Dahlia leaves turning black (with photo)

balconygardener

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum. My dahlia leaves are turning black one after the other and dying. What could be the issue?Thanks

Pete.8

The cause if often due to the bud getting nipped by frost when the bud was forming.
If the new growth looks good, then there's nothing to worry about.
If you think it's something else, then a photo of the plants may help us come up with an answer

balconygardener

Hi, thanks for your answer I'm currently in zone 11 (India), we just had a heat wave where the temperature crossed 90°F/ 30°C. However before this the flower buds started getting black and stopped blooming. I have attached 2 more photos. the top part of the plant has no leaves because they all turned black and wilted away, the older leaves are still there but they are turning brown and crisp

Pete.8

Well it definitely wont be frost-bite then.
I'm a bit lost as to what the cause may be.

Hopefully someone else here may have some suggestions for you

balconygardener

oh okay, but thanks for your help anyway. I have removed all the black leaves and now the plant is left with just sprouting branches. Hopefully it will recover

Helix

Are they in a small pot?  Or in the ground?  And have they been growing non stop since last year.  They may just need a good feed or a rest period.

balconygardener

Thanks, Helix. Yes the plant is 11 months old, it is in a container. I added compost to the container about a month and a half back