looks like slug or snail damage'. Get some slug bait and sprinkle some of the pellets about a foot away from each plant. Steve in Baltimore County.

Definitely looks like slugs to me. I have bait Sluggo around mine but also have some holes.

My husband went to the hardware store and picked up some 4 inch drainage pipe that's used to drain water. He cut it into 5-7 inch lengths. As soon as a sprout emerges, I surround the growth, mounding some dirt around the edges on the outside of the pipe. I leave the pipe around the plant until the plant is bigger than the pipe, then remove it. To date, a slug has never bothered the plant inside, and I've been using this method for several years.

Can anyone tell me how to deal with the little no see'ems that attack the top of a plant? I've been using the soapy water method my mother taught me, but the result isn't 100%.

Brilliant use of the drain pipe! Probably gives the sprouts a little more heat in our cool springs too.

What kind of damage do the no see'ems do to your dahlias? I'm tired of the little gnats that always go for my scalp in the evenings but I don't think they hurt the dahlias.

They seem to chew the new center growth as a first choice, but also also chew the ends off the leaves. I can tell they've been there because of the lack of leaf symmetry. I also notice that when they are around, the center leaves seem disinclined to open. I think the soapy water spray helps, but it's not 100%. Used to use a pesticide prep of some kind, but I never thought it worked any better than the soap, and cost a lot more. I'm open to suggestions!

I had something eating my Dahlias. Come to find out it was earwigs. So slugs aren't the only pests to chew them.

Now maybe I am having a bad day, but I don't get the drain pipe thing. I know what gutters are? Do you have any pictures?

Bad news! Aside from learning how to properly grow dahlias, I still need to find a suitable area where snails and slugs are nowhere to be found.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dahlia Pests: Let's Talk About Slugs and Snails