First Time Dahlia Grower

9 years ago

Hello all, I was hoping some of you wouldn't mind answering a newbies questions. I am putting a cutting garden in on the slope of my back yard and want to include some dahlias. I am hoping to plant in the new few weeks (1-3), I'm in the Portland area of Oregon and wanted to know if it was too late to plant them this year? I am not too picky on variety but a type I wouldn't have to stake would probably be nice at first though the dinner plate variety is stunning what should I look for to find a variety that can stand on its own? Any suggestions on where to order tubers from? I was looking at some from Michigan Bulb since the are much more affordable then many other places but I am open to others. And will they be able to overwinter ok? most varieties say they are hardy in zone 8 but I wanted to know how everyone else in a similar zone grows them.

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Comments (4)

cicivacation
9 years ago
Lots of growers in the Portland area who left the tubers in the ground have reported high losses this spring. Yes, dahlias CAN overwinter where you are, but excessive rain will drown them. It is hit or miss. Folks with raised beds seem to do the best with overwintering in the ground.

No Staking:
The best place to get those 'border dahlias' that don't grow over two feet is the big-box stores or commercial green houses. You can also grow them from seed, as they will bloom much quicker then the full-sized dahlias and tend to be truer to type then their larger kin.

Sources for dahlias (not border type):
I highly recommend you check out www.dahliaaddict.com for vendors that specialize in dahlias, and don't simply resell Holland pot tubers. The available varieties will AMAZE you.

Most vendors, like me, are shut down for the year, but there are still sellers with extras available. I only sell tubers Jan-April, while others sell Oct-May. It depends on how big of an operation they have, and what they focus on. I'm a hobbiest, and use the funds to feed my dahlia addiction further. I bet most of the vendors on Dahlia Addict are couples or just one person selling tubers on the side. Only a few that I know employ multiple people, and work 24/7 on selling tubers, plants and blooms through the year.

Another source of 'real' dahlias (non-border) are dahlia clubs in your area, that are auctioning or straight-selling off their member's extra tubers/plants to fund club activities. Sadly, you just missed Portland's last auction of the year, which was last night.

Check out a club near you for local growing tips and great dahlia conversation HERE: American Dahlia Society- Local clubs

Hope this helps. Happy hunting!
-CiCi
Sammers510
Original Author
9 years ago
CiCi, Thank you so much for all your information! It would be just my luck that I missed the last auction but it may just end up giving me time to do some more research and get ready for next year. I decided very last minute that I wanted to do this cutting garden instead of a few other ideas I had for the space. I would love to grow the 'real' dahlias and having more time to learn about how to properly stake should help with that. But OMG that website has some beautiful flowers! I may just order what I can get and experiment. I am planting them on a hill so hopefully they wont be sitting in too much water.
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cicivacation
9 years ago
This FAQ might help answer some basic planting/growing questions for you...
Growing Season Questions

Best of luck, and keep us in the loop of how you're doing!

-CiCi
eczekalski
9 years ago
Just starting a few, along with basic research is a great way to get started. I've killed a lot of them along the way and each time, learned more about how to do it right. And if killing something worries you, know that I've also ended up with more tubers than my friends will take. Almost like zucchini, they see me coming...