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Dahlias stopped growing!

wakeshinewakeshine Posts: 975
in Plants

Hi! My dahlias seem to have stopped growing. Sorry if this seems like a stupid thing to be saying! I started all tubers in pots on 16th April. Moved them into growhouse about 3 weeks later. In the pots they seemed to grow at a very fast rate - big leaves, short thick stalks coming up. I put them into the ground last weekend and the one before. Now in the ground they don't seem to have increased in size at all. A couple of them have been damaged by slugs and ants! But the others seem to have just stopped growing. Has this happened to anyone else's dahlias? It does say on packets 'July - September', so do I just need to be patient and they will start growing again?

I hope I don't have vine weevils in ground damaging the roots as I've read a lot about those on this forum. The plants do still seem alive.....

I have not being gardening for long so sorry if this seems like a dumb question! I might need to go and buy some 'impatiens' as I certainly am very...

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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,135

    I think your dahlias are ok.
    When you transplant them it gives them a bit of a shock, so they stall for a while. The 1st thing they need to do is get a grip, so they grow roots, then the whole plant will take off.
    A few warm days and they'll be flying along


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Mine always sulk for about 2 weeks, hang in thereimage

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    Mine do the same and the all of a sudden they seem to rocket! I keep them comfortably watered. 

  • wakeshinewakeshine Posts: 975

    Thanks! Tootles please can you advise on what 'comfortably watered' means? Does this mean water them everyday? Twice a day? Not that I can do either as I'm away 2 days a week!!

  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    Just enough so that they don't completely  dry out. Mine are in full sun so I give them a drink every two to three days now and then when it gets hot I try to water them most evenings. 

    When they do flower remember to dead head the flowers once the petals have come off. Do this a lot as this will get them to keep flowering throughout the summer. 

    Good luck with them. So pretty and well worth growing. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Yes, same here when first planted out.  It's always then a race to see whether they pick up before the slugs do too much damage!  Once they get going I find they can take a fair bit of munching without ill effect.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • wakeshinewakeshine Posts: 975
    BobTheGardener says:

    Yes, same here when first planted out.  It's always then a race to see whether they pick up before the slugs do too much damage!  Once they get going I find they can take a fair bit of munching without ill effect.

    See original post

     Great. Well about the dahlias picking up, not the slugs! I am feeling quite defeated by slugs this year.

  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Get some frogs!  They really do the work for youimage

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
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