Melissa Smith 11/10/22 Melissa Smith 11/10/22

2022 Trial Results- Part 2: Good But Not For Me

Today we are continuing on with the 2022 trial results. I’ve grown so many varieties in the past 2 years that I’ve had to make some hard choices on what to keep. So today’s post is all about dahlias that are good but just aren’t for me- for various reasons as you will see!

****Remember you may love a lot of these dahlias and it’s not that I don’t like them — it’s just I can’t keep them all so I thought it might be interesting to some to see what I don’t like and why I’m not keeping it. Everybody has different goals with their dahlia growing. We are 95% a cut flower production farm with a side of dahlias that I keep in my “personal collection.”

Blyton Softer Gleam: I know this one is well loved by a lot of people but I just can’t get into her. She doesn’t often look like this picture. A lot of her blooms seem to show a hard yellow center and she’s not as productive as I like. Plus there are a lot of other dahlias that have a similar look so off to find one that’s more productive for me.

Bracken Sarah: If she always looked like this, I’d keep her. But in my hot climate, she only has this look the last week or two of the season. She’s usually way more yellow than shown. Also she’s been a mid to late season bloomer the past two years. She might get a spot in my personal collection. But I think she’s more of a cool climate dahlia.

Hillcrest Suffusion: Once again- another variety that just doesn’t quite cut it for a hot climate. Unfortunately I don’t take a lot of pictures when the dahlias don’t look their best. But often, I get a hard yellow center on this one until the weather cools. There are also a lot of other coral dahlias so off to cooler climates she goes!

Maarn: This is a good dahlia and I didn’t have any plans of cutting this one until I was shipped a mislabel by my wholesaler this spring. I ordered Pink Sylvia but was shipped Sylvia and by the time I realized it, Pink Sylvia was unavailable. Well I live in the land of lots of orange dahlias needed for sporting events so I decided to plant Sylvia anyways. And what do you know— I like it better than Maarn. Sylvia is a bit earlier, a little taller too. Productivity is about the same and if you put them side by side- you can’t tell much difference on the blooms. But I think I’ll give Sylvia a go for a few years.

Chilson’s Pride: I want to like this dahlia because she’s a good producer but she’s just so gosh darn it— Barbie Pink! She’s just too sugary sweet looking for me. Can’t get into her. It’s purely a taste thing on her- just not my thing. But if you like the look of her- go for it because she’s a great dahlia!

Golden Scepter: I know this one is popular with a lot of people- that’s one reason I tried it. I’ve been trying to love it for 4 years now but it’s just not happening! It’s usually kinda’ messy looking and you have to cut it early to get a decent shape out of it. It’s also kinda’ small- If I could have it bigger and same color-that would be perfect! I also think it does better in a cooler climate. If you have recommendations for the same color but larger bloom, send them my way.

Hapet Perfekt- Being a cut flower production farm means we don’t grow a lot of the dinnerplate size dahlias. So to keep one, it’s has to be amazing. This one is reasonably productive and definitely has wow factor. But to be honest, I just wasn’t digging the yellow and pink tip look. Just didn’t overwhelm me.

Pink Pearl- Ok- I’m gonna say it: “I can’t stand this dahlia!” She annoyed me all season. Short growth habit and showed an open center for all but one week of the season. There was one week in the middle of September that she looked great but that was it. I think this one is definitely a cool climate beauty. I see pictures from farms north of here and she looks great. There are better options for blush dahlias in the South.

Polyventon Supreme: I’ve grown this dahlia on and off for years. I want to like her but she’s just a little too bright. I can’t sell the color. I need a softer yellow. But other than color- she’s great. Prolific, sturdy, makes great tubers, good size, good vase life. Kind of a shame but if you can sell that shade of yellow- go for it!

Wyn’s Ghostie: I chose this one to try for a new larger white dahlia but I think once again, it’s not a great hot climate dahlia. The center wouldn’t close up well for me. Maybe if it were harvested later but we tend to cut large dahlias on the tighter side because they get a better vase life that way. So if you live in a cooler climate and grow dahlias just for fun- this might be a keeper for you.

So there you have it- 10 varieties that didn’t make the cut. There will probably be more. I’ve got to whittle the collection further. Who didn’t make your cut this year? Let me know here!

Dahlia Tuber Sale happening soon— Make sure you are signed up for the Dahlia Lovers Newsletter for all the details!

Melissa Smith 11/3/22 Melissa Smith 11/3/22

2022 Trial Results- Part 1: The Fun Dahlias!

I’ve begun going through the 150+ dahlia varieties we grow. I’m picking and choosing which ones we will carry forward— And it’s not an easy task. I’ll write many posts like this over the winter because it takes a while to make all the decisions.

Today I want to share with you some of my “fun dahlias”. What makes a fun dahlia? Well, I run a production farm so most of what we grow has to be productive, growth habit that’s easy to cut and be in high demand with our florist clientele.

But there are so many dahlias out there and I love to explore so I always grow some just for fun! I also think these make some of the best varieties to really show off in a home garden too!

Here goes— in no particular order:

AC Paint- this one came as a substitute in an order. I wouldn’t normally order anything like this but maybe I should- everytime I turned around, it was blooming again. “AC” dahlias have had a history of doing well in my field so I should probably pay more attention. Definitely a good one for wow factor in a bouquet. Very tall plant so stake well!

I got this one off a recommendation from my friend Lori at Broad River Blooms— it’s amazing! Great size— very medium sized so perfect for focal flower in a bouquet or arrangement and big enough to get noticed in the garden. Soft but enough going on that you notice her. Beefy plant, avg height 4ish’.

Bubbling Over- I gotta say— I love an eyeliner dahlia! I think the liner edge on petals is so cool! I wasn’t expecting this one to be so big. I have a bad habit of forgetting to check the size on a bloom when I’m shopping. Anybody else do that? The color on this is perfect for blending with others for a tropical sunset bouquet!

Scaur Swinton- This one just has a fun name to say. I wish I had gotten a late season picture because she changes color to more coral/dk salmon. I actually like it better that way. Early season is pink with purple undertones. Useful color and size either way. Tall grower- stake well!

Renato Tozio- If you need a fluff ball of an orange, this one will do. I wasn’t sold on it at first- just another orange dahlia I thought. Then I gave it a day in the vase and it fluffed out and wow— it had some presence and began to steal the show! I think this one would make a great garden showpiece variety!

Hilltop Lost Treasure- I’ve been growing this one on and off for a few years now. I think it’s here to stay. It fades so beautifully in the vase- a true joy to watch! So many fluffy layers too! 3-3.5’ feet so no major support issues either! I may take this one into larger production at some point. It’s a good one!

Brookside Cheri- Another salmon peachy beauty. Very skinny petals for a dahlia- you don’t see that much but there are enough on it that she still looks full. Cut her on the tight side because she opens quickly in the field. She’ll still open in the vase.

Roque Starburst- I began growing this one years ago as part of my production varieties but sadly the demand for a 10” white dahlia just wasn’t there. But she’s a personal favorite of mine so I’ve kept a few plants around. Often she has a slight blushy center- pretty good vase life for a large dahlia too!

Hapet Champagne- I wanted this one for years and finally got it last year. Second year and it’s even better than the first year! Decent number of blooms, great color and unique look with the lacinated petals (which I love!). There’s a good chance this one will go into production down the line!

Well there you have it- some of my “for fun” varieties that I’ve been testing for the past 2 years that I’ll be carrying forward!

Who did you try this year and love? Tell me about it here.

Dahlia Tuber Pre-Sale - Nov 18 12 PM EST - Sign up on our Dahlia Lovers Newsletter for a password to shop an hour early!

Melissa Smith 10/27/22 Melissa Smith 10/27/22

Inviting Pollinators into your Dahlia Garden

So I’ll be honest, dahlias aren’t the first flower to come to mind when I think of blooms to attract pollinators. Usually it’s salvias, nicotiana, alyssum, yarrow and wilder looking plants. However there are some types of dahlias that work really well as pollinator attracting plants.

Anemone and collarette types will bring the bees into your garden. For a plant to attract pollinators, having an open center is an easy access method for bees to find pollen. Anemone dahlias have a large fluffy center full of pollen. Collarettes also have an open center that’s easy access.

I’ve been experimenting this year and grew Sandia Brocade (Anemone type) in the middle of all my cut flower dahlias. I haven’t been harvesting it like a cut flower so every bud has been able to open. I’ve been deadheading after I see the bloom has been pollinated. I don’t want seed heads to form because I want it to keep blooming as long as possible so I just keep deadheading.

Sandia Brocade is really the first dahlia like this that I’ve grown. But I have to say - I’m hooked! I love watching the sleepy bees early in the morning. I’m going to start growing more- just for fun! These types don’t always make great cut flowers- their vase life is pretty short. But they are worth it for their pollinator attraction value!

I wanted to find more varieties that worked well in a hot climate so of course I turned to my dahlia sister- Lori of Broad River Blooms. I know she loves these types and has grown a lot of them. Huge thank you to her for sharing some of her favorites! (She sells tubers of these too— sign up for her tuber sale email here.)

Platinum Blonde- Anemone type (Photo by Lori at Broad River Blooms)

Waltzing Matilda- (Photo by Lori at Broad River Blooms) Look at that color!!

Bloomquist Golden (Photo by Lori at Broad River Blooms) Non stop bloomer!

Dad’s Favorite (Photo by Lori at Broad River Blooms) Excellent Butterfly attractor

Claire De Lune (Photo by Lori at Broad River Blooms) I think this one is my favorite and is going on my must have list for next year!

I’m definitely making plans for more of these next year! I can’t wait to see all the beautiful pollinators they attract. I’ll be hitting up Lori’s tuber sale for sure!

Names from left to right: Bloomquist Sweet, Asahi Chohji, Ferncliff Dolly, April Heather, Pooh

Melissa Smith 10/6/22 Melissa Smith 10/6/22

How to Cure the Winter Dahlia Blues

Do you dread the end of Dahlia season? I know I definitely miss having blooms on my table! I miss seeing luscious layers of petals all over Instagram. I’m already seeing some of my Northern friends having a frost.

Well, a few years ago, I discovered a way to cure the Dahlia Blues. You just have to take a (virtual) trip south! To the Southern Hemisphere that is!

At this time of year, flower farmers in Australia are gearing up to begin planting their dahlias. And when it’s bleak and cold here, they will be showing off blooms galore!

Today, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite farms to follow. So pull up your Instagram and get ready to go down the rabbit hole!

@florelieseasonalflowers A Dahlia farm in Bungaree, Australia
@the_flowering_field Burra, NSW Australia
@southernhighlandsflowerfarm Southern Highlands, NSW Australia
@geelong_dahlias Moolap, VIC Australia
@serenade_farm_tamborine_mtn Tamborine Mountain, Australia

There are many more but these are some of my favorites! It’s really fun to learn about how dahlias are grown in other climates and parts of the world!

Melissa Smith 9/22/22 Melissa Smith 9/22/22

Coming to terms with loss....

The idea of loss in growing is something I’ve wanted to discuss for a long time now- but it’s not the most alluring topic. However, accepting that we will lose plants when growing is important.

I think most of us would agree that it’s generally been a harder than average year for growing dahlias. In fact, if this is your first year— hang in there, It’s not always this way! If you are still interested in growing dahlias after this rough year, then I’d say that I think you have what it takes to be a great dahlia grower. I feel like this year is an ideal time to talk about loss.

So let’s define what I mean when I say “loss”. I’m referring to plants dying due to rot, disease, pest pressure, lack of attention, adverse weather conditions, or just failure to thrive. Commercial growers are familiar with this idea. We figure it into our crop projections. We know that we will lose a certain percentage of our crop because there are so many factors out of our control.

I assume that I’m going to lose 20% of my dahlia crop in my financial crop projections. I do include not being able to sell a % of the crop due to things like over production at certain times (when the dahlias are in flush but your demand doesn’t quite meet the supply) or blooms coming on at the wrong time in your sales cycle.

But most of the loss comes from things like tuber rot, possible disease (we cull at the better safe than sorry stage), or pest damage.

Loss is normal. Say it again- Loss. is. normal. Now I know it’s harder to accept when you aren’t growing 1000’s. I’ll admit that I don’t sweat it anymore (well not that much). When you grow 1000’s, losing a few hundred is normal. But when you buy 5 for your garden, it hurts losing even one. But it’s still normal.

We aren’t perfect beings and neither are our plants— They are grown by us, ya know! We as humans make mistakes. As dahlias get more and more popular, unfortunately the rate of mistakes will arise. And by mistakes I mean mislabeled tubers, possible virus in the tubers or rooted cuttings. It’s going to happen.

So what can you do about it? I’ve given it a lot of thought this summer. First off, I’ve decided to adopt an attitude of grace. It’s important to remember that we are human. We are not perfect. We make mistakes — Just like that dahlia grower who sold you the wrong tuber. Tuber sellers aren’t out to send you the wrong thing- but remember they pretty much all look alike once frost comes! It’s hard to keep track of several hundred varieties.

Every year, I trial around 100 varieties. (Yes, I’m as addicted as you are!) This means that I order from a lot of different sources, I try out new ones all the time. So I know this increases my chances of getting a mislabel, poor quality, etc.

So the second thing I’ve done is to increase my level of education. This is where it’s important to learn the symptoms of possible virus in a tuber. It’s important to evaluate and inspect each tuber that arrives. And to inspect them in a timely manner— don’t let that box sit in the corner for weeks. Being a highly educated consumer allows you to catch mistakes earlier and to protect your field from becoming virus infested.

Third, keep up with how tubers from certain sellers perform. It can be hard to figure out reputable dealers at first- this takes time. But one thing you can do is make friends with other dahlia growers— We love to talk dahlias and most are willing to share who offers great quality.

Fourth- It comes back to grace here— except that even the most reputable dealer out there is going to screw up at some point. Give them a chance to make it right before you go blabbing it to the world- just a common courtesy.

Fifth— Grace again here- but this time give it to yourself and accept that somethings are out of your control. You can have the healthiest tuber out there and then the weather comes along and hands you conditions that no tuber should have to grow in. (This has been the case a lot this season!) It sucks to lose an expensive variety but it happens and it will happen again in the future. Loss is normal. But so is success- Remember you may have lost 1 out of that 10 but 9 are still blooming their heads off!!

Remember it’s more about learning a new skill- how to grow an amazing dahlia. Learning this skill requires that you accept the idea of loss. Once you’ve accepted it as normal, it becomes less of an ordeal and you can focus on the gorgeous beauty of a garden full of dahlias!