Dahlias MULCH MAGIC

[@parvatikisun1872]

Your techniques for growing healthy dahlias are brilliant

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Thank you!

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

Compost and mulch are my favorite gardening aids.

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

I agree Kathryn, they are the key to successful organic growing.

[@ingridshepherd2168]

Your Dahlias look in great condition, mulching is a very good idea, especially now that we aren't getting as much rain as we used to. I'll have to try it. I've had some lovely blooms already, and I have to say that I've been stunned by Hamari Rose, it looked so beautiful in the wedding bouquets that I did last weekend. Update on my seedlings - disappointing so far as most of the blooms are single pink ones.....fingers crossed for some better ones to come.

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Ingrid, thanks for kind words. I've made a note of Hamari Rose - they do look stunning. Yes as you know singles tend to appear before the doubles - I'll keep my fingers crossed you get a show stopper in there!

[@ingridshepherd2168]

Seedling update......finally there's one seedling which I consider a keeper! I think it's a small dec, and has a good strong long stem, closed middle and a bloom at 45 degrees. Parents were Wine Eye'd Jill and Preference. It's very similar to Hamari Rose (also in the vid) but differs with a closed middle and a purple stem and slightly stronger colour. I've uploaded a short vid which I hope you can access. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ_Lnol5gZhkqK8 @@MoorfieldFarmFlowers

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Ingrid, oh wow! You have a winner there! I can see the Wine Eye's Jill in there, and also the Preference in the outer petals. I wonder does it change colour as it matures, like Preference does? Its a real keeper Ingrid, well done.

[@briansmith4456]

Do you have a link to where you buy the netting over your plants for support? Great idea

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hello Brian, thanks. Yes here it is: you may need a different size. good luck! amzn.to/44AU19M

[@juliepuhr9806]

Great videos. Do you have a video on using the netting? First year using it and i need instructions to fix to stakes

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Julie, no video yet about support including pea netting but that is the next video - watch this space.

[@lyn4350]

What is your thought on staking Dallas in the landscape, meaning multiple plants mixed in multiple areas. not row type growing.

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Lyn, thanks for your question. Dahlias often need support, unless the smaller varieties. Stakes are a good method for individual plants in a garden setting. Insert the stakes or canes as you plant the tuber so that developing roots are not damaged. The supports are obvious when the plants are young, but as they grow the stakes will be covered, and barely visible. Hope this helps and good luck with your growing.

[@thisoneforu]

Thank you for sharing, I am a new dahlia planter and getting ready to put into pots in the next week for my area, how do you keep the slugs at bay? last year when I purchased mulch, it came with earwigs and the slugs around my garden pretty much devoured every new leaf after weeks of cleaning up the bugs I finally had to replant almost everything, this year I am going to get all the slugs I can before I plant and not use mulch again, and then try to keep the slugs away

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi thanks for your comment. Slugs are Dahlia enemy number one. There are many strategies for managing them and none is guaranteed to work well for everyone. We have a mixed approach, all organic, which limits the damage they do, Firstly we get plants well into growth in pots before planting out so the slugs can do some damage without decimating the young plant. We pick when things are bad - an evening patrol with a torch and pair of gloves - you get to know when the slugs are likely to be most numerous - after rain for example. Nematodes work quite well but they are prohibitively expensive if you have more than a small plot. We do use organic slug pellets for some of our plants in the early growth phase, but not for dahlias. Hope this helps. Good luck with yours!

[@lilianagonzalez1364]

Hi! I am starting grow dahlias , in my small garden, three tubers are seek I am in zone 10A so are big at this moment but are different so I will remove , but I have more tubers not too and my space is small, can I put a tuber in the same space were I remove de seek one? Thank you , your are really good garden teacher ! Lili

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Lili, thanks for your question. You are asking if you can plant Dahlias in the same place as a removed one which failed. This will depend in why the dahlia got sick, there is some risk of transmitting a disease - specially viruses. You can either change the soil and plant up the new dahlia, or else just risk it. Viruses often affect one variety but not another so there is a good chance things will be ok. Good luck with them.

[@stevenbuckley1416]

I’ve just subscribed. I was looking for information on virus to dahlias because I suspect one of my dahlias has it, it in the flowerbed and my question is do I have to get rid of the soil in that particular part of the bed if it is suffering from a virus.

[@MoorfieldFarmFlowers]

Hi Steven thanks for your question (I noticed you posted the same question against two videos so I will post the same answer in both.) It is not usual to change to soil after removing a plant with a virus, but you not place the same variety back into that soil. Dahlia viruses tend to be limited to one variety only (although it's not impossible to spread to others) . If it affects one plant only, then remove that plant immediately and burn or dispose and sterilize all instruments used. Carefully monitor nearby plants for the remainder of the season for similar symptoms and be ready to act quickly. Viruses are incurable but can be managed in this way to limit their damage. Hope this helps