We’re in an in-between season at the farm. The busy spring season is over, and all the planting and shipping is done, but we’re still waiting on the bounty of blooms. As we watch and wait for our dahlias to bloom, there is still plenty to do.
Watching for pests and pest prevention
Every week, we spend hours just observing our plants. We’re looking for pests or pest damage and we’re monitoring the health of our plants. One of the main ways we prevent pests is by weeding. Removing weeds destroys the hiding spots of harmful insects.
Now is the best time to weed because the weeds are super small and their roots haven’t had a chance to nestle in with our tubers’ roots. This also allows us to keep tabs on every single dahlia on our farm every single week.
Some other common pests you may come across are slugs and rabbits. In the Pacific Northwest, slugs are the pest we have the most trouble with. Slugs can decimate emerging dahlias. We prevent this by applying Sluggo Plus before the slugs have a chance to munch on our dahlia babies.
To deter rabbits, we suggest cage traps which will allow you to capture the bunnies. Talk with your local wildlife control office about the best places to release rabbits you capture. Or… (and I know this sounds weird) most hunting stores sell bottles of coyote or cougar urine which hunters use to disguise their scent. Dripping a few drops on an old t-shirt and staking the t-shirt squares in your garden with shish-ka-bob skewers is a very effective way to deter rabbits from entering. If rabbits smell signs of a large predator, they will avoid that area.
When to start watering
In most cases, dahlias do not need water until the foliage is 2-3 inches tall. If you water before that, you run the risk of rotting tubers. However, if you have potted dahlias, those need to be watered as soon as the foliage emerges.
Get ready to stake those dahlias
Your dahlias may be small now, but dahlias grow SO fast as the days warm up, and they’ll need a shoulder to lean on before you know it. If you didn’t add a stake when you first planted your tubers, you’ll need to get a plan in place now so you’re ready when your dahlias need it.
It won’t be long before you have a bounty of blooms!