlias you bought this time, I'd have to say that I like Ruth Ann best. Can't wait to see all of them when they grow! Hope you're feeling great!

[@krisinoregon6806]

I love the milena fleur, they actually sparkle in the sun. The petals have an irredescent shine to them.

[@kele1264]

Oh, I hope she notices and shows us when they grow. Thanks for the heads up! That's really cool!

[@melissamybubbles6139]

That's really good information. I have tons of grasshoppers in my neighborhood and so many plants haven't done well, including dahlias. I gave up on them. I hope grasshoppers don't carry diseases to zinnias, because that's what I substituted this year.

[@TheEmbrio]

Thinking outside the box ! This should work ! Lovely !

[@yvettequiroz4706]

This reminds me of the Movie Documentary The Biggest Little Farm, Molly, and John viewed their farm as an ecosystem. In the documentary, they were solving problems all the time each year brings something different. I like that you are trying something different and if it works wow and if it does not work then you can try something else. Your farm is beautiful.

[@nicomyth]

Crazy love is super productive for flowers and tubers. However it is a creamy white with lavender edges, so not a Serina favorite for color. I also love the decorative dahlia "fabulous". It is more fushia red. Very productive for flowers and tubers.

[@barbarafegley5566]

I am in zone 6a in the usa. Have not planted my dahlia tubers yet. Will plant them next week. Planting early doesn't mean they will bloom earlier here. So i am planting them later this year.

[@hunterford8546]

Sarina, where is your boiler suit from? Love the colour. Absolutely love Dahlias.

[@kimjapinga6550]

Rip City is a great burgundy flower that creates nice contrast. Karma Gold is a bright flower that produces a lot of stems. I think the Karma series is specifically bred for the cut flower market. I am going to try Karma Prospero, a pink version, this year to see if it produces as well as the Karma Gold.

[@melissakurtz4528]

The dahlias of course are amazing but I’m dying to know where you got that hot pink denim jumper from 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@Floraltherapyfe]

I just love nordjwicks glory, prolific tubers, more decorative but seemed to do well in a vase for me! I also love Sonic bloom and the tubers multiplied like crazy

[@beccalarson5982]

You always talk about working with florists, I'd love to see a video on how that works. Do they come tour your farm and see things in person? Do you send them pictures? How does it work?

[@arni.fy.14]

Di Kanada mudah ya nyari benih bunga, di Indonesia aku nyari benih bunga susah banget

[@paisleyjane9606]

Milena Fleur also looks like a beautiful bridge between pinks and oranges.

[@lisawellington1798]

This is exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing if your plan will work. Good luck!

[@MeganSherow]

I love that you love orange flowers as much as I do! Maarn/Sylvia is my favorite dahlia too!!

[@carlydillon6926]

Isabel

[@ElderandOakFarm]

I think sometime we cause ourselves more issues by trying to grow things outside of their normal Bloom times, & then we struggle with things like you mentioned in this video- lots of pests & diseases. A lot of people put dahlias in right after ranunculus, & I think that will work out great for you to!

[@rebeccasys]

Would the next 80 include an Arabian Night or something deep and rich for fall?

[@ElderandOakFarm]

I'm growing a lot of these on the flower farm for the 1st time this year & I'm super excited! I'm growing some for just my flowerbeds too, because I- like Ian- love the dinner plates! 🤤

[@cherylelkins1403]

I'm new with dahlias whats the best way to harvest to get the longest vase life. Y'all are so inspiring thank you

[@karine_lane]

❤ just for beauty!

[@veeeff2323]

I'm so glad I don't live near you or any fresh flower farms...I would be broke by now!! Meanwhile...do you happen to ship dry arrangements to Alberta...asking for a friend...

[@amberlockhart1386]

Thoughts on maybe succession planting dahlias? (fist succession bright summer colors, second the deep fall colors)

[@MrsLovelyPendragon]

Excellent idea!

[@rachelletaylor4215]

I've watched you for a few years and enjoy you content. I'm concerned for you and your new plan. On many of the dahlia sights they suggest diatematius earth and also using organza bags or some way to draw in more birds to eat the grasshoppers for protecting the blooms. I'm just concerned about the hot summer and it being even more hot in the hoop house and the plants just roasting. They don't like extreme heat. If you are putting shade cloth up and pulling up the sides so they are ventilated and fertilizing them then I can see them being ok. Personally, if I didn't know that it would work this way I wouldn't put all my stock in there and maybe leave out 25% and try the D.E. and organza bags. I wish you guys all the best.

[@arni.fy.14]

Aku nyari umbi dahlia di Indonesia susah banget nyari nya

[@Bentonendflowerfarm]

We are planning to plant our dahlias next week, so behind this year, but hey so long as they are in!

[@WibblyWobbly]

Sweet susanne and orange one are my favourites. I dont grow them for cuts, hence my favourite is sebastian, its a decorative, with quite short stems, but its a gorgeous peach and floweres generously. Last year i liked beatrice, i guess it would be good for cutting it had strong long stem, peachy coral ball flower, it wasnt too productive, but it was the perfect colour. I wish there were true green flowered dahlias. Salmony peach and green floweres are my favourites :)

[@EdensApple80]

Bridezilla is a white water lily variety that stole my heart last year and grew three large clumps from one single tuber

[@patty8991]

Sounds like you need another 1000 cats to take care of those grasshoppers!

[@tobyclements4812]

Love the dahlias, but we’re so excited for the Mother’s Day video 😅😬 all the best from Cambridge, UK

[@shopdelilah]

Bridezilla is a huge producer for me. Also makes a gazillion tubers.

[@caitegraceify]

Question: do you have a cooperative extension service in Canada? Like to test soils and diagnose crop diseases etc?

[@debmichelleparks3538]

You were asking Ian to guess what color and as I’m listening while I drive I’m saying green! Green! Green! Then he says orange and I glance at the screen and see that yes, it is indeed orange. 😂

[@karacrawford7393]

Do you dig up and store the tubers in the fall?

[@christaljohnson3300]

I got Sylvia 2 here in nz as orange is also my fav colour ❤ they wer beautiful and I can't wait for them to bloom again nxt summer.

[@draganpower]

My favourite varieties for cut flowers are silver years, arabian night, cornel, cornel bronze, ivanetti, wizard of oz, petras wedding, and brown sugar to name a few. Longer vase life (for dahlia) and prolific Unfortunately to sell to florists, fleural, cafe au lait, and cafe au lait royal are three that brides seem to gravitate to. Dinnerplates and havr short vase life. The few weddings i have been to they seem to be a staple. I personally dont grow them because they are less prolific and hard to arrange. But its used a lot in wedding work unfortunately

[@sanniepstein4835]

I found that earwigs munched on dahlias, with the reliable exception of Arabian Knight.

[@natasha1369]

Hi Natasha from ON here, I just planted my dahlias yesterday, ugh 😩 some looked quite dry, some were ok because they already were sprouting, but I desperately hope they will grow.😢 first time doing this I just don’t know what to expect. Now after watching this video I know I will have to worry about pests. Good thing I am not doing this to make money, but being a (manorial) gifting garden I still hope they will grow. Next year I think I will need a used fridge for the garage to keep my bulbs and tubers. Man your tubers look so good compared to the crap I can get from Costco and Canadian Tire 😢 but I guess I’ll find out how these work out for the price and if not I might order some from wildwoods outdoor living centre in Victoria, BC. I ordered some zinnia seeds and Clematis from them this year and really happy with how quickly they sent things. You might know of them, not sure?! Also I got my gladiolus in, thanks to you showing me how, feel they might do the best. Have a wonderful day 😊

[@MrsLovelyPendragon]

I just LOVE this video, it was like a surprise 🎉 because we know Serena loves the monies and they weren’t that profitable before 😂 I’m starting to think she has a secret fondness for dahlias too! I’m really hoping this plan works out because I remember that cheese grin that Ian had showing these beauties in videos. #DahliasForTheWin

[@pharmajo6368]

This is a cunning plan! I have always resisted dahlias for all of the reasons you said… but you may have sucked me in for a late season succession!

[@EVAGirlGamer]

Cornell series are really good producers and probably in tones you will appreciate like bronze. I am trialing next year a Buttercup Dahlia which is a small yellow pompom which is said to be a prolific producer

[@Doktracy]

How far apart on weed fabric do you plant them? I’m pretty sure they will easily naturalize in my climate although our bugs and summers might cause them to suffer.

[@greenysgarden4581]

I'd have to take to those with my scalpel and secerteirs and divide those clumps. Imagine how many tubers there would be then! Gorgeous colours :)