It’s that time of year- time to make the calls. Who gets to stay and who goes. I’m still undecided on a few and won’t make decisions on those until this winter. But I have identified a few that won’t be back in 2024.

***Disclaimer: I’m a cut flower grower so I’m looking for productivity, good tuber makers, certain colors, certain growth habits, etc. None of the following dahlias are “bad”. I wouldn’t put any of them on a ‘absolutely do not grow list’— they just aren’t right for my field.

Here we go:

Cryfield Harmony: I really hate to cut this one because it’s productive and an early bloomer. But in our heat, the center doesn’t ever close completely and is a big yellow blob in high temps. Now— if I was a cool climate grower- I’d give this one a try. It’s color is amazing (and was what I was looking for). It also has better than average vase life. (You may recognize this one from the vase life trials blog)

Mystique: I’ve grown this one for 3 years because I really wanted it to work. The color is to die for and not easily found in the dahlia world. But she’s just a bobble head. She does make a great productive dahlia for your home garden though. She’s an early bloomer too so you can enjoy her for several months of the season. Dark stems and dark foliage make a stunning combo.

Muchacha: It’s a shame to cut a dahlia with such a great name! Gonna miss saying that. This one is really a great dahlia but just not what I’m looking for. She’s a bit small and her coloring is dark purple with some golden yellow. The original pictures I saw online looked burgundy and pink mix- which was what I was expecting but once again- temps and amount of light is playing havoc with the colors. I would highly recommend this one as a great addition to the home garden though- prolific and very sturdy plants that don’t require much support!

Crazy 4 Wylie Quinn: Once again- well bred dahlia but wrong color. The picture on the website showed a coral orange ball type. I got a florescent two tone orange- Big Nope! I forgot to take a picture but trust me- big no.

Beatrice: I want to like this one because it’s a great color, shape, and early bloomer but that big yellow center is just a killer! I think this one would be an excellent choice for a cool season grower.

Hapet Perfekt: This one was lovely last year but this year, it’s forming very oddly and blowing it’s center very quickly. It’s a bit much for me color wise honestly. I think there are other better large dahlias so with limited space to dedicate to large dahlias, I’ll move on.

Polyventon Supreme: Yes- this was on last year’s cut list and I added it back at the last minute. I wish it’s color was a bit more muted. It’s just a tad too neon. But it’s a great tuber maker, sturdy stems, prolific. So if you like bright yellow- give it a go. It’s definitely going this time.

That’s the list so far. It will grow between now and next May! I need to cut 30-40 varieties minimum. I’ve trialed so many over the past years that now it’s time to settle on the good ones and grow lots of those!

So who’s on your cut list?

Who Gets the Boot?

Frostmas has come....now what? (Tuber Digging Guide)

Dahlia Vase Life Trials: The Boiling Water Method