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Have my dahlias died ?

Anne17Anne17 Posts: 98
in Plants

i did as Monty said, and dug up my beautiful dahlias, dried them out. Put them in big pots of soil in February, in ,the greenhouse, and waited.

theres still not a sign of life. Do I assume they're ex-dahlias, bereft of life ?

Think I should have risked leaving them where they were

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Posts

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Have you watered them?

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • Anne17Anne17 Posts: 98

    Lightly

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 16,724

    mine are not shooting yet either. plenty of time yet.

  • Bob BobBob Bob Posts: 61

    April is still very early for a Dahlia to be poking above the soil so I'd just wait. I've been waiting till May/June up here on Merseyside for them to show in pots.

    I'd agree with Chloe Craven about leaving them in the ground. I've found cutting back after the first frosts and a generous mulching is enough to get them through winter. I'd only lift them if it was a flood prone site or one with poor drainage as it's sitting in water for long periods that will do for them generally.

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  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    I garden on heavy clay which often gets waterlogged in winter. Leaving dahlias in the ground is a real gamble, added to which I have LOTS of slugs. They have a much better chance lifted and stored. Mine have sprouted and are about 3 inches tall, now but I am in the warmer South. Give yours a bit longer and possibly a bit more water.

  • Anne17Anne17 Posts: 98

    Thanks all, there is hope !

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,662

    I overwintered one and bought a few this spring from Sarah Raven, all potted in the polytunnel for about a month now. One started shooting about 2 weeks ago, one still hasn't 'shown' (though careful investigation shows there is a little tiny bud forming under the soil so it is alive) and the rest are all at various stages in between. They vary a lot, not just with climate but also variety. So be patient.

    I've tried leaving them in the ground and mulching - no good here. Heavy clay I suspect is the problem, so I'd not dis Monty's advice - I have to lift them or lose them. 

    This is my last year of trying with them though. I am drawn to their looks but I really can't be doing with the faffle just to have them fail again. So if they don't make it to next year then that's it. I'll not waste any more money on the things image

    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first” 
  • Anne17Anne17 Posts: 98

    Faffle - what a great word, I'm going to steal it ! 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 52,269

    Raisingirl - I feel much the same way about them. They'd be great in my new border, but there's no way I'd leave them in the ground here, which means faffing over winter with them.

    I don't think I like them that much to be bothered!  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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