Grow Dahlias in Pots

Planting Dahlias in containers was a necessity for me this season. Voles and gophers made a meal of most of my Dahlia tubers last summer and I didn't want that to happen again.
So I planted all my Dahlias in different containers to grow. Come see how they did and how I planted them. I have different plans for next year but that is for another video.
More Dahlia videos:
Planting Dahlias early: • Plant Dahlias early (s...
Take cuttings for more Dahlias: • How to take Dahlia Cut...
Pinching Dahlias for more blooms: • How to Pinch Dahlias t...
Digging up and Storing Dahlias for winter: • How to Pinch Dahlias t...
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Pamela Groppe
Flower Patch Farmhouse
PO Box 630
Arnold, CA 95223
Hi, I am Pam of FlowerPatch and I grow in a Zone 8a in the mountains (though many times I really do believe it is closer to a zone 7 with my microclimate). Welcome to my channel and all that I share. I only share my personal experience in the garden. Successes and failures. Gardening is never "one size fits all" and there are so many variables that can spell out success or failure. I choose to garden organically with nature as my guide. I want my garden to be beautiful but also a haven for wildlife. (except the bears, they are just too destructive around here)

[@k8marlowe]

Thanks so much. Going to try Dahlias this year in my containers. Wanted to share that we had gofers and moles when we moved into our house 5 years ago, and they really drove me nuts! However, we got a puppy after our first summer here and I believe he drove them away. Luckily he didn’t dig to get to them, but he would run from hole to hole whining and barking and carrying on. We got a lot of entertainment watching him, but the biggest advantage was that the next summer there were no ground critters anywhere! I haven’t had any problems with them since. ☺️

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Great on the puppy scaring them away. We adopted two kitties this past summer from the local animal shelter and they are definitely hunters so I have high hopes of them doing the same for me. I have already observed them pawing at the gopher holes. I also bought a trap and hope to reduce the population that way.

[@junemiller7166]

Hi! I love container gardening! All my plants are in containers it's pretty much foolproof.i am getting some tubers soon can't wait!-

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Sounds great! I wish you success.

[@hetty2974]

Hello there dear pam,flower patch lady, oh goodness me,im really loveing the tour around the garden,,its really looking just lovely your house is looking beautiful too.i keep seeing my favourite this n that, just loveing all.oh hey to the wee garden girls (chickens 🐔). I love hearing them too..I do think that those little trees will look gorgeous each side of the bench,,so much to see in your beautiful gardens, thank-you and do take care,,bye for now, xxheather from 🇬🇧 xxhope and pray you will get more natural peace soon,xxhugs,😅

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

In a upcoming video you will get to hear my surprise rooster. I was given some Bantam Chochin hens and lo and behold one turned out to be a rooster.

[@FelineJungle]

These are gorgeous and colorful dahlia, hope to see your penhill watermelon blooms before the first frost, thanks for the updates! 😸🌾

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I hope so too! It looks like one is opening up but because the days or so short and the intensity of the sun is so much less the colors are changing on the Dahlia flowers. My Labyrinth is blooming more yellow right now. Still beautiful though.

[@taramellow3016]

Gorgeous!!! I’m in Rhode Island but can’t wait! Your yard is my goal!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You can do it! Mine was done little bits at a time.

[@Hala12122008]

Thank you Pam! that was really informative...Thanks from Canada :)

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

You are so welcome!

[@pradnyamarathe2002]

Very informative video showing the different stages of growing. Thanks.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Glad it was helpful!

[@junemiller7166]

Your Dahlias are gorgeous!!!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Thank you, I do enjoy them.

[@mio.giardino]

The trick that I learned to get rid of vols was to put little pieces of juicy fruit gum, original flavour, down around the garden. The fella said that they can’t digest it but love to eat it so it....you know ....

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I have tried that but no results, I must have very picky ones.

[@kellyking6454]

I feel your gopher pain. Have you tried planting the actual castor beans. It has worked wonders for me. They eat the roots which may work better than whatever you are doing with the oil. At the end of the season, when they die back, I cut them down at ground level and the gophers continue to eat the roots.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Wow, thank you. I did plant them last year right on the gopher tunnels so maybe they ate some. I will grow more out front where I have more gopher trails. Thanks for the info. I do love the plant so growing it in more spaces is not struggle at all.

[@TheFragrantBunch]

Nice video! The white dinner plate dahlia looks like a Fleurel. I grew this variety as well this year and got many beautiful blooms :)

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Yes, I have Fleurel, and love it and then another white one came up that is definitely different and should've been Labyrinth. But it is so lovely too that I don't mind.

[@preciousshortie]

this video has been helpful, i want to try and grow dahlias in containers :)

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

It works great! You will find it quite rewarding.

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Hey Pam how are you? I am so glad I came across this video. I'm in the same boat for 2021 where my schedule, the weather and other factors had me delay planting my dahlias. I am going to build some 10' high raised beds and line the bottom with gravel and chicken wire to keep out the voles....their populations have exploded this year. Thanks for inspiring. Much appreciated!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Great plan! For some reason both voles and gophers have really become problematic. I keep hoping a gopher snake and his family would move in to help with the population increase.

[@Gardening-FarmtoTable-andMore]

Hi this is Sabrina from Campbell’s freedom farm. And I had so many gophers and groundhogs that I would do a video come back in an hour and they would’ve eaten it. I think they just left three days ago when I fostered and German shepherd mix and he made it his mission to find everyone and chase it away Hope that helps sabrina

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

All suggestions are welcome but with our schedules we just don't have time to do justice to another pet.

[@conservativebarbie4754]

Grow castral beans. Beatiful plants. Easy to grow. Low water should help with the gophers. Just do not let the seeds spread easy to do but it will spread if you let it.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Thank you, I was just thinking of where to find Castor Bean seeds today. I do love the big leaves and tropical look to the plant.

[@jsunshinejull]

Wow, ok. I didn't think it was a good idea to put three plants in that pot, but it's basically a ten gallon. Much larger than it looks on the screen. Thank you for including details like that.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I was told if you allow 12 inches per plant you are good. But more room probably would be better. This year it looks like I may have gotten a handle on my gopher problem so I can plant some in the ground for a test but I did plant quite a few dahlias in containers again this season.

[@Gardening-FarmtoTable-andMore]

The Sabrina from Campbell Freedom Farm. I had the same issue until this year I got a foster dog that made it his mission to chase them away

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

My neighbor in the valley had a Rat Terrier that was an excellent hunter and rid her yard of pests.

[@Gardening-FarmtoTable-andMore]

Yeah I’m posting a video on verbena later this week and talk about the dog. You might want to think about it. Sabrina

[@kimsgarden777]

I plan to grow some dahlias in cintainers. Your video will be very helpful. Thank you. ^&

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AKawamoto]

Thanks for showing the planting AND results! Looks like it was a success! I'm going to try that this year!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I thought it an effective way to show how it really can be done with amazing results. Yes, it was so much easier than I anticipated. I wish you success!

[@dg-ox9qk]

Very nice Thanks from iraq 🇮🇶

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Its almost time to plant more Dahlias!

[@michellep9990]

Thank you. Glad to have found your post on growing dahlias in containers and they are doing really well. Just wondering how often you water them as I'm having to water twice a day as the pots dry out in our summer (Southern Hemisphere).

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I had to water them more frequently during the hot spells as well. We don't get summer rains and I need to set up an automatic drip system on them so it is not as much work but they are worth it.

[@annescharmann5512]

Thanks so much!! Loved seeing both potting & result! Do you happen to know the depth of the containers you used?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

They should be 12 inches or more. More is always better.

[@maryb4001]

❤️dahlias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Me too!

[@tufornumberone]

Love the video. I am new to gardening and just potted 3 dahlias today I grew from seed. I have an outdoor space I was going to weed out (huge job) but now think I will do containers instead. Thanks for the great info. I bought a house last year with a greenhouse so am forcing myself to learn gardening. So far very rewarding. Question: do you pinch the tops early on?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I do pinch, here is the video link I made last year on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJuaY56mnrKmra8

[@dcwallace9930]

Cats, cats, and more cats!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Cats can be a challenge to contend with in the garden.

[@patbogost3832]

You must put wiring in your yard to keep golfers out...that’s the only thing that works believe me! It’s a little work but it’s worth it!

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

It seems to be, I have some hardware cloth under my raised beds and so far it is working the best.

[@Thingys-Jill]

I know it's a year later, but if you get this message, used cat litter in the tunnels created by gophers and voles will get rid of them. An old friend told me this. I tried it and, knock on wood, they seem to have disappeared. I'd be tempted to put some buried under the hole of the dahlias too, but I haven't tried that.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Wow, used cat litter would run me out too. I did not find any gopher holes this summer. My cats have been out there using my flower garden as their personal litter box in areas freshly dug so maybe their presence or better put the presence of their doo has helped to rid me of the dreaded gophers. Thank you for the info.

[@war5561]

I wonder if you could bury chicken wire under the tubers to avoid gopher damage? That’s what I do with my tulip bulbs to avoid digging by squirrels

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I have been putting in raised beds that the bottoms are lined with hardware cloth, 1/4 inch squares. The chicken wire holes are too big and the voles can get through it. So this year I have a large raised bed with the bottom lined for my dahlias plus I found a trap that everyone swears by to help reduce the gopher population.

[@nothanks5394]

do i need to plant my bulbs in a smaller pots before i plant them in a larger container?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

No, you can directly plant them in large containers, I only start them early as we have a short growing season and to take cuttings from them.

[@sandraleamelendez9679]

Really like how you explain the steps to take, very helpful. I over watered mine I guess cause it died. How much water and how often do you water? Thanks in advance..

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

That is so hard to say as there are variables when watering. Like your local conditions, weather, where you have it place etc. I have some in a shadier location that get watered less often than those in sunnier.

[@ivyme7318]

Have you tried a cotton ball soaked in Apple cider vinegar ❗️Helped with squirrels,hope this helps with the gofers?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Well, that sounds interesting and something I haven't tried. It certainly can't hurt. 😀

[@thegardenhouse8892]

My gopher problem went away when I brought cats home, they also take care of the rabbits......

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

We adopted 2 kitties a few months ago and I do hope they will be good hunters. Seems like they may. We lost our old cat 2 years ago and may be why I suddenly have the problem so bad.

[@MF-xp9tq]

Have you noticed any affect of using the metal container? I thought that the use of metal would increase the temperature of the soil in the container.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

No, I have had no issues with heat build-up in any of my metal containers and I have planted up all sizes with all sorts of plants.

[@nicolemiller7022]

So I have started as a new grower of dahlias last year. I do containers bc I am to full of Lillie's and roses iris and a few other things. I have terrible luck with dahlias they do great then I end up with these ugly brown spots on leaves I fight it off assuming it's fungus but I'm thinking this is because of soil. I have one tough girl from last year still going I bring them in. I love dinner plates the bigger the better. So I am thinking I need sand mixed bc the soil I've tried isn't working. I need as much advice as possible. I'll have three starting over from tubes from summer. I hope to do good. Thank you for your awesome video.

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Yes, experimenting is the best way to succeed. Everyone's local conditions are different so trying out different things is essential to finding what works best for you. I wish you success.

[@Fi0434]

Have you tried actually planting castor bean plant? I have heard farmers used to plant them around fields to keep them out of the fields

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Not yet but I have been considering it. I need to track down some seeds.

[@JessicaWarrenOKC]

Do you fertilize?

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

Only with an organic product that feeds the soil.

[@patriciahamm6442]

The what ever they are ate up my all my bulbs and dalhias

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

The gophers ate mine so now I plant tulips and dahlias only in containers or raised beds lined with wire mesh.

[@wintermelon7085]

We use Molemax to keep the rodents from eating our lawn and flowers

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I have tried MoleMax this past summer, unfortunately it did not seem to work well enough. But I have now bought a trap and I hope to reduce my population that way. We shall see.

[@Rodoriginal101]

I`ve only got a small roof terrace, so my dahlias don`t have a choice but to grow in containers. But if you have soil to dig in available then my question is WHY ? WHY? WHY? It is almost criminal to limit them to pots if you have a proper garden :-D

[@FlowerPatchFarmhouse]

I thought I explained in the video but I have had a gopher problem where they eat the tubers killing the plant. So I had to plant them in containers, others have said the same thing and wondered if they could plant them in containers so I showed how successful they can be.