Dahlias

[RustyDHart]

Thanks scotexpat......Earwigs.......!!!!!!!! This is what (I) do to help reduce the population....you'll ALWAYS have a few.....:/ I have several wooden stakes about 3 ft. tall in the ground where the monster bugs seem to be the worst. Over the tops of the stakes I place an inverted coffee can. I then stuff old crumpled newspaper or straw up underneath, inside the cans. The earwigs love to climb inside to hide....every morning (early) I run out and turn the cans right side up and run with them to the chicken yards. There I shake the whole stuffing/live earwig contents out for the chickens.....you'd be surprised how many of the little (pains) will be scurrying across the ground. I do this as often as possible and get less and less each time....BUT.....I ALWAYS get at least a couple in each can...each time.....it's better than hundreds of them.....the chickens like 'em. I hope this helps.......watch for Yellow Jacket Hornets as well....they love to gnaw on the leaf joints of the plants.....they'll weaken a joint and that part of the plant will shrivel and die. Please keep us posted! Good Luck, Rusty

 

[scotexpat]

The inverted Coffee Can idea sounds great,I think I am going to give that one a try.Unfortunately I don't have any Chickens,but I am sure I will find a way to dispose of the pesky critters,they are such horrible looking things, YUK!

 

[RustyDHart]

scotexpat....I forgot about your other question....sorry! I have a few tubers that I've started for a customer already......you can start some now.....but they'll grow quickly and up and out of the pots really fast. If I want 18 in. plants that look healthy and ready to go to a customer or my Michigan garden for late May planting.....I'll start the tubers inside about the middle of April. How many Dahlias do you grow? Do you know any of the variety names? I'm just curious what other Dahlia varieties are being grown in this group...... Here again is one of my favorites called "Surprise"......

 

[OSUman]

scotexpat....I forgot about your other question....sorry! I have a few tubers that I've started for a customer already......you can start some now.....but they'll grow quickly and up and out of the pots really fast. If I want 18 in. plants that look healthy and ready to go to a customer or my Michigan garden for late May planting.....I'll start the tubers inside about the middle of April. How many Dahlias do you grow? Do you know any of the variety names? I'm just curious what other Dahlia varieties are being grown in this group...... Here again is one of my favorites called "Surprise"......http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/7566_dahlias_8_30_2009_042.jpg

Rusty, will you be selling any tubers this spring?

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Yes, Rusty, I want to buy tubers!

 

[RustyDHart]

Hi Jon and other Dahlia fans, Yes.....I will have some Tubers for sale.....which varieties and how many that will be available will not be decided 'til I go thru my stock. I love this weather now......maybe we'll have an early Spring and I will be able to plant tubers a few weeks sooner. Please PM me or e-mail me for more info....Thanks.... I've just started going thru some of the varieties......"Kelvin Floodlight" was VERY productive this last year and about 90% of the tubers look GREAT!!!!! Here it is again for anyone interested....... "Kelvin Floodlight",,,,

My best to all, Rusty

 

[scotexpat]

I have this Dahlia and it is a beauty.I am very bad at labeling my Dahlias so I have to wait to see which ones I have have :rolleyes.
I have moved House and my Garden is quite a bit smaller than before. I get a lot more Sun now,so I am looking foward to getting more Dahlias.Rusty do you have the intermediate size Tubers for Sale? The Dinner Pates are just too much for the size of my Garden now.

 

[RustyDHart]

scotexpat......I have about 120 plus varieties in all of the sizes, shapes, and colors. I'm sure we can help you out. It shows 60 degree temps. here in Northern Michigan all the way to the 20th of the month.....I like this...I hope we don't get a BIG change in April and get snowed on....we usually have snow to the first part of May most years.

 

[scotexpat]

Thanks Rusty,do you have a catalogue or something where I can see what you have for sale?The weather here in Ontario was 16% yesterday and just beautiful,sure makes my planting fingers itchy,but I know it's waaaay too early.

 

[OSUman]

scotexpat......I have about 120 plus varieties in all of the sizes, shapes, and colors. I'm sure we can help you out. It shows 60 degree temps. here in Northern Michigan all the way to the 20th of the month.....I like this...I hope we don't get a BIG change in April and get snowed on....we usually have snow to the first part of May most years.

Rusty, hopefully you can start planting earlier. We're supposed to get up to 80 here today in northern IL.