I've pinched out my dahlias but the bigger one's leaves are looking rather congested (first time growing dahlias) Should I pinch out more from the other shoots or is that taking too much?
I grow Bishops Children from seed most years and pinch them out at about 5-6" otherwise they get a bit lanky.
The tubers I have in the ground (Arabian Nights) which come up every year I don't pinch, but I have done a Chelsea Chop on the ones I have in pots - just cut the top off
They can look a bit like a bush initially, but now the warm weather is here they shoot up quite quickly. If you pinch you'll get shorter bushier plants, if you don't they'll get taller.
Do you know the name of the variety? Did you sow seed or plant tubers? There may be someone here who also grow it and can give better advice
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I don't pinch out my Bishop's Children, but they've been left in the ground for maybe 7 or 8 years and they put up lots of shoots from ground level, so they don't need it. I dug one up last year to move it (early spring while still dormant) and it was huge, about 1ft diameter and nearly as deep.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
That's true JennyJ many of my previous years BC plants come up the following year and they don't need pinching as they stay quite bushy. It's just the new ones I grow from seed seem to benefit from a pinch.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I didn't know that when I grew mine, but they were fine without. I'll try it if I grow them from seed again. There's some of the packet left so now that I'm reminded I think I'll sow them and see what happens (they might be past it by now).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Keep them well fed (tomato feed is ideal) and watered and they'll be good. Some do start off a bit bunched up but they soon get going and shoot up which is why they need good watering and feeding. If you remove the dead flower heads it should bloom until the frost gets it
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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The tubers I have in the ground (Arabian Nights) which come up every year I don't pinch, but I have done a Chelsea Chop on the ones I have in pots - just cut the top off
They can look a bit like a bush initially, but now the warm weather is here they shoot up quite quickly.
If you pinch you'll get shorter bushier plants, if you don't they'll get taller.
Do you know the name of the variety?
Did you sow seed or plant tubers?
There may be someone here who also grow it and can give better advice
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
It's just the new ones I grow from seed seem to benefit from a pinch.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Thanks for the replies
the dahlias I'm growing are Café au Lait and roncho
I think it's one of the Cafe au Lait plants that's looking a bit tangled and bunched up
Maybe it will grow taller and then be able to get air flow through the centre?
As it's my first attempt I'm learning what's normal and what isn't as I go
(I'm already addicted and they haven't even flowered yet!)
Some do start off a bit bunched up but they soon get going and shoot up which is why they need good watering and feeding.
If you remove the dead flower heads it should bloom until the frost gets it
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I'm going to leave them to their own devices
Thanks so much!