By Lilablu

Re: Dalia not Delia
08 Sep 2008 10:38

Can anyone help, my dalia's have been wonderful this year but what do I do at the end of the flowering. Should I dig them up and replant next year like daffys or just leave them in.....help LB

Replies

By Biggles

Re: Dalia not Delia
08 Sep 2008 12:38

I believe they should really be dug up, dried out and kept in a cool dark place over winter. My Mum could never keep them like that, they turned to jelly and she bought new plants every year. Loved them. We have a couple here that have been growing for over 4 years, we just leave them alone. The soil drains well here.

By Lilablu

Re: Dalia not Delia
08 Sep 2008 14:54

Thanks for your advice I think I probably will leave them in, it sounds as if this will give them a chance that way. LB

By treehugger

Re: Dalia not Delia
08 Sep 2008 15:41

hi LB- i'm not a dahlia expert, but i think it depends what sort of winters you have- if its cold and wet where you are, you should lift them as Biggs says, but if you are somewhere where the winters are mild and they are more sheltered, you might get away with leaving them in. (btw gardening questions usually go in creative corner- sorry not being pernickity (sp.?!!) but you might find other bits of interest to you there regarding plants and bits :-) )

By cake eater

Re: Dalia not Delia
08 Sep 2008 22:57

I can't help either, all our Dahlias disappeared and never came back. I think they died under the earth

cakes

By Lilablu

Re: Dalia not Delia
09 Sep 2008 08:47

TH - thanks for the advice I will look on the other threads. I did use the coffee break thread the other day and had some amusing responses but I am still new to this so I am still finding my way around. My OH does much the same on a fishing site and the things that come up there are crazy at times. He writes for opinions in all things and some of the responses are great. We recently got a squirrell trap for out back garden because it is over run with them, he then catches and releases them miles away. However my sons partner works at our local council offices, as a prank wrote to him a letter on headed paper informing him that he would was going to be prosecuted by the animal cruelty because all these squirrells are now homeless and fretting for their mothers who are miles away, this and much more nonsense. It was up to me to pass this on. So trying to keep a straight face I got all the new post from our porch and opened it while trying not to laugh gave him the 'complaint' letter (everyone ran out into the garden at this point spluttering). He went banana's, blamed the woman next door who appears as a leftover from the sixties and is a sort of 'flower power person'. He tried ringing the number on the letter which was naturally a false one, so rather than be beaten he said would put a new thread on his site and ask advice. Well..... what could I do, I had to ask him to calm down and remember where Claire worked and when the red mist faded and he said the local council offices he realised he had been had and called us all a number of things that are unprintable on a respectable web site like this one. LB